The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-30
STATE PRESS NEARLY UNANIMOUS
IN DEMANDING A THOROUGH
INVESTIGATION.
EXPOSE PRISON BRUTALITY.
LET THE INQUIRY BE VIGOROUSLY
PROSECUTED AND THE BLAME
PLACED.
GLOBES COURSE IS COMMENDED.
Secure More Humane Methods
at the Pen.

The press Of the state is almost
unanimous in the demand that there
shall be no withdrawing in the state
prison investigation, and that the in
quiry shall be thorough, no matter
upon whom the blame shall fall. Fol-
lowing arc some of the latest COM
ments:
The st. Paul G O has stirred up the
state prison management and makes serious
charges against the officers in charge, .declar-
ing that the inmates have been cruelty and
inhumanly treated. The charges should be
thoroughly investigated and If true there
should become several vacant jobs about
the penitentiary at early date.-Albert Lea
Enterprise.
The st. Paul G OBJ e came out the other
excessive punishment melted out to the prison.
ers, and devoted a whole page to the affair.
whether or not the charges are true re-
mains to be seen. The Pioneer Press denies
them in toto. Secretary Hart, of the board
of corrections and charities, says the board
will take no action in the matter until Of
fetal charges are made, He would not I'M
dertake to say whether the G | o b e's charges
were true or false, but an exhaustive in
quiry into the affairs of the prison was
made in 1891, and at that time no brutality
was INDUCED in.-HutchinSon independent
The st. Paul G l o b is on the war path
against alleged brutalities at the Minnesota
state prison. On the other hand, some Of Its
contemporaries are fastening to play the
role of apologists. In the meantime thor
ough investigation is promised, but we would
advise that it be made by commission, the
members of which are in no way connected
stitution in the state. 1t should be COM
neither soft-soaped nor bulldozed and they
must be good judges of human nature, II
the right sort of commission is appointed
they may find a condition Of things, past
and present, that will startle' the state, other
wise it will only result in the most beau
tiful whitewash and bowling farce.-Pres-
ton Times
CNote-Languine the editor of the Times,
was deputy warden at one time)
brought to light a first-class sensational story
of the brutal treatment and murder of con-
victs imprisoned in the saltwater peniten-
tiary by those having authority, that promises
to be matter of no small concern If the
stories related by those who have given
them to the o b be true, 1t has become
a matter of criminal negligence on the part
Of the warden that he was not aware of the
brutal punishment Of convicts going on right
under his nose. and no notice taken of the
outrages. We hope for humanity's sake the
stories may prove to be untrue, but II not,
let the guilty parties suffer the consequences.
Lake Crystal Union.
Accusations of gross irregularity, if nothing
officials of our state prison. Well, few will
doubt the truth of the ACCUSATIONS, it has
long been an open secret that all things at
the state prison were not precisely as they
ought to be. OF course the prison officials
deny ALL and, simple souls, ask for an inves-
tigation by the prison managers CID. Our
readers have often heard of the adage of
"going to law with the devil, and the court
in hell" The prison managers would be
pretty nice fellows to be asked to sit In iudg-
ment upon themselves, as they have endorsed
and pronounced lovely everything done by
the prison officials Indeed, we oppose any
and all investigation, since they are simply
whitewashes. Better let all things 20 to
the end, as it saves costs to the taxpayers.
The Powers investigation and the soldiers
home investigation cases in point.-Belle
PLANE Herald.
The state press should make universal
demand that an investigation of the state
prison be made, and that there be no white
washing There seems to be a good deal
Of foundation for the charges that have been
made, and the state administration cannot
that the present officers have been there too
long. frequent change Of management
in such institutions is in many ways bene-
icial.-Crookston Tribune:
Almost a decade has passed since the state
of Minnesota was startled by infamous reve-
ations from behind barred walls at Saltwater,
which resulted in almost a regime over
ton of acts of brutality that are SAID to be
practiced are true, the quicker another oak
ing up to officials at the institution is admin
istered the better.-Carver Journal.
The Minneapolis Journal says: Warden
Wolfer calls for an investigation of the
charges of cruel and inhuman treatment OF
convicts That is unquestionably the proper
position for him to take.
Saturdays st. Paul o b has an at
sensational article relating to claimed
abuse and cruelty to convicts in the Mime
former guards and employees and only impli-
Gates Deputy Warden Lemon. Like the rest
of mankind, prison convicts are far from
saints or angels. 1t is extremely necessary
that thorough displine be enforced and prison
rules strictly adhered to. AS to whether
Deputy Warden Lemon has used too harsh
measures we cannot say, but we can say tnat
Henry Wolfer the warden, is man of
large heart thoroughly capable and the most
efficient warden the state has ever had.-Fair-
mont Independent.
The Daily Globe has entered upon a
crusade against the management Of our state
prison at Saltwater, particularly against the
conduct and alleged cruelty Of Deputy War
den Frank H. Lemon, which, If one-half be
true. which the claims, proves him
not suitable person to fill such an impor-
tant place and should be forthwith ousted.
Where there is so much smoke there must be
vestigated, without fear or favor.-Hamline
The revelations of mismanagement in the
state penitentiary, published by the st. Paul
G o e, are calculated to shock even those
who lay no particular claim to humanitarian
ism. Making all allowance for exaggeratfon,
by craftsmanship or il-will there9is
enough Of plain and palpable fact given In
these disclosures to show that the supervision
of the prison board is a farce II there was
adequate inspection by those whose duty it is
to look after prison management, We would
have been spared the obliquy which attaches
to the present exhibft.-Northwester Chron-
ic1e.
The St. Paul 10 b comes out with a
great expose of the workings of the Minnesota
state prison and charges Deputy Warden
Lemon with brutal and inhuman treatment
Of prisoners. If one half of the allegations
made by the G o b e true the state of
Minnesota should not rest until the guilty
persons have been dismissed and adequately
punished. According to the / re, prison
ers have frequently been knocked down with
canes and clubs and pounded into insensbil-
ity. John Smith, of Ellsworth for sixteen
years foreman in one of the prison shops,
tells Of many inhuman acts committed by
Lemon Mr. Smiths statement was publish
ed In the G. o e Of Tuesday morning. The
G o b e expose was the subject of CONVEX
sation between the editor of the Cleaner and
Mr.. T. E. Elliott proprietor Of the Forest house,
but formerly of Saltwater. Mr.. Elliott stated
that the charges made by the G o b e are
true for he, himself, has seen
Deputy Lemon knock prisoners down with
clubs and canes and otherwise brutally treat
them. Throw the whitewash brush in the
river and then let an investigation be made.
Ellsworth (Wis.) Cleaner.
There may or may not be real and note
worthy foundation for the sensational charges
If the ST. Paul G l as to the management
Of the state penitentiary at saltwater: That
paper in former years had reputation for
making accusations against political oppo-
nents that was anything but credltable to it.
Under it's present management it has hitherto
1een much more conservative and apparently
'air minded However this may be, there
should be no delay on the part of the state
authorities in setting foot thoroughly i'm