The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-08-04

MANEA AAAN AAHEAAAE gNAA HeAFI ~
increasingly in their little cells until
euTfeW Tings AZ 8. .m.-ilial Y, a,0,elock
according 10 prison computation. Turn
ing q shirt band IS Ike turning ] small
hose inside out tits very tedious work
to perform on linen on cotton goods,
and requires small, nimble fingers:
Punishment for tic non-perlormane OF
Che task. however. is terribly severe
and after the lights arc out hlaclssmiths,
bricklnyers, uachinisls and other me-
chanirs, whose hands are stitiened from
hard labor, continue 10 turn the little
bands With their big, clumsy fingers in
tile darkness OF their cells.
As they pass from the factory 10 the
prison'halla number of victims" are
dropped out" by their keepers and
"dfagged in" by the guards for falling
TO do their Hseventeen for Emerson"
Bundles Of night work-mute witnesses
Of their willingness-are pulled from
beneath their blouses and pockets as
they stand pale and trembling, perhaps
sick, before the deputy Excuses OF ill
ness, or of difficulties with work or sew
ing machines, are OF no avail, and the
wOodchopper keeper condemns the de-
relicts to the dungeons on bread and
water, TO the rope 10 hang for twenty
four or thirty hours, or TO whatever
other punishment, lawful or unlawful,
his ingenuity may suggest. The only
legal corporal punishment. is that OF
hanging by the wrists on tho
"trapcze," u slIort-lived but terri
BILE torture, which will be de-
scribed from n personal experience
further on. Hanging on "Huggerty's
Christmas tree" however, is q more
popular form OF punishment in Clinton
Prison. The tree" consists OF large
steam pipe from which ropes are sus-
pended with shackles attached. The
pipe, which runs clear around the in
terror OF one OF the main halls, is four
teen feet from the floor, and the victims
usually stand on beef cans until the
right wrist OF each is fastened in a
shackle. The cans are then kicked from
under their feet and tho strain on pipe,
rope and arm brings their toes to the
floor. The conyicts are hanged in this
manner for periods ranging from eight
to thirty.one hours. The punishment
OF the stree" is described by those who
have suffered it rs the most eXcruciat-
ing torture imaginable. 1t concentrates
all OF the terrible pains of the rack in
one member Of the body, and the vic
Tins arc usually taken down uncon-
ecious.
LITTLE JOE Smiths TORTURE.
Scream after scream of agony rang
through the prison corridors on Wednes:
DAY evening, January %, lust Convicts
shuddered and tremDled in their cells,
and officers in the uniform Of the State
Of New York stood by laughing as
Keeper Hnggerty forced his heavy cane
into the mouth OF little Joe Smith and
wrenched apart his bleeding jaws. The
victim, Joseph Smith OF cell So, COM
pany s, is frail youth of eighteen
years. He weighs about one hundred
and five pounds-a miserable, starved.
looking little waif from the cutters OF
New York.
Hanging by one skinny wrist from
"Haggertys Christmas tree" the boys
feet touched the floor lightly, the
weight OF his body straining his puny
arm. Deputy Moon stood by directing
Haggerty's movements, and the uncon-
cerned air OF guards and keepers indi-
Gated that nothing unusual was going
on. Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle, and as the
cane was forced backward with horrid
wrenching motion into the little fell
lows mouth his cries grew fainter and
fainter, until he finally sank back into
the arms OF his cruel tormentor limp
and motionless.
Released from the keepers grasp and
the "bit" removed, the boys frail body
swayed with wagging mead and bleed
ing mouth until he recovered con-
seriousness. He then cried out again,
uttering one pitiful wall OF agony. 1t
was his last. "Give it to him in the
mouthw roared the deputy, and like
flash Haggerty's big fist struck the boy
full in the face. Keeling and swaying
from the force OF the blow, the wretched
little creatures body swung from the
pipe like pugilist's slndbag. Then
John Alarsden, another guard, took a
hand, and, to Guido Haggerty, struck
the boy two blows in the face. This
was met with grin OF approval from
the deputy. Stunned and bleeding, the
quiverlng victim muttered, please,
please, mercyw but Keeper Joseph
Nash seized him, paying no heed TO his
cry. He grasped the starveling by the
shoulder, and, holding him up, struck
him, blow after blow in the face until
your correspondent, unable to endure
the spectacle longer, stole around the
corner OF the inner case OF cells and
shut out the horrid scene. "All right"
sounded aud the prison closed, leaving
the wretched child of crime, with mis-
bruised and swollen face, to hang all
night on the terrible "Christmas tree. "
FROZEN TEARs.
On the afternoon OF the next day
Jan. 29-this boy, with his hands man
acied behind him, was marched out be.
tween two burly keepers into a ruined
wing OF the prison and shackled back
ward 10 a cell door. This wing, which
was partially destroyed by fire on Jan.
/, was entirely open TO the weather,
which was bitterl; cold. All through
the afternoon OF the 10Th and the morn
ing of the SOth the little fellow could be
heard crying: Have mercy on me!
have mercy on me!n Keepers enveloped
in bearskin overroats hurried past him
to reach shelter; companies OF conyicts
in lockstep marched by him double
quick" to escape the piercing cold; the
prison dogs huddled in their warm
kennels. Joe" remained in this posi-
ton all through the night and until
noon next day, with the tears freezing
on his cheeks, his bare hands manacled
behind him to the frosty bars, and his
plaintive, boyish voice ut;ering that
pitiiul, heartrendinS cry: "Oh, have