The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1889-08-22
oUR ONO PnHITnaTIARY,

Al an institution OF bArbarity and
cruelty our OHIO penltentiary at Colum'
bus, under the rule OF the man OF tho
skin cane, ia taking the front rank
The Pittsburg Times OF August ~
contains AN interview with one OF tho
late conyicta that fills ono with horror
TO read, Usually the talk OF ex.con'
ylcta Ia not worth rebearaihg, hut a.
this man Ia about at deaths door, and
AZ hih story Ia printed IN a htaunch lIe'
publican newspaper We eonAider tho 10,
cital worthy OF reproduction, And
here Is tho stale OF woe"
1"Thomaa Watson, who for Tho paat
10 months haa been convict NO, lelpb
In the Ohio peLitentlary ~ COlumDphi
tells a story Of the treatment OF prison
erB there which would stagger BELIEF,
except for the many charges or cruelty
already made against the Keepers OF
that institution, Watson was released
yesterday morning at the expiration OF
his term, and was In Pittsburg last
night, "0n hIa way home 10 dle, 10 no
said. His parents live In kenaington,
Philadelphia,
~ was sentenced 10 IS months In tho
Ohio Penltenllary for DurPlarlzing the
LeaylttaDurg, TTumbull county, post
Office on the night OF Grand Army Day
1883. That was all right. l did the
burglary. l was shot In Che log below
the knee; that's why / have 10 use this
orutch. was caught, pleaded guilty,
and went into the penltentiary July ~,
1883.
DUoKED SIX TIMES.
~ was very lame from the wound In
my leg, but they took my orutch away
from me, gave me Peg leg Instead,
which wla very painful, and put mo 10
work under Patton Ia the foundry.
They made mo carry hot iron around
until couldn't do such heavy work
any longer, and then they put me 10 tho
cage. After that they put me 10 work
IN the cane factory making chairs.
~ was poorly fed aud kept 10 cell
In which the straw was seldom changed.
l was ducked six tlmeB; once for gong
Into the closet without holding up my
hand 10 ask leave; once when they said
| had threatened 10 kill the guard; once
for showing another prisoner In the
chair factory how 20 skip q hole with
his strip Of cane, without II showing,
and three times for putting other con
ylcts In the way Of getting new pants
ahead OF time.
PUMPED FULL OF WATER,
aAsBstant Warden Patton and DeDu'
by Warden Cherlngton did the ducklng.
They stood mo In thH water up TO my
neck aud then one OF them ch0ked me
TO make me open my mouth. When no
had forced II open the other pumped
water into my stomach with a hose,
When | was 80 full | couldn't hold any
more, they would take me out and roll
me on the floor and squeeze on my
stomach 10 force the water out OF my
mouth again. guess they were afraid
/ would die, and squeezed the water
out 80 that II | died the Doctor wouldn't
know they had killed Inc. The last
time was pumped full OF water was In
last March. After that they said | was
crazy and put me In the insane depart
ment, / came out 10 do 80 days work
IN the cane shop before my term ex'
pired.
have also been tied up by the wrists
till the blood came. When / went Into
the penitentiary | weighed 1856 pounds,
Look nc me now"
He didn't look as though he would
weigh over half OF that now. His skin
was hot and feverIsh, his arms were
thin, and he was very lame from theef'
feet Of the wound In his leg. He SAID
~ am going home 10 die, aud | thank
God don't have 10 die In the State Of
Ohio. never have been 4 good man,
aud have served two terms In Call
fornia prison, but they were pie com
pared with Columbus"