The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-27

When Warden Wolfer read his
G o e yesterday he put on his hat
and started for ST. Paul. He had seen
Gov. CIough's statement about having
an investigation, and whether or not
he liked the intimation that the gov
ernor might order the investigation by
some other than the board of prison
managers is not known. Anyway, he
hastened to st. Paul a9d straightway
sought the governors oAice.
In the meantime the statement of an
other former prison official was added
to those which the G b e has been
publishing from day to day. 1t is that
of William R. McCracken and is cor
roborative of the former statements of
exguards as to Deputy Warden Lem
ons animosity towards Nels Heen.
These seem to show that Heen had
been assaulted brutally by Lemon on
several occasions, the last being only
two days before the unfortunate con-
Wet succumbed to an attack of 'ty-
phoid fever"
William r. McCracken, former
guard, is now located on a farm near
Minneapolis, and was employed at the
prison part of 1912. He confirms the
statement made by ex-Guard O'Meara
relative to the persecution of poor
Heen. He prefaced the statement he
made yesterday by announcing that
personally he was always used well
at the prison, that he resigned of his
own accord, and that the only reason
he makes his observations public is be-
cause common humanity demands the
exposure of such "heartless tyrant"
as he says Lemon is. He does Warden
Wolfer the justice, or injustice, to say
that he does not believe Mr.. Wolfer to
be cognizant of all going on inside that
institution.
Mr. McCracken describes one assault
on Heen which occurred several weeks
before the unfortunate mans death-of
typhoid fever. On this occasion he was
detailed for some duty in the cell
house, and while at work heard cry
from a gallery above him, and looking
up he saw Lemon strike Heen two or
three vicious blows on the head with
his heavy cane, and then catching the
convict by the neck he shook him saw
agely, as a bull dog would a mouse.
Following this .
off toward another part of the building,
and on the way Mr.. McCracken saw
him strike another blow with the cane.
All the provocation for this assault
was that Heen, an old, broken-down
man, past threescore years of age, and
a sufferer from kidney trouble, had
not been able to control his physical
functions A short time later Lemon
came around to McCracken and said
he felt like killing Heen for that trick.
Heen lay very near deaths door that
night, Mr.. McCracken says, the con-
Stant services of the prison hospital
steward were necessary to win back
the Pickering flame of life so nearly
eXtinguished-to win it back % Sus-
tain another assault a few weeks later,
so viVidly described by eX-Guard
O'Meara.
The cane used by Lemon, Mr.. Nc
Cracker says, was a heavy wooden
bludgeon, with a crooked handle. and
with a heavy ferule on the end. at
least four inches long. 1t disappeared
from public gaze shortly after Heen' 8
death.
Messrs McCracken and Ben Cayou,
since deceased, prepared statement
of these and other fragrant abuses
which came under their notice at the
prison. with a view to bringing the m
before the state legislature at its ses-
sion in 1898 They undertook to in
form Representatives Langum and
Greer of the matter, and. while both
of these gentlemen admitted that it
was shame" they were too much
occupied by other matters to give it
attention Mr. McCracken is earnest in
his desire to have these evils remedied,
| 1a%A dow md II an
called upon, will submit his affidavit
or testimony to any investigating C" M
mittee or in any court.
WOLFER CALLS ON CLOUGH.
Warden Wolfer looked as serene as a
flaming October sunset when he sat
in the governors office yesterday
awaiting his excellency's arrival.
The warden wanted to see the gov
ernor, and the governor judging from
the aviditv with which he devoured
the Glob e S prison pabulum dur
ing the day, was not averse to seeing
Mr.. Wolfer. He declared, after the
| conference, however, that there was
nothing new in the prison situation
beyond what he had told the readers
of the G l o b in the morning issue.
The warden was as chee.y as a
Christmas morning copper to the JAM
| tor of a cigar store when he greeted
! Clio b e reporter with: e -.,>
Good morning. How are you? Come
over and see us. We're not half so
bad as people think"
But dalliance on the topic of the
charges which have been published in
the Clio e since Saturday was not
agreeable although the warden was
not at all reticent on some other
| themes.
The case of Moschik, who is accused
Of the Lemke murder in Minneapolis,
was natural enough, next to the
| weather.
.'Moschik will always be murderer, -
! said the warden He has it in him,
and 1 do not doubt that one of his first
acts after leaving the prison last week
was to purchase the revolver with
which, there is no doubt in my mind,
Lemke was killed. He is Of a type