The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-08
YEARS IN A DARK cell.
A Convict's Story Of Cruelty In q
Penitentiary Across
tho Border.
james Ferry, Out of Four Years
CONTINENT, Spends Two In
Solitary Darkness.
msnt and Says He Has Fired
Guards.

An astounding revelation OF cruelty at
st. Vincent de Paul penitentiary came to
light to-day, says q Montreal dispatch,
when a discharged convict limped into a
hotel IN this city. and, taking Of his dusty
shoe, took from it a lettor from James
Ferry, now serving q seven years sentence
In that institution.
Out Of the four years no has served, this
wretohed convict has spent. he declares, no
Less than 4-months in the black hole. This
punishment cell is 4 portion of the cellar Of
the psnitentiary, and is 80 closely shut
with iron doors that daylight never reaches
the cells in it as long as the convicts are
there. The unfortunate prisoner put there
Is kept on bread and water, being given ono
regular prison meal every day. He sleeps
on straw. and the guard who furnishes him
with his scanty food is prohibited from
speaking to him. 1t is pepetunl night and
amending SILENCE for him. II is the hardest
punishment that can be inflicted, and yet
this unfortunate man has spent two whole
years in this whole, besides being horribly
beaten and kicked.
The eliminating point was reached on
Aug. %. Ferry had beon allowed q breath
OF pure air in the stone yard, when one Of
the guards came along and ordered him
back to the dungeon. Ferry refused to 20,
and begged for a few minutes more in the
daylight. The guard sprang at him and
knocked him down with q blow of his CLUB.
The other ~ccnvicts allegs that he and three
others jumped upon his chest and body.
He lay upon tho ground stunned and sense
less with blood flowing from his mouth and
nose, and yet he was dragged by the throat
to the stairs and thrown into the black
hole, as they state, without medical attend
ance, although he is known to have been
severely injured internally.
The New York World representa-
tive at once waited on Warden
Ouimet. That gentleman, while s%oftenine
that he had been compelled to fine and sus-
pend some of his guards for cruelty to the
prisoners. The guard Henry, who committed
the assault on Ferry, had been suspended
for two days and fined for striking prison
ers, and he had to warn others that the men
were to be treated as human beings and not
as brutes. This story told to him by the
guards was that Ferry was insubordlnate,
They claimed that he refused to work and
melted the other convicts TO mutiny. On
the 23d the chief keeper told him that Ferry
had refused to work again, and that he had
sentenced MIN 10 the DlacK lOle. Ilenry
and another guard seized him, when hs
struggled furiously, and they wee com
PEELED to club him into subsection. From
time to time rs they were forcing him
along to this dismal hole he turned and
struggled until Henry lost his temper
and used his locust freely on him
Henry admits losing his temper, but
says Ferry's abuse and attempts tc
strike him fairly maddened him aat
he could not help it. The warden states
that Ferry was not 80 seriously hurt as ht
says and that he refused medical ATTEND
nnce, and also that it is not trus that hit
mother was not permitted see him because
his face was mashed to a pulp by the clubs
Of the guards. .
But this does not satisfy the relatives oil
the injured man. Old convicts claim thai
this case ia only ons of many, and the fac
remains that a man has been placed two
years out OF four in solitary confinement ir
4 loathsome cell, debarred from light. from
fresh air and from the companionship O.
man. VIZ" 0t
The citizens are determined that ar in
veatigation shall be made into the affair.
Warden Ouimeth has a very strong pull witt
the government and is doing everything he
can to hush the matter up. Threats anc
promises awe been freely made to keep thu
matter quiet.