The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-12
PRISONERS ATE RATS.
Serious Charges Made as to tho
Conduct OF the State Prison.
INSUFFICIENT FOOD FURNISHED
And Prisoners Cruelty Treated by
Superintendent Van Petit - The
Charges Sworn TO by Federal
Prisoner Who Says He was Detained
Ten Days to Prevent His Voting.

The following AFFIDAVIT graphically
tells its own story. 1t has, besides, the
air OF plain narration By an intelli-
gent observer OF actual facts, Its ac-
cusations against the management OF
the state penitentiary Mt Moundsyillc
are grave:
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 40
DISTRICT or WEsr VIRGINIA,
Ar WHEELING, Nov. S, 1892.
This day, personally appeared before
me, B. j. Campbell, United States
commissioner for the district OF West
Virginia, came Lorenzo Bright, who be-
ing duly sworn deposes and says:
In February, 1891, Twas convicted in
the United States Court at Parkersburg
OF violating the United States postal
laws, and sentenced to two years in the
penitentiary at Moundsville, w. Va,
where have been until this morning.
The time allowed me for good be-
havior made my term Of imprisonment
expire on October 81, 1892. On this
last named day / was brought before
Superintendent Van Pelt for the pur-
nose OF being discharged from, or
turned out OF, the prison had my
few effects laid out to take out with me,
having taken care OF some underclothes,
handkerchieis, etc, that had brought
in with me.
Van Pelt said: "What are you going
to do with all them clothes"
said: "a part oil these clothes l
brought in with me"
He said: ''You want to lose thirty
days OF good time, do your"
said: NO, sir. Capt. Van Buren,
gave me part OF these clothes il |
would wash them up"
That was over year ago, and !
thought at that time was going out OIL
a pardon, and he did, too, was the rea-
son he gave them to me and that ac-
Van Peit said: "Do you suppose
you would take them out ii you were
pardoned?"
said: eyes; I thought would get
to take them out" Then said: 81
will show you which OF these clothes 1
wore I'M" and l commenced picking
them out.
He then said: ~ will take ten days
of your good time. Go back into the
hall;" and then Captain Ray pushed
me back into the hall.
] feel satisfied that was detained
under this pretext until this morning,
so that could not get back to my home
in Indiana in time to vote. because the
guards and all knew how would Vote
was never reported for violating any
OF the prison rules, except once, aud
that was for giving my allowance oil
tobacco to another convict, as did not
use 1t. The first Sunday in each month
we were allowed to write one letter l
asked Mr.. Van Pelt to allow me to
write an extra letter in reply to ono
had received concerning my pension.
, He said no; that | could wait until let
ter day; that pensions were u
damned fraud anyhow. y few days
afterwards | heard him refuse Jonas
Butcher the privilege OF being taken
out to be examined for pension. He
said that hereafter he would not allow
any one to be taken out to be examined;
that if there was any examination
made it would have to be done in there.
This morning was given a coat, pair
OF pants aud vest, that could not GER
tainly have cost more than eight dol
lars, and ] expected to wear out the
suit OF under clothes that had brought
in with me, but rs Mr.. Van Pelt had
said that when came in there all the
clothes that then had on or with me
were forfeited to the state, was not
allowed to take them, and had to send
out and buy suit OF underclothes and
nav for them with my own money
$3.50.
will further cay that the state has q
good prison building at Moundsville,
and that it is well arranged and equip
ped for the health and reasonable COM
fort OF its inmates, but the food given
tho prisoners is such as to cause good
deal Of sickness, with frequent fatal re-
cults. 1t was insufficient in quantity,
Door in quality and prepared in such
a manner that it was not fit to
eat Prisoners have been suffering
from the want OF wholesome and palat-
able food ever since Captain Van Blu
rem left the prison. More prisoners
we're buried from the penitentiary
ut Nloundsville while was there than
from the Ohio penitentiary, where
there were 1900 prisoners, during the
same length OF time. On account OF
hunger for fresh meat, some OF the
prisoners in tho bummers' department,
called the hospital, set steel traps and
caught rats and dressed them and
cooked them and ate them, and for this
they were sent back to their cells. ia
cob Daulton, crazy or simple prison
err, was fed on bread and water for 100
days, and bucIed and gagged for one
whole day, and only given half an hour
intervals TO revive, in order that they
might determine whether he was crazy
or not, and was also struck over the
head and back with cane,
[Sisnedl L. D. BRreHr.
Subscribed in my presence and sworn
to before me this Sth day of Novem-
Der, 1892. B. ]. CAMPBELL,
U. S. Commissioner District OF West
Virginia.
Address of Loronzo D. Bright, Wini-
mac, Pulaski county, Ind.
References: Judge George Burson
(Democrat), Judge William Spangler
(Republican).
MARTINS FERRY.