Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-04-11
OUR INSTITUTIONS.
An Interesting History Of the West
Virginia Penitentiary.
Its Management, Condition, and Inmates
--TaIes Of Lawless Life Told
by Life Prisoners, Etc.
CHAPTER I.

by Life Prisoners, Etc.
CHAPTER I.
Special Correspondence Of ne Sunday Register.
MousDsvLLE, W. Va, April ga his
tory of the public institutions OF State
is always interesting. particularly to the
citizens of that State. In beginning his
tory of the public institutions Of West Viz
GINA, your correspondent begins ct the
penitentiary. as that happens to have been
the first visited and examined in oil OF its
details.
This State institution is situated in Mar
shall county, in the town Of Moundsville,
under the shadow of IN Indian mound. the
monument of an aboriginal race, long
since extinct.
The main building il four stories in
height. 1t IL, like the fanklng buildings,
built of heavy cut stone. Upon each cor
ner a tall tower o'ertops the buildings all
about, which with embrazures, battlements
and lattice works of iron, lends an appear
ance of massive strength, stern, forbidding
and soul chilling. On each side OF the
main building long, onestory edihce OF
like character stretches away to the right
aud left distance of 1870 feet in each
direction.
| THE PRISON.
A heavy stone wall, 35 feet high and 4
feet wide surrounds the yard. At each
angle of this wall stands o round turret or
guard house, from whose windows the alert
and active guardsmsn, armed with l6shoot.
ing Winchesters, keeps watch and ward
upon the movements Of human beings be-
low.
The front part Of the main building is
occupied by the officers and family Of the
Superintendent. The long room to the
left is, the dining room Of the convicts
and that on the right is the hall, within
which stands the four tiers of cells, which
contain the sleeping apartments OF the
prisoners.
| THE OFFICERS.
One day not long since your correspon.
dent called at the State Prison and sent in
his card to the Superintendent. He was
ushered into the office and there formed
the acquaintance OF Col. John B. Peck, Of
Logan county, W. Va. After few min.
utes' conversation Capt. Wilkinson, As.
sistant Superintendent, came in. They
are both genial intelligent gentlemen, firm,
but Just in their management OF the prison.
To these gentlemen the people OF West
Virginia owe the fact that they have the
clesnest and one OF the best conducted
State prisons in this country. Everything
in and about the prison is kept clean and
fresh. There is zone Of that prison smell,
which is 80 sickening 10 the olfactcries Of
even stalwart men. The prisoners are also
required to keep their persons and cells
clean.
There are 300 prisoners confined within
these four chilly walls, and every morning
600 eyes glare with hopeless dependency 10
ward the light which brightens the outer
world.
These men, l3 of whom will spend their
lives within the walls, came from different
parts Of the State, Ksnswhs furnishing
more than any other county.
Capt j. R Mehen, now Deputy U. 8.
Marshal, has in his experience as civil off.
Ger sent 81 prisoners 10 this prison, priu-
cipally from the county Of Wood, while
Capt. ALI. Burnett, chief Of Eureka Detec.
tives, has sent perhaps 100 in his long ex.
perience as detective from Kanswhs and
other counties in the State. These two
men have run down, captured and consign'
ed more men 10 this institution than any
dozen officers in tho State.
Employment is found necessary, not
only for the safety of the officers and
guards, but for the health of the prisoners
who, if idle, would plot and plan revolt
in very short space OF time. They are
employed in three different vacations, prin.
cipally making wagons, brooms and whips.
The Webster wagon works. Weaver d
Bardalls whip and broom factories are
well.knowD throughout the country.
The convicts are OF every nationality
No distinction is made, for white, black,
red, old aud young. are here prisoners
alike, and treated as the law demands.
METHODS OF PUNISHMENT.
The methods Of punishment in State
prisons have caused great deal Of discus
sion in almost every State, and have been
changed great many times. The pad
ding machine, with its pulleys and inhu.
man punishment. is not used Neither is
that horror Of State prisons, the weighing
machine" Although something similar
to it WAS in use two years ago. The fol.
lowing ia description of that instrument
and i's uses: L. 10 merely o solid oak
plank set in groove frame, so that il
could readily be moved up or down to any
height When it was high enough two
iron pins were pushed into the holes 10 the
grooved pieces. and the plank was held
fast A hook vas fastened in
the centre Of the plank. to which
Was fastened Q chain connection with q pair
Of handouts. When prisoner was brought
up to be punished 10 this machine, be
would first be handcuff,d TO the chain
The cross piece was then elevated until
the prisoners toes barely touched the floor
Of the cell. Thirty seconds Of agony 10 as
much az any man in any Of the State
prisons have been able to bear. Before
that time the blood seems 10 burst from the
finger ends. and the nails seem ready To
fly from their places. The convict be be
ever 90 stubborn, shrieks and cries from
pain. He is then let down and sent to q
cell, often 10 remain there for weeks and
months With swollen wrists and liberated
wounds, which seem alnost impossible to
cure, There is now In the West Virginia
penitentisry one convict. negro man, who
on a q nm m; al Al - tk;. L III.
yesrssgo. Wien your correspondent under
the guidance Of Superintendent Peck
went through the prison he found
this man in the dining room.
Upon making inquiry as TO how he came
to be so badly crippled, his wrists we're
covered with great suppurating sores-he
learned that he had several years ago, be-
fore the ncz regime, been strapped up and
weighed" That poor devil will never On.
tirelv recover fyopn tho eHscfs nj h;s rc,