Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-04
TWO YEARS IN A DARK CELL
A Convict's Story Of Cruelty in the Montreal
Penitentiary.

Penttenttary.
A Montreal special to the New York World O.
yesterday says: An astounding revelation Of cru
city at st. Vincent de Paul penitentiary came &c
| light today when a discharged convict limped
into hotel in this city and. taking off his dusty
shoe, took from it letter from James Ferry
| now serving a seven years sentence in that in
stitution.
Out Of the four years he has served this
wretched convict has spent he declares, nc
less than twenty-four months in the black hole
This punishment cell is portiotso of the celia,
OF the penitentiary, and is so closely shut with
iron doors that daylight never reaches the cells
IN 1t a. long as the convicts are there. The I'M
fortunate prisoner put there is kept on bread
and water, being given one regular prison meal
every day. He sleeps on straw. and the guard
who furnishes him with his scanty food is pro-
hibited from speaking to him. 1t is perpetual
night and amending silence for him. It is the
hardest punishment that can be inflicted and
yet this unfortunate man has spent two whole
years in this hole, besides being horribly beaten
and kicked.
The eliminating point was reached on August
20 Ferry had been allowed breath Of pure
Air in the stone yard, when one of the guards
came along and ordered him back to the dun
geon. Ferry refused to go. and begged for a
few minutes more in the daylight The guard
sprang at him and knocked him down with a
/ blow Of his club. The other convicts aiiege
that be and three others jumped upon his chest
aud body. He lay upon the ground stunned
aud senseless, with blood flowing from his
mouth and nose and yet he was dragged bv
the throat TO the stairs and thrown into the
black hole. as they state, without medical at
tendance. although he is now known to have
been severely injured internally.
The World representative at once waited on
Warden Ouimet. That gentleman while soft
mi al hn oAv tad l,xl L.
had been compelled to fine and suspend 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 prisoners and he had to warn
others that the mcn were 70 be treated as human
beings and not as brutcs. The story told to
him by the guards that Ferry was insubor-
! dlnate They claimed that he refused to work
! and melted the other convicts to mutiny. On
the sd the chief keeper told him that
that he had sentenced him to the black
hole. Henry and another guard seized him,
when he struggled furiously and they were
compelled to club him into subsection. From
time to time as 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 to strike him
fairly maddened him and he could not help it.
The warden states that Ferry was not so seri-
ousiy nurt as ne says, ana that he refused
medical attendance, and also that it is not true
that his mother WAS not permitted to see him
because his face was mashed to q pulp by the
clubs Of the guards.
But this does not satisfy the relatives Of the
injured man. Old convcts claim that this case
Is only one Of many, and the fact remains that
man has been placed two years out of four in
solitary confinement in loathsome cell, de-
barred from light, from fresh air and from the
companionship of man.
The citizens are determined that an investi-
cation shall be made into the affair. Warden
ouimet has very strong pull with the govern
ment and If doing everything he can to hush
the matter up. Threats and promises have
been freely made to keep the matter quiet.