Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-24
QUEER TREATMENT
a,u,1yrO At rHs OHIO PIsIrIsrIART By
ua ". VAN PIIf,
rbs Superintendent Of the West virginia
pr;,on-An Interview With the Visiting
Official, and the Story BE Tells

The following statement, maze oy
Superintendent Van Pelt, OF the ota'e
pelitentiary, to a REGISTER reporter,
tells of very tame reception accordeu
that gentleman on the occasion OF q IT,
cent official visit by him to the Columbus
State prison. No reason can DC as
signed for the course taken oy the on'o
officials, but this attitude toward MI
Van Pelt was far from credltaoie u
them.
at is a part of my duties as Superin-
+o,dent of the Penitentiary," said Mr..
VanPelt, "to superintend tne con'.lu
ton of new buildings. we are nov
building a new dining hall, Kitchen anu
hospital at the 'Pen, and the 6oaru VI
directors thought it advisable Tor NE 70
visit and enquire into the methou "a
nreparing and serving meals Tor Tue
Seventeen hundred convicts now In Inc
Ohio Penitentiary.
"On arriving at the Penitentlary' on
July 20, found the outer door sIanu
ing omen. and while in the act OF enteIs
inc 7 heard a voice from the rear cry
ING. Hello there, Colonel!' and 1ac-
ing about I was met Oy
gentleman whom | supposed 10 oo
a guard, but who wore neither UNIFORM
nor badge of any kind. l HANDED MN
my card, bearing my name, address anu
official capacity. The card was handeo
to and received by Warden Dyer, OF the
Ohio Penitentiary, but no commuhica-
ton OF any kind was returned 10 me.
After a short while the guard or con-
ductor assumed standing position ana
asked in stentoran voice: Have you
all got tickets?' The eight or ten visit.
ors present, other than myself, all
had tickets, and thereupon l stepped
I'D to the ticket counter,
paid for my ticket and was admitted
with the other visitors. We were shown
through part of the shops and out OF
seventeen hundred convicts we prob
ably saw two hundred and fifty OF them
ADD after being shown through the Kit
chen, dinlng-room, and cell buildings
were returned to the place from whence
we started. On our arrival at the out
side door l ventured to request to be
allowed TO return to the kitchen for
a few minutes. This was followed
by request to wait minute Dy
the conductor, who lodged through a
door and almost Immediately returned
and placed me in charge of a convict,
with instructions to introduce me TO the
man In charge of the kitchen. Leav-
ing the kitchen / assembled flight OF
winding stairs and landed in the hos
pital, aud from thence l sought the
place OF entrance. On approaching the
inner gate, and when about to put my
hand upon it, was halted by the same
guard who had admitted me twenty min
utes previously, and who demanded to
know how had gotten In and by what
authority / wanted out. l hesitated
a moment, considering what answer
l would make, when convict
appeared upon the scene and very
kindly vouched for me, whereupon the
guardian angel at the gate relaxed the
stern features of his rigid countenance,
put forth his strong arm and with one
mighty effort caused the ponderous
gate to swing upon it's hinges, and
thereupon by the grace OF God and the
good will of convict walked ont and
wendell my way homeward, without
having been permitted to meet any
official of the prison, and having at no
time been shown into a reception room,
if they have one, or so much as asked
at any time to take seat.
SAT some onyienent time will tell
you how nicely was treated at Allie
gheny, JOLIET and Michigan City pris-
ons and the House of Correction at
Chicago"