The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-12-01
STORIES OF CRUELTY.
a SHOCKING STATE or AFFAIRS
Alleged by au EH-Oalclal of the Mounds
vile psnitsntiary to EGl1t In ThatIn'
sututIon-A sensational rubliea' =
tIon in tho H. quIrsr.

In the Cincinnati Enquirer Of yesterday
appeared publication Of highly aensa'
liopal character CONCERNING the puni9h-
ment Of conylcts in the West Virginia
State Peuitentisry at Mouudsville. The
article purports to be and doubtless is,she
result Of All interview with EX-AeslstSnt
Wilkersop, and he &C.
cu:es Superintendent Peck Of brutality
OF shocking character. Slight hints Of
thcss charges have been heard here, bnE
little credeIcs has been placed in thefe
reports. Superintendent Peck has been
attacked by several persous whom he &C.
cnses Of personal nOtivea. He claims 10
have good defense, The sOries given
In The Enquirer are Of a surprising chaEaC-
Ter 10 the public, nevertheless, and super
intendent Pecka explanation WILL be
awaited with much interest,
THE STORIES TOLD.
Tho EnqMrr's article is in substance as
follows;
Stories Of 6endish cruelty and brutal
outrage upon the prisoners confined in
tho West Virginia Peuitentisry hava of
late been too frequent and apparently
well sustained 10 be overlooked by the
public and the authori leg, and there Is no
forhl hut that the Smelling Committee
~hieh viii be appointed at the Capitol in
January will have plenty Of work in that
line, 4 short time since tho Assistant
Superintendent, Captain W. +. Wilser-
sor. resigned bis pOBition and left, Hap
repipg 10 meet the Captain a few dsys
sircs al Charleston, interviewed him oil
the subject. Ths Captains story OF the
liie Of some Of the uniortuuates OF that
pris0n, their cruel, british treatment, was
nro series OF horrors, and II one'Lhird OF
tLe ALLEGATIONS sTe true, and there Eeems
IN he no reason 10 doubt them, then the
West Virginia Pen 10 hell Oh eaItb.
Same time ago United States Inspec'
tnr waited The prison and demanded that
he bo allowed 10 inspect the entire C0n'
Germ. Colonel Wilkerson says that 3D.
perIniendent Peck ordered him to go Into
tGo dark cells and 10 conceal all o. the in
ptrumenLs OF torture which were IN sight
VI went down them" the Captain aatdr
"tcok ali OF the whips and other movable
ina,runents OF torture and hid them he,
lore the o(Iicera got there. Tho "shoo.iIy.
wos en- iulmovable structure and could
not knock 1t into pieCes, as commanded,
hnt every thing else WAS put out OF sight,
When Inc officer gOt around To The cell
which was the last thing shown him by
Superintendent Peck, he found nothing
INT The 'shoony.' The Superintendent
told him that It's use had been discon
tinued and that all cruel nis!Ieatment o.
pIlsoners had been GooIishcd."
TIE ToRTUREs DEscsIRgD.
Capt. WIkeson said further In sns6el
10 questions:
have seen d,z'ra Ct men heplod "
for being short III their tasks and beaiel
40 brulaIly that the sight made mo sick
The worst instrument OF torture, on.
wortl,y Of the genius OF tho Spanish in
ousiljop, ia the Kicking jenny" This Il
An ipslIument invented and built in The
nriyon. It IL made somewhat in tbs
shape OF a qua,ter.CiIcle, with tho hiEhts
end about three or four feet above th'
platform upon which 1t Is Bet. The Pris
oner is stripped naked and bsnt over upor
The machine. His feet are fnstoled TO the
floor with ropes, while his handle, which
are ptre,ched over the upper end, ore tieC
with ropea attached to small blocks, by
which a tension so strong that tho FRAME
NJ a prisoner can almopt be torn In two
can DO made with = slight pull. After tht
prisoner is placed in position the Super
inipr6ent, or whoever dots the whipping
takes a heavy whip, made Of sole leather
two nieCes Of which. about three teo'
long. hIe gawed together and the endt
scrapsd slightly rounding, tho lash beint
three inches broad at the handle, taperini
Iio a uoint. With this whip the prisoner
| is beaten until he IL almost dead, or tn
strength Of the man who Is doing th'
whipping gives out. l have seen mel
ybipped until they were covered viii
great purple and red welts from their hip
Ia their shoulders. The lash would maxi
"a long welt across the body, and perhap
1.-The next blow would fall scrosG the others
when the blood would let out Of tn
yonnda and tho victims back would b
one mass Of blood, torn and lSCerate'
skin and fIesh. For proof Of all may SO,
d refer to the CiIiCera OF the prison, an
the clerk, Mr.. F. W. Brown, who recent,
reaigEed."
soME OF THE PRISONERS.
The Captsin says also that superintend