The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-02-03
MRS. ANGIE E. NEWMAN.
The Lady Claims to Have
Been MisquOted.
THE VOICE OF MOTHERHOOD
"rbe Mormon People Never Had q
Truer FIiepd"-Attacking the sys.
tenn, Not It's Adherents.
To the Editors of THE HERALD:

To- day, in running over hist of clip
pings sent me by the National Press
Intelligence Company of New York
City, find one from the SALT LAKE
HERALD, of October 81, 1885, containing
a criticism upon my work in Wa,h
ington. 1t has been a fixed principle
with me never to answer reportorlal
statements or editorial criticisms,
choosing rather to trust both words and
acts to Him who honoreth all things
spirit, intent, word, act, sequence.
In this instant there is an apparent
perversion of fact, which since the
criticism appears in the columns OF
TIE HERALD, trust you will allow me
there to correct.
First. the testimony of Marshal
Dy er, Warden Pratt and others, con-
corning the inmates of the Penitentiary
at The time of my visit. March IL, 1885,
In answer, Warden Pratt invited me
to visit the cells and converse with the
women who were incarcerated. He
accompanied ne. For twelve years
have served as State superinten dent of
jails and prison works in Nebraska,
visiting the Penitentiary and iails
throughout the States, to secure i'm
proved sanitary conditions and furnish
appliances for mental and moral
training. To qualify myself to do this,
1 have personally inspected the jails
and prisons in many of the States.
Accustomed, therefore, as l am, to
cell visitation, my eyes have never
looked upon such scene as presente d
itself in the Utah Penitentiary on that
Sabbath afternoon. Entering cell No.
/, asked. For what crimes are these
women incarcerated?
Warden Pratt answered. For con
tempt of court, in refusing to acknowl-
edge their plural relations and the
paternity of their children" Then
added, Il wish you would talk with
these women, Mrs. Newman, and try to
pursuade them tt answer the court and
be liberated. This place is totally
unfit for women and children, but it is
all we have. wish, moreover, you
would use the facts before the appro-
priation committee in Washington as
evidence of need of q woman's depart.
ment.
1 answered. IF you will give me the
dimensions of the cell, and all the facts
so that l shall maze no error in report
ing to the committee, l will gladly
comply with your Wishes"
Warden Pratt then measured the
cell. and wrote on slip of paper, from
which l now quote, "six women and
three babes, cell 10x13L."
Mr.. Pratt further, on my request
agreed to furnish nae all the details of
the cases, before l left Salt Lake
Twice thereafter / telephoned to the
Penitentiary for the items promised
but received nothing.
But 70 return to the cell. Mr.. Pratt
introduced me to the womsn; admins
tered himself some wholesome advice
saying in substances: No man j.
worthy to call woman wife, who viii
allow her or her child to stay in a place
| like this to shield himself from the law
Do OIL suppose would allow nv wifi,
! to Tt ~ ain here twenty minutes to saw
me from the Pen for life time? No
nor no other honorable man."
In turn, plead with the women, no
to suffer the brand of the Penitentiary
to be placed upon their sweet babes
which would follow them through life
Their answer gave me reverence for tn,
mistaken devotion to what l would
designate false faith, which is rarel,
found in the true. ITO those who know
the facts-it will not be a brand, but
crown" Then 1 conversed freely, ant
(the lady who accompanied mel, will
these women, for half hour or more
Neither the warden, nor the womel
suggested other cause for the incarcera
ton, than the one specified, Con
tempt" Nevertheless. careful read
ing of my report in Washington an,
the statement of the warden in tn
columns Of THE HERALD, will shoy
that nv report conforms to his, viz I'm
report) six women, three of whom
were incarcerated for contempt" etc
The affidavit of the clerk of the court
as given in your columns, to-wit
lone of these cases. that of Sarah Tons
April q, 1888, indictment dismissed an
defendant discharged" does not chang
the fact'that she was in the Pen on til
day in question, March 18th.
The second point at issue. Ce
No. 2. "In one cell were two girls, on
IA the other 16, each married to he
own father" etc This form of th
statement appears in the ConqressionC
Record of October Sd, and is an error n
one could regret more than myself.
came about in this wise: In the mont
of June, in response to request of tn
Congressional committee to be fur
nished all available data concerning tn
Home, [ fed with the committe
for their personal use, a series {
papers, compiled from the Record, q
furnished nag by the Industrial Chris
tian Home Association; adding theret
some items concerning the condition G
the Pea on the day il question. Du
plicates of the seriesswere struck off O.
typewriter for several members q
both the House and Senate commit
tees. l was very i'll at the time. NJ
secretary prepared, from the mass @
material at hand, the final TRANSCRIPTS
and it was sent out of the house to tn
typewriter. I did not examine thi
paper and did not know the error hat
been made.
The bill appropriating $4,000 to til
Home in Utah passed the Senate with
out dissent or debate. The Chairman
of the House committee pledged M
his unequiyocal support of the enter
prise ali through the session, and wit
especial empt asis. the day before tn
| hill M h. !