Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-17
ACONUCT'S CHARGES
William Geiger Testifies Before Cor
oner Mcdowell That William
J. McCabe Was
KILLED BY LACK OF ATTENTION.
lie Says That Patients in the Hospital at
the Riverside Penitentiary
Are Starving.
KILLED BY LACK OF ATTENTION.
THE WARDEN DEFIED BY A PRISONER
a Verdict Rendered Ezoarstrg tn. onieials From
kry Blame

you can't choke me; I'll tell 'em all 1
know, Warden Wright was the startling
and emphatic statement made by a convict
witness at Coroner's inquest in the peni-
tentiary last night
Coroner Mcdowell was notified yesterday
afternoon that William j. McCabe had died
in the penitentiary shortly after o'clock.
McCabe, who was 2S years old, was received
at the Western Penitentiary from Butler
county on December 13, 1885, He was COM
mitted for two years and six months for lar
ceny.
Ia accordance with State law, which
provides that ali deaths in penal or cor
rective institutions shall be investigated by
the Coroner, Heber Mcdowell went to Riv-
erside and impanneled jury, composed of
Squire W. II. Porter, convicted Of conspir-
acy; Captain John Robinson. who killed
John Hopkins at Charters; Jeff Jones, who
shot at but failed to kill ex-ChIef of Police
Simon Kirschier, of Allegheny, and Messrs.
c. r. O'Brien and r. +. Bigham and
Grant Miller.
As soon as Coroner Mcdowell reached
the peuitentiary he was handed a note from
William Geiger. prisoner from Allegheny
county, in which he expressed an earnest
desire to be present and testify at the in
quest.
Startled the Penitentiary at Midnight.
A number of penitentiary officers were
first examined as to the cause OF McCabe's
death. McCabe was sent to the hospital de-
partment on October 2, suffering apparently
from rheumatism. He was treated for that
disease until December ), when. at his own
request, ne was returned to his cell and
placed at work. McCabe was apparently
doing well until January g. when, about
midnight, the inmates of the Institution were
aroused and startled by awful shrieks and
yells from McCabe's cell.
John Eisley, Captain of the Night
Watch, rushed to the cell and found Nc
Cabe engaged in wrecking the few articles
of furniture allowed each prisoner. Nc
Cabe refused to explain his conduct, but
contented himself by demanding that he be
placed in the dungeon. Word was sent to
Warden Wright, who arose from his bed
and went to McCabe's cell in the hope of
9uieting the prisoner, but the latter still in
sisted that be be placed in the dungeon. The
Warden ordered the man sent to the hospital
and he was conveyed there by two keepers
with much difficulty. There it was discov-
cred that McCabe was suffering from 4 deep
seated and painful disease, ard DIR. Rankin,
the penitentiary physician, Immediately Or
dered remedies to allay the mans agony.
His Sentence COMMITTED by Death.
AS soon as McCabe's spasms were re-
lieved, he suffered from prostratlon, and only
the most heroic methods suficed to keep him
alive. Under the directions of DR.. Rankin
he was sustained by frequent doses of am
monia julep and milk and whisky, but on
Thursday night he began to sink rapidly,
and the physician realized that be had been
outgeneraled BY death. At1P. NJ. yester-
day the grisly conquerer claimed another
subject, and McCabe's sentence was COM
muted without the aid of the Board of
Pardons
William Geiger was brought before the
Coroner, sworn and asked to make his state
lnent, which he prefaced by saying: "You
can't choke me; I'll tell 'em all know.
Warden Wright" Geiger is not a pleasant
looking person, as he is suffering from fear
HI,
Rankin states, will eat into the brain within
a short time, and may carry him off with
perhaps not a moments warning
II came into the penitentiary on March 20
of last year." said Geiger "I was put in
the hospital on April %, and became
acquainted with McCabe and talked to him.
When he was ordered out of the hospital he
was not fit to 90.
Geiger's Charges of Neglect.
For ten days McCabe was left to starye
He was given one-third of pint of milk
at each meal, and the milk We get il the
hospital is nearly all water The cook did
not prepare ANYTHING for him or give him
any extra food, which he required. No
haxseed poultices were applied to him be-
cause there was no f1axseed in the institu-
tion. McCabe asked for little things sew
eral times, but his requests were unheeded
I have painful sore on my head, which has
been running since last April 1t has been
poulticed with common bran because there
was no haxseed. In my opinion McCabe
was not properly treated. Only TO-DAY.
when Hospital Steward Hosack was sent for
10 attend a sick man, he refused to come up.
When he did come up he heard us all talk
ing about the testimony we intended to
give at the inquest. 1 am not getting
enough food; in tact, ] am starving
Coroner Mcdowell called a number of
other prisoners to testify, but none of them
corroborated Geiger's testimony. The three
prisoners on the jury stated that they had
been in the hospital on several occasions
and were always well treated
After the jury had heard all the evidence
they returned verdict to the effect that
McCabe's death was caused by ganprene
resulting from al abscess, exonerated the
management of the penitentiarv from any
blame, and held that the deceased had re-
ceived proper treatment.
Geiger was convicted of several charges
Of larceny by Inspector McAleese, and is
regarded by the police as hard case