St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-14
DUNGEONS AND RINGS.
HOW PRISONERS ARE TREATED IN
The W0RKH0O5E.
STRUNG UP BY THE WRISTS.

Rings in the Wall for That Pur-
pose-A Colored Woman Who
Was Forced to obey the
RuIes-Hung Her Up for an
Hour-Vermin in This City In
stitution.
At the meeting of the board of eorrec-
tons and charities yesterday afternoon
certain matters concerning the work
house cropped out that will probably
+ salt in an investigation. The public
VIII b. surprised to learn that i'll this
rerorn institution there are dungeons,
and rings i'll the walls. where prisoners
are strung up and tortured into submits
sion. During the progress OF the meet
ing yesterday Commissioner C!outier
threw bomb into the room by remark
ing that he had been informed that 4
colored woman had been strung up by
the thumbs and kept i'll that position
for twentyfOur hours. II such Il case
had ever occurred he wanted to know it
from the lips of the superintendent of
the wOrkhOuSe, and would enter Wig
orous protest against the prisoners be-
Ing treated in that manner.
Superintendent sMeloy states that Tie
facts in the case had been greatly ex-
aggerated. The woman referred to was
one of the worst that ever came to the
workhOuse, and she caused more trouble
than all the rest of the prisoners by re-
fusing to obey orders and rules. She
was hung I'D by the wrists and not by
the thumbs, and remained III that posi-
ton only an hour When she was re-
leased. the superintendent said. she
ODpyed orders. He was very mu CHI
wrought up over his arralgEment be-
fore the board and expressed himself In
rather forcible language that he was
running the wOrkhouSe and wanted no
one 10 interfere with him. He look &C.
CASTOR to make fling at Mike Nhelan.
his assistant, who was allowed some
time ago 10 lose his position on some
trivial ground. oil stating that there
had been considerable brutality dis
played by certain people at the work
house between the dates of July IL ami
Sept. ), but he had stopped all Of that
The time specified was when Mr..
Whelan was employed Their as assistant
SUPERINTENDENT.
Supt. MeiOy admitted, however. that
the colored woman had been strung up,
and appeared to think it the proper
thing to do. Discipline must be mann
tanned, he said, at all hazards. Several
members of the board were horror
stricken at the information that dun
geonS and rings il the wall existed.
They propose to sift the thing 10 the
ground. for ii is conceded that the syS-
tenn OF stringing prisoners up Is pernl-
cious one. The persons sent TO the
WorkhouSe are guilty OF merely trivial
Offenses. and Ii seems little incongru-
Gus to subject them to discipline which
Irings in the dungeon aud the wrist
rings.
1t was stated at the meeting yesterday
that tor the first time in many years tile
WOrkhouse was infested with body YER
NINA nice state of affairs, truly. This
economy and reform system put III
vogue by the superintendent anu the
gentleman who appointed him. Mayor
Eustis, does not appear To be bowling
success. 1t has cut down the expense
of keeping the unfortunate WretcheS
who are sent to the WorkhouSe cent or
SO IL day for each person and filled the
place with lice. Tie board will lake this
matter in hand and make thorough in
yeStiga;ion.
Mayor Eustis offered a motion to can
eel the Insurance of Sl4.000 on the work.
house placed by Commissioner Miller
last February. The motion was ad0ptt d
and this was the end OF the matter, the
predicted fight forgetting TO COM OF