The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-23
THAT PRISON INVESTIGATION.

The G o 9 this morning attempts to Gre
ate the impression that the exam nation yes
terday developed startling things at the
prison and quotes DR.. Hedbeck as saying Of
a prisoner that he was afraid he would die.
The man referred to is a desperate named
Ryan, one who is more liable to be looking
for trouble than work, and who refused to
labor. His punishment may have been more
or less severe but as we understand the
case, this is not a kindergarten, but place
where men are sent for punishment for
crimes more or less horrible and this man
Ryan is one of the desperate men confined
at the prison. Nothing but the strictest
discipline will keep such men down.-Stiil-
water Gazette.
The commission appointed by the governor
to investigate the charges against Deputy
Warden Lemon and other guards at the
states prison have a hard job on hand. In
less they find the prison officials guilty of
the abuses charged the people of the state
will think the investigation a whitewash. II
they find the charges true the whole political
machine of the stale. who are practically
back of the officials will jump On them. 1t
makes whole lot of difference to men like
Flandrau Farmer and Harrison who they
are likely to offend in their verdict. Then
too the commission have no power conferred
on them to force the presence of witnesses
and unless a man wants to testify he may
not be forced to. Already the prison investi-
CATION looks like farce. Gov. Clough can
do whole lot to make this investigation the
real thing, and we hope he will do it
Sleepy Eye Dispatch
Fear lest they may be making trouble for
themselves will silence the tongues Of prison
convicts and unless the committee making
investigation of the charges OF cruelty to prfs-
oners in the penitenttary, so conduct the in
uuiry that testimony given by inmates be
given in private and kept secret whatever the
results, the investigation cannot get at the
true facts We do not believe that the Of
ficials will try to intimidate prisoners into s.
lence, as it would not be necessary to threat
en- the cOnvicts, who WILL for obvious reasons,
neither speak fully or freely. Unless they
have every assurance that what they will say
will not react upon them knowing full we'll
that they are at the mercy of anyone in au-
thority, the cCnvicts will not make incrim-
mating disclosures, and 1t is the knowledge
that such is the case that has given rise to
the prevalent sentiment that nothing will re-
suit from the igation.-Morris Sun.
The committee appointed to investigate the
charges against Deputy Warden Lemon, of
the state prison, commenced taking testi-
mony last Monday. We hope to see full
and impartial investigation. If Lemon or any
ore else is guilty, let them feel the hand of
the law Let us have no embarrassing.
Granite Falls Journal
The state prison investigating committee
is now hearing the complaints against the
soon know theTtruth and the whole truth,
as the investigations will be most thorough
ard searchng.-Weekly Valley Herald.
The prison investigation is on and the people
of this state will soon know whether or not
cruelty and brutality have been practiced
at that institution. There can be no question
but that the investigation will be thorough,
Judging from the manner IL which the ccm-
mission is doing its work.-Stillwater Journal.