Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-16
DOOR CLOSED TO HIM.
REV. MIR. MARTIN DENIED ADMIs-
SION TO THE PENITENTIARY.
He HAD CHARGED CRUEL TREATMENT
Major Lynn Declares THAT There
Was No Foundation for This Ale
catfon-Enorts TO Have the Prisons
Accommodation Increased.

| charges made by Rev. Hugh Med. Mar
tin. pastor Of ST. Luke's Episcopal church
as to cruel punishment being inflicted
upon prisoners at the penitentiary. can
not be sustained, except upon the evil
dence OF convicts, and those VINO are
somewhat acquainted with the manage
ment of affairs at the institution think
that while the young divine has only the
best intentions, he has, perhaps, been i'm
posed upon by the convicts.
! Rev. Mr.. Martin, who has been in the
habit of conducting services at the peni-
Tertiary on Sundays and of visiting the
prisoners on other days in the week, adj
mts that the only evidence he has as 10
| the infection of cruel punishment is that
| Of the conyicts themselves, but that ne
| has reason to believe this, as well as
| have others whose names he Will not
| mention He reported to Major Robert
Stiles what he thought was the state of
| affairs at the State prison. This was on
| the day before the caucus which met for
| the purpose of selecting. among other
| officers, the Superintendent of the Peni-
| Tertiary.
REPORTED TO MAJOR STILES.
The young divine desired that an in
vestigation be made, but Major Stiles
! who Is no longer an officer in the Prison
Association of Virginia, and is simply a
member of that organization, told MIN
II he wished this he must go to Mr..
Caskie, the president. In his capacity as
a member of the association he did not
care to take the matter in hand. Fur
| 4 IgIf ma
any foundation for the charges. Similar
ones had been made before, and were
found to be absolutely false. He thought
that Mr. Martin was being made the in
nocent tool of politicians.
The next day Major Stiles, having had
his attention called to the fact that the
absence of his Dame from the last report
OF the association might be misconstrued
to mean that he did not approve OF Major
Lynn, wrote the latter, stating that his
name did not appear upon the paper for
the reason that he was not present at
the inspection, but he assured the Super
intendent that he had every confidence
in his management of affairs at the peni-
Tertiary. and expressed the belief that
the State would sustain loss If he were
removed
WAS NOT ADMITTED.
Major Stiles, after the interview with
Mr. Martin, thought that he owed it 10
the Superintendent to write him, stating
that charges of the mistreatment of prl-
soners had been made mot mentioning
the minister's name), and he also commu-
nicated with Mr.. Martin, stating that he
had taken this action.
When Mr. Martin went to the peniten-
tiary last Sunday as usual, he was in
formed by a guard that the Superintend-
ent had given orders that he should not
be admitted TO the institution. Major
Lynn happened to be near at the time,
and called Mr.. Martin aside and told
him that he thought the latters action
had been unjust; that he had abused the
confidence which he LYNN had reposed
in the minister, and that, therefore, he
would no longer allow him admission to
the prison professedly to expound reli
gion, but I'm reality TO pry into the affairs
of the institution.
Major Lynn said last night to a Dis
patch reporter that the charges of Mr..
Martin were utterly without foundation.
Prisoners were punished by fogging, ac-
cording to law, but they were never UNI
mercifully treated. A record was Kept
OF every such punishment He thought
Mr.. Martin meant well, but was young,
and probably over-ardent
Mr.. John w. Cringan, who for nine
years past has conducted Sunday-school
work at the penitentiary, was seen last
night by Dispatch reporter, and stated
that he had never had any reason to be-
lieve that the convicts were cruelty pun
ished. They were whipped, in accordance
with the law, but not numerically so.
WHAT MR.. MARTIN SAYS.
Mr.. Martin was seen last night by
Dispatch reporter, and when asked as to
the charges he had made he was not
very much inclined to discuss the mat
ter. He thought there would be no in
vestigation as to the treatment of the
convicts, as the institution would soon
be under a new management, when DO
doubt, he said, there would be a change
made for the better, as far as the system
ADOPTED of furnishing the prisoners was
concerned. There were others, he said
mot ministers), who We're aware of the
mistreatment OF the convlcts, and he had
no doubt II an investigation was made
the evidence would be sufficient to sus-
tain his charges. He said that such evil
dence as he possessed had been given by
prisoners, but that he had reasons for
believing their statements.
PLEA FOR BETTER BUILDINGS.
The following petition, which explains
itself was presented in the House OF
ferred:
Richmond, Va, December l3, 1897
The Presbyterian ministers of the city
Of Richmond and vicinity respectfully
represent TO the Senate and House OF
Delegates of Virginia that from some
acquaintance with the facts in the case,
there is, in their opinion, an urgent neces-
sity for immediate and radical change
In the accommodations provided for con-
victs committed to the penitentiary OF
this State. and petition your honorable
bodies to inquire as to the practicabil.ty
of such new buildings or change of con-
struction as will remedy evils which we
believe TO be great, and prevent the pro-
pagation of crime and the further de-
PRAYING character.
We are led to this action by no senti-
mental view as TO lettering the condi-
ton Of convicts, but by a profound con-
viction that the present prison. with its
crowded rooms and its constant contact
OF criminals, old and young as we'll as
its inhumanity and miserable uncleanli-
ness, is unworthy OF our civilization, and
almost universally preeludes ali hope or
that reform which is an essential fea-
ture of penal laws and of the peniten-
tiary system, and breeds the worst evils.
sending many OF the convicts at the close
of their terms out into the world and
our own State, more deeply depraved and
more dangerous 10 the peace and welfare
OF the land than when they entered
Respectfully submitted
JAMES p. SMITH.
JERE WITHERSPOON,
JAMES T.. COOK