The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-02
PRISON SOUTH TALES
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE HEARS
STORIES OF CRUELTY.
Convict Huston Tells How He Was
Shot by the Warden-Complaints
of the Food.

~A( V1ANii W
Jeffersonville to inspect the Prison South
returned last night and as a result OF their
observations and an examination of several
of the convicts will suggest that a committee
be appointed to make a thorough investiga-
ton. Much Of the old story of two years
ago was poured into the ears of the legis-
lators by the prisoners, and they were
told to support allegations of cruelty. poor
food and mismanagement. Warden Patten
was suavity itself, and this time showed no
disposition to hinder the committee in it's
work. 1t was not the intention of the COM
mittee to make an Investigation On this
trip, which was merely the annual one of
inspection. 1t seemed that every convict
approached had a tale to tell, and if they
were all to be believed no question would
remain as to the ACCESSIBILITY of changing
the administration of the Prison South. but
the committee showed no disposition to
weigh the credibility of this evidence and
not make serious charges against warden
Patten without further inquiry. The fact,
however, that there is something radically
wrong in the system that now obtains at
the Prison South, was plainly in evidence.
The stories told by the convicts employed
in the foundry excited the sympathy of
those who heard them.
Some of the legislators gained a few
points which indicate the possibility of un-
covering a great scandal in the gubernator-
ial office of the State during the last twelve
or fifteen years. These gentlemen have no
hesitancy in saying that the matter OF grant
ing pardons in this State should be investi-
gated by the present Legislature, and tile
strong suspicion concerning severaf men
who have been prominent in affairs OF State
either removed or confirmed. Such an in
vestigation might show no scandal in the
avorn,fixyo nf7ao hut ~ WIGHT roxaol Sn ~
eral of the legislators think, most con-
temptible. practices in attempting to secure
pardons.
On arriving at the prison yesterday morn
ing the committee was shown about the m
Stituticn by Warden Patten, Senators WISH
of the men in prison garb. a dinner whic,
the convictS declared was sumptuous was
steaming on the long tables a snort tine
after the committee reached the place. LCng
lines OF men With S owl ng ace ana 5 raltte-
Y mute. MED in, pnlleu tne nu.ureas OF
and fell to with an unusual relish of the
food. Here and there a convict would be
and almost without exception the story was
that the occasion was a feast. Warden
Patten declared that it was an average
dinner with the exception of the kraut, and
Senator Watson, the daily culinary record
was brought out by the warden afterward
to confirm his statement. Much of the COM
plant was that the fo cd was not sufficient,
particularly for the men who are compelled
to toll at the severe labor of the foundry
| When the lines of striped men reformed for
the procession back to work, there would
anxious to pour q story into the ear of an
Investigator. Some had complaint to make
fair tasks heaped upon them in the contract
department, and not a few made general
t tha Q, eIue, NY a antert ai ins e1I Nv thu it mar
den at a very fair repastin the guards dim
ing room. After tramping around the pris-
on, the divided itself, with Sena-
tor Watson at the head of a group to inter-
rogate convicts. and Representative Wilson
| the contracts and records. The examination
of the books was of the most cursory kind
posai Of the legislators, ali of them intending
to return to this city on the evening train.
STORY OF CRUELTY.
One story of alleged cruelty which was
| given publicity a year and a half ago was
| inquired into. Convict Houston. a noted
porch-climber as the type ofthief is known
in criminal parlance, was shot in his cell
| by Warden Patten. The fact that the man
was in a cell when he was shot and the
! warden on the outside. caused no little COM
ment among those who had turned sus-
picious eyes on the southern penitentiary.
The warden explained that the man was
dangerous, held himself in a menacing at
| titude and that the firing was necessary
for the discipline of the fprison. 1t was
suggested to the legislato 3 that a more
uuLudHC way 'QI QlSClSilnlng . SuCh an
obstreperous prisoner would have been to
close the door and starve the fellow into
submission. Houston claims that he was
sent to his cell for some infraction of the
| rules and was ordered to place his arms
through grating in order that the guard
quiring him to stand in a. torturing posit on
for a considerable time. He refused to
thrust out his hands and the warden was
billet of wood which was in his cell and
threatened the first man who dared at
through the cell bars. The warden fred at
him twice, the ball going wide the first
time and the second one lodging in the
conv.ct's forearm. One Of the members of
the committee says the warden admits that
he fired the first shot merely to scare the
man and fired the second shot to hit him.
! ten insists that some of the convicts wire
standing about snickering at the manner in
prison at bay. In many Of the cell rooms
it is impossible for a man of fair size to
warden felt he was placed by a man
| lation.
Reports of severe ~foggings In the prison
have become current in the last few years,
but there was no evidence to show that
the lashing of the men was cruel. or that
it is more severe than in other institutions
of like kind. In about twenty-five cases
to this punishment, and of each case there
is a record in the warden's. office. A feat
n the s homev or 5 aha1 ON the w faee nT or Il bears rs
| the committee. Men employed in the foun-
dry complained that they were punished
by solitary confinement and by whipping
for failing to complete tasks which 1t was
impossible for them to perform in a day. As
an inducement to the convict for steady
work he is allowed a certain sum for work
performed after accomplishing the task as
signed him. Twenty-seven tea. kettles in
the foundry department. for instance. is
the measure Of the days work for one
man, and he is paid by the piece for all
above this number. The men who paint
| the iron cuspidors are required to turn out
| forty-eight a day of the ordinary round
| pattern. These men say that it requires a
| good days work to make this number. A
few of the more industrious of the men
| some time ago were enabled to gain to their
| credit a few dollars by painting more of
| these cuspidors in a day than was required.
| They say that no sooner was this sum to
their credit than they were put to work
painting cuspidors of the octagonal pat
| tern. The octagonal pattern requires much
more care than the round pattern, and the
men found they were unable to even come
up to the requirements. Whenever they
failed to do this deductions were made
from the credits already earned. This has
| produced much grumbling. One of the con-
victs put it thus tersely yesterday:
what inducement is there for me to lead
an honest life after | leave here? If I
find that + am robbed inside the peniten-
tiarv walls why should i not rob when I