St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-06-03
the prisoners had no I

10 COHSlutr JldG
the prisoners had no rights; never knew
OF his striking convict.
Edward Gleason was next called. He
testified to living in st. Paul; proceed
ing:
Have been confined in the penitentiary
was released the twentieth of this month;
when the attempt to escape was made | was
running for the blacksmith shop; heard some
one holler, saw Anderson run out of the
machine shop; Lemon followed and struck
the convict with a cane several times; Ander-
son ran and Lemon followed and struck him
several times; they took him in then; l
heard that he beat the convict all the time
during the fifteen minutes taken in stringing
the man up TO the cell door; Lemon must
have struck him twenty-five times, and he
broke the cane over Andersons head.
When Mr.. Smith asked the witness
to give the names of other witnesses,
Gleason replied that he did not wish to
''give any one away" and make them
trouble.
Mr.. Smith, you do not answer you are
liable TO make yourself trouble
Witness-Must tell you the names of pris-
oners when the authorities may make it hot?
Mr.. Smith-You must answer.
Witness-Well, l can't do it; had a talk
with Mr.. Willis and he promised me l
wouldn't. | have no lawyer and l don't
think it right that | should be forced to say
something that will make trouble.
MI Wills promised the witness l would
protect him
Nj Smith-If Mr.. Willis has made anv bad
breaks suppose we Will have to stand it.
Witnessed then resumed: Have been
strnng up in the solitary over night: was
given nothing but bread and water; Lemon
approached me one day and said had been
talking i'll the yard he said shaking a loaded
cane III my face, I'll knock the lip off your
face" / said nothing; on St Patrick's day
party, of which Sheriff Bean was one, Wis
tied us; the rules forbid conVicts looking at
visitors. two hOvS named RolQr 1OOEnd at
the visitors. and that night they were called
III by the warden and strung up in the soil
tary by the wrists; the next day members of
the legislature visited the prison. and the
boys were let down; have known of in
stances where convicts were badly hurt by
this sort of punishment; Frank Davis was so
badly hurt he couldn't wear his boot, and
Douglass could scarcely talk afterwards
heard Reany screaming, 'Murderr' and
They are killing me- i'll the night time;
his cries woke everybody in the prison.
Warden GarYin was sworn. He testi-
fed:
There are thirty guards, and only dis
charged one-R G. Rhodes: il was for
neglect of duty in letting men leave the
shop; discharged Engineer Ira Wood also for
neglect of duty and for being under The in
1uence of liquor.
The residue of the warden's testimony
was of an immaterial nature.
Senator O,Brien, who came in incl
bOhtoli1s Wfto OcillCO W lilS Sldilu. Iit
explained that he had not anticipated
that anything he knew would be de-
sired, but he was perfectly willing to
give
All the Evidence
that was within his knowledge. He
testified:
have been member Of the board of pris-
on managers for two years; Mr.. Seymour
has had no connection with the penal insti-
tuition meanwhile; furthermore, he has had
nothing to do with the Thresher company,
and has had nothing to do with any contracts
IN vogue. Deputy Warden Lemon, appointed
by the governor upon the probable recon-
mendaton of the warden himself has not
yet been confirmed by the prison board; have
known him fifteen years; he is not regarded
as a cruel or inhuman man, but. on the con-
trary, is considered a reputable citizen;
never heard him indulge in vicious or pro-
fame language, nor does he drink; no direct
complaint has ever been made TO the board
against him. although Convict Lynch said he
had been brutally treated; the boarQ investi-
gated the matter and found that he sustained
bad wound or cut on the head, but the
board justified the course of the warden, and
saw nothing to condemn. s4sE
j. a. Reyes, recalled, testified that he
had noticed that the convicts had re-
fuse to testify before the special COM
mittee before they had been guaranteed
immunity from official prosecution on
account of any statements they might
make. The committee had agreed to
shield them i'll every instance.
AT this juncture the board adjourned
until July l.