Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-01-12
TnE ARKANSAS REN.
The Wholesale Death of Conxicts Duo TO
Bad Food, Filth and had Ia aEsmsne


The Wholesale Death of Conviets Due TO
Bad Food, Filth and Fad Ma aEsmsne
Generally.
st. LOUIS, Jan 7.-Dr. G. NJ. D. Cam
trell, OF kittle Rock. is in the city, and
to reporter s.ssde an interesting state
ment regarding the recent deaths OF
conyicts at that place Dr. Santren
was penitentiary physician for ~ssur
years, his last term OF Office ending in
May, 1890. when he was succeeded by
DIR. j. j. Robertson 1t was during his
term of Office in the fall of 1855 that so
much excitement was created by the
exposure of the treatment of convicts
at Coal Hill. at that time two or three
deaths occurred from the excessive use
of the cat-o'-nine-tails- DR.. Cantrell
was called upon by the state peniten-
tiary board to accompany its members
upon a tour of inspection OF thsCoal
Hill camps and was afterwards sent to
inspect the different camps throughout
the state. DIR. Cantren in speaking up
ON the subject said:
II always dwelt upon the proper
treatment OF convicts and the sur
roundings of convict camps N my re-
ports made to the board prior TO the
time when the Legislative assembly ere
ISsS. In my last report made in Janu-
ary, 1891. to the present state board,
consisting of Gov. Eagle. Attorney
General Atkinson and Secretary of
State Chism, / devoted fully one-half of
1t to the unsanatory condition of outside
camps. and showed that the death rate
was greater among couvicts in the
camps than these confined in the peni-
Tertiary walls The custom i. for this
report to be submitted TO the board,
and in turn sent TO the legislature with
the governors message
An that portion OF my repc-s bear
ing on the filthy condition of tae camps
was stricken out by Attorney -;ieperal
Atkinson. who argued that nv prov
iEce was within the Penit.ntisry walls
| and that had no authority over con-
victs confined in camps Further, that
the report. If presented to the legisla-
ture as / had drafted 1t, would act as =
two-edged sword. inasmuch rs that
! body would bring the board to task for
being derelict in their duties, and
therefore he thought 1t best to strike it
! out
His opinion was seconded by the
governor and all that portion was sup
pressed; was never printed, aud never
I
! 1891 That report in full is now on file
in Secretary Chisn's Office, and 1t is
only just for me to say here that both
/ Re and Prison Inspector Carroll were
! both in favor of submitting my report
in full
with my past knowledge of the IN
sauatory condition which existed at
! times past in the camps during my term
/ of Office, and exposures to which con-
victs were sometimes subjected, / know
as a positive fact that there was a
! larger percentage of deaths than should
have occurred
Now as to the recent deaths at
| Helena and Little Rock: Personal in<
vestigations coupled with past expert
ence suggest to my mind that the
| deaths were due to bad food and I'M
sanatorv roundings-sleeping in
! freight cars and drinking water from
/ sewer drains contiguous to slaughter
| houses. etc, has been reported II the
J precaution that 1 suggested &c the
! board in my last report had been put
| into force the recent deaths would not,
! in nv opinion, have occurred 4 re-
! peatedly tried to get the board tn sup
ply the convicts with better bedding,
/ and my efforts did succeed in having
new stockades built at nearly all the
camps in the state during my first tsrm
of Office. 1t is impossible to keep a
large body of men healthy when +heir
J beds are covered with vermin and their
. food unwholesome.
| 1.-The convict lease system Is inhuman
and is blot upon the name of the
state. In my opinion, the best thing
that can be done to alleviate the evil Is
! for the legislature to abolish the lease
! system during the coming term and let
| the state run the penitentiary itself
These convicts are men. and should be
| treated as men The lease system is
ali wrong and the state should run the
| penitentiary, even if 1t does not. make
quite as much out of IT as under the
present system"