New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-22
BRUTALITY TO CONVICTS.
CHARGES MADE TO A COMMITTEE OF THE
PENNSYLVANIA LEGISLATURE

Philadelphia May H.-TO-day's session OF the leg
isatve committee investigating the management OF
the State penitentiares was sensational Judge
James Gay Gordon. OF the Philadelphia Court OF
Common Pleas. who Is endeavoring to have sepa-
rate institution for insane convcts established. and
who has been making against the Eastern Peni-
tentiary, was the chief witness. Judge Gordon re-
Gently appointed a commission TO look into the
alleged cruel treatment Of insane patients at the IN
stitution He examined at considerable length
and he made serious and direct charges against the
prison inspectors. the warden and others connected
with the management. He said the official reports
OF the prison filed with falschood and that he
could prove that the OF many convcts had
been brutal and cruel. 1t was reported, ne con-
tnued. that there ten insane patients there In
November last, but investigation made by MIN
showed there fifty insane convcts In the In
stitutlon at that time. or these. he said nine are
now in insane asylums and one is dead from the re-
suit OF cruel treatment at the prison. Thrty-sx OF
the insane convcts he added stIl. In cells In the
prison He instanced the case OF McCue. pris-
whom he had ordered TO be sent from the
prison to the Norrstown State Insane Asylum. and
who died the next day, as alleged by the Judge.
from beating he received the night before his re-
moval Another insane convict. a colored man
named Prentiss, for eigh. months had been tied to
the prison steam pipes every night.
Later on In his testimony Judge Gordon said that
there were seventy-hve insane convcts now In the
prison. He informed the committee that the war
den and inspectors had never given him the sight-
est assistance his visits TO the pententiary IN
search OF information. and he made the direct
charge that the Board OF Inspectors made conscious
and deliberate m.sstatements under oath IN ther
Testimony before this committee. He further
charged them with neglect and incompetency and
with secreting and falsifyins evidence
Nnen II intimated 70 the witness oy f'epre-
sentative Coryel, a member Of the committee that
II was not the fault Of the inspectors that the IN
stituton for separate confinement OF the insane
conyicts has not been built. Judge Gordon replied
that II was In measure their fault because they
have suppressel the truth and falsihed their re-
turns.
"You have taken the inspectors statements OF
the condition of affairs continued the Judge'
why not now take the Testimony OF these bruised.
cut and injured prisoners Of tho brutal management
that injured them physically and mentally! Let
the president and secretary OF the Boaro promise
these prisoners that they shall suffer no punish
ment for telling the truth. and then can mem
forth" Continuing. Judge Gordon sald: i WHIT
you produce the prisoners as witnesses ou. IA 81 ..
let amnesty TO them be declared by the warden
and the inspectors. IL this Is done VIII produce
one hundred prisoners who Will testIy 70 tne
brutality of their keepers Some one has SAID tha!
this evidence is not to be taken Is IL not as sooo
that of the men who beat them! Inese au-
dacious men, the inspectors. have sworn 10 you
thar they had ample accommodations here FOR the
of their insane. In doing so they nave denieo
their official ancestry"
Judge Gordon then read from the report OF the
inspectors OF the prison for 1852 In which they
begged the Legislature 10 establish q hospital TO
which the insane could be removed. Then followed
the Judges right 10 question the conVlcts IL
called Assistant District-Attorney Barlow took
the stand and denied having commended the man
adjourned.