Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-05-11
swEgTLAND,s TESTIMONY.
Tells Of Mysterious Letters Written From
the State Prison.

Tells OF Mysterious Letters Written From
the State Prison.
George Sweetland of Bristol, nurse,
was the principal witness before the
state prison committee yesterday after
noon. He had written articles for va
rious state papers upon matters relating
to the state prison. He first beg an
writing after he had trouble with the
warden in December, 1892. Witness
was refused admittance to the prison
one Sunday. Information afterwards
came to him in a mysterious way
through letters sent him from the state
prison. These letters were in dis
guised hand and unsigned. They gave
him information regarding the atrocities
satisfied that prisoners were subjected to
inhuman treatment he wrote the follow
ing letter:
''WATERBURY, Conn, Mar 8, 1893.
To the family of Martin Culloo:
You may wonder that stranger that
am to you all should write to you
about so delicate matter as poor I'M
fortunate Martin Culloo and his awful
death. But as God is my judge. dear
people, my motives are pure and honor
aDlOs auU uO uOb WIlI0 tuIS 70 WOuuu
your feelings or grieve your hearts will
Iingly. feel it to be my duty to you
all and as deal with you in this mat
ter, may just God also deal with me.
Martin Culloo was murdered and it was
nothing else but q brutal, devilish crime
| to cast him into foul, dismal dungeon
in his last agonies and let him die alone
and forsaken, far from home, wife,
sister, mother and loved ones. Sad as
was his fate, others have also met the
same doom since November IA, 1899.
/ will sound my voice and publish arti-
Giles in the state newspapers about
Warden Chamberlain and his brutalities
until the state legislature calls an inves.
| tigation. have full accounts of most
horrible outrages perpetrated there upon
helpless prisoners. II these matters that
I claim and have had published are not
so then why does not Warden Chamber
lain have me arrested at once on a
charge of criminal libel? Why? Be.
cause he knows I have uttered the
truth and he dare not attempt to arrest
me. I will endeavor to see him re.
moved from that prison which he has
and assist me in my honorable efforts
by using your influence in this matter.
Respectfully Yours,
GEORGE A. SwEETLAND.
About o'clock yesterday afternoon
in reply to question by Senator Jones
the witness in one of the letters referred
to the sCarpenter-C Chamberlain scandal
ard in answering the next question pro
ceeded to get further into that matter
by producing letter written by Mr. Car
penter and commenced to tell what ht
new of the matter, when Senator Jone
excitedly said, "We are not going intC
that matter"
Senator Root jumped to his feet. aye
we are" he said, "We want the Who'll,
facts in the case-go on" ...
Senator Jones insisted that the Car
penter matter must not be discussed
and Senator Root was equally persisten
that it should. Both senators became
very much excited and so warm did tn
discussion become, that it was deemed
advisable to adjourn the hearing and g,
into executive session.
The committee visited the prison thi
afternoon to take the testimony of con
victs.