Connecticut western news., 1893-03-23
HORRORS IN A PRISON
THE GRAVE CHARGES AGAINST CON-
 NECTICUT,S WARDEN.

Against Warden nCbamberlain-The Sick
 Dragged to Solitary Confinement and
 Death While the Hospital Is Empty.
 NEW YORK, March 20-The World prints several columns under the head ''The Black Hole of Connecticut" in which it says the state prison of Connecticut is dungeon of horrors. The World goes on to say:
 "For eight years Samuel E. Chamber lain has been warden of this prison. Dur ing that time many men have been hurried into an untimely grave, many more have been driven mad. Indeed, the road from the state prison at Wethersfield to the state asylum at Middletown has been worn bare by steady procession of men.
 1.-The warden admits that 10 men out of less than 300 go mad yearly. Others double his figures Even the ward, n's estimate sends chill of terror to the heart.
 '"The punishment for offenses in this prison is confinement in a dungeon, abso- lutely dark and below the surface of the ground, whose walls reek with moisture. To these dungeons men have been sent continually who were sick or who were physically unable to work. Men have been found in them raving mad Men more fortunate have been taken from them dead. One man, a paralytic, routed there.
 Convicts R ten With Loaded Canes.
 "Convicts in this prison have been beaten with loaded canes, and have been starved. One man who was dying was dragged from bis cell to dungeon at midnight by the warden. Six hours afterward he was found dead there.
 " Incredible as 1t may sound, the dun geons are for the sick Warden Chamber lain believes that convicts never become really sick. hey say they are sick, but they say this to escape work. Often these same sick men die, but that, of course, is due to pure obstinancy. When a convict complains of sickness the proper place for him is a dungeon This is to teach him what the warden calls "a lesson. He is simply, in the warden's phrase, a dead beat and the place for 'deat beats is . place of punishment.
 "When Warden Chamberlain took charge of the prison he found Dr. A. s. Warner, the physician. Dr. Warner is kindly, gentle old man, beloved by everybody. He lived all his life in the little town of Weth- ersfield, just outside the prison, and was universal favorite. He was almost wor- shiped by the convicts. He brought the sick delicacies and fruit from his own table.
 Dr. Warner No Longer Needed.
 He insisted that they should be sent to the hospital nd properly cared for. Dr. Warmer was not the man for Warden Chamberlain. The old doctor was informed one day that he was no longer needed. He was too considerate of the prisoners, he was told
 The warden appointed in his place one Edward G. Fox. This man brings no bas- l IL still, he is not given to sending men to the hospital"
 The World prints a number of instances of terrible cruelty, among them the case of Wales M. Doolittle, a life prisoner, of whom it says: "This mans mind began to weaken after he had been in prison few years, b t he was regarded as harmless. The cause of his insanity is not clearly established, but in his case, as in many others, the hor- TOTS of the dungeou were probably respon sible.
 'Doolittle was sitting in his cell, when 8 French Canadian watchman, who hap pened to be passing, thought it would be amusing to annoy the helpless convict
 At the back of each cell is bell shaped iron cylinder which terminates in a small tube. This tube opens on the corridor so that guard passing can look in at the prisoner WlLnOuC OelnB seen nlmSeiI Ire deau hastened around 10 this tube and b. gan tauntiug Doolittle and calling him vile names.
 Horrible Cruelty Alleged.
 ''The half man creature was Ioused to u frenzy, and in his rage hammered and bat tered at the door and shouted ont his curses at his unseen Toe.
 Warden Chamberlain was at once sum- moned and with Deputy Warden Baisden, Hallkeeper Martin and Watchmen Holmes and Hughes descended upon him The watchman came from the passage behind the cell and joined them. The warden opened the cell door and ordered DooIittle to come out He sullenly refused.
 ''Then the warden rushed at him with his loaded cane and struck him savagely across the head Tredeau and Baisd, joined their chief, and in a moment Do little was on the floor bowling for mercy, the sickening thunk, thunk of the heavy sticks over his head punctuating his screams He was dragged off to the dun geon, where he remained for a week with out the slightest medical attendance. When taken from the dungeon he was hopelesslv insane. He is now at the Middletown asy- lum"
 In the article tales of inhumanity arc told that are scarcely credible. and the case of Doolittle furnishes but an inkling of the general tenor of the charges.