The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-09
POINTS FOR INVESTIGATORS.

Gov. ClOugh has appointed Judge Flandrau,
OF st. Paul; S. r. Kitchell, of Minneapolis,
and B. F. Farmer, Of Spring Valley. to in
vestigate the charges OF cruelty at the state
pen at Saltwater. 1t is a particularly good
committee, and If there is anything rotten at
Saltwater. the public will know 1t. In con-
sidering the matter Of cruelty to convicts 1t
is well to bear in mind that they are not
Sunday school people rule, but on the
contrary, desperate, hardened criminals, and
what would look to be harsh treatment any
where else is sometimes necessary at penal
institutions OF this character-Sherbourn
Star News.
Charges have been preferred against certain
prison officials in Saltwater, and have been
subStantiated by former guards there, which
will without doubt lead to thorough invesu-
cation. and the more rigid the betlter-Wase-
cabo Democrat.
Warden Wolfer Is out with a vigorous denial
Of the charges recently preferred by the 81.
Paul G o against the management OF the
state prison. Every charge made by the
/ 0 b e is denied in toto, and the warden
courts the fullest investigation. An tnVeSt!-
cation has been ordered and it will soon be
known whether in this instance also the
G o has manufactured a story out OF
whole cloth and added another chapter TO It's
record, which excels that Of all other organs
in the state for square muscular lying.-West-
ern Guard.
o ID
a hornets nest in its attack on the state
prison officials 1t claims that there is too
much cruelty, altogether used by some OF
those having prisoners In charge. Warden
Wolfer denies the charges.-Bunalo Gazette.
Just at present the o b is squeezing
the States Prison Lemon quite hard.-Buffalo
Gazette.
Gov. Clough has acted wisely IN appointing
a commission of three we'll known citizens to
probe the charges of brutality and other ir-
Irregularities practiced in the state prison at
Saltwater. The gentlemen named are Charles
f. Flandrau of ST. Paul; Stanley b. Kitchell,
of Minneapolis, and B. r. Farmer, Of Spring
Valley. The work should be done thorough
ly and If half the charges made are sub
stantiated. then the deputy warden deserves
to be continued in garb of third grade prison
ers instead of an official but he should not
be condemned until the committee Of investi-
cation finds him guilty. The people want
the facts without any whitewash, though
Lanesboro Journal.
The St Paul Globe has done a ncb.e
service for humanity by exposing the brutali-
ties in the state prison. But let not the
G l o b weary in well doing. Shake up the
Rochester asylum hell-hOle.-Martin County
Sentinel.
Judge Flandrau, of St. Paul; Stanley r.
Kitchel, an attorney Of Minneapolis, and our
own B. F. Farmer. Of Spring Valley, have
tee to investigate the charges Of brutality at
the state prison. We believe that the COVER
nor could not have found a better set Of men
in the entire state than those named and
their verdict whatever it may be. will I'M
doubtedly satisfy the people that exact justice
has been done. Let the investigation be
thorough and impartial.
The investigation of the charges brought
by the st. Paul 0 b g against the manage
ment of the states prison, charging cruel
and brutal treatment, may make interest
ing reading if politics are kept out Of it
Eden Valley Journal.
If reports published in the St Paul Gil 0 b O
concerning the inhuman treatment of the
prisoners in our state penitentiary at the
hands of Deputy Warden Lemon are true,
that official deserves to wear striped suit
and shaver head for a period Of twenty
yeaTs-no less
When man can hold down job like that
Of deputy warden for years and literally
pound the life out Of the convicts, there
is something rotten in Denmark" and the
agency that is successful in bringing about
an investigation is deserving Of the support
OF the people The st. Paul G ! 0 es work
in this case has been fearless and uncom-
promising and should be held in grateful
remembrance by a people whose confidence
has, from present indications, been grossly
betrayed.
Men are placed within the walls Of our
state prisons with the hope of making them
better as well as to punish them for viola
formed by brutality then the writer has not
lived long enough to understand the rudi-
mentary work Of making men better.
That a man has done wrong is not evil
dence that he is a brute nor that he is de-
serving of brutal treatment at the hands OF
one who Is not better, but more fortunate.
If the reports are false, and we would only
be glad to be able to hope they are. then
the inventor of them should be forced 10
do time" until he has fully atoned for the
great wrong done the prison oficials.-Mur-
ray County Herald.
Gov. Clough has appointed a committee to
investigate the charges preferred against GER
tain prison employees. There is no excuse
for not making a thorough search and find
ing Of guilt if it exists and trust this
will be the aim Of the committee.-Le Sueur
News.
It Is understood that Gov. Clough Will have
an investigation OF the Saltwater prison. II
is alleged that the wardens have been very
brutal in handling the prisoners and 1t viii
do no harm at least TO give the institution
a enthusiastically Advocate
There is apparently something more than
noise about the Saltwater prison abuse.
There are too many old employees relating
their experiences there to give the charges
of the c. ! o b the appearance Of political
scheme The instructions to keep every
thing secret, which several relate, have
bad appearance and we can hardly resist the