The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-21
ADMITS THE FACTS.

It is deserving of notice that the
the results Of the prison investigation,
admits the truth Of the charges made
by the G 10 be. The Journals argu-
n.ent is that the testimony shows that
the brutality Of deputy and guards
was exercised on men who were men
tally unsound; that it is these insane
convicts who violate rules and get
pounded; and that a special ward ought
to be provided at one Of the insane
asylums for the reception Of such pa
tiCnts, and their removal from the ten
der care of the Saltwater authorities.
It is not true that all or even nearly
all of those who suffered from brutal
treatment were mentally unbalanced.
However, we do not care now to dis
cuss either that question or the plan Of
the Journal for the exclusion Of insane
cOnvicts from the state prison; a plan
that has much to recommend it both in
humanity and in sound sense. For the
present we desire to call attention only
to the fact that the Journal, which was
not from the beginning by any means
in sympathy with the exposure Of what
has gone on at Saltwater, has been con-
WINGED by the evidence offered. 1t very
properly avoids passing judgment upon
the testimony itself; but the inference
to be drawn from it's argument admits
of but one Interpretation. We quote
the most significant part of its editorial
utterance:
1t is easy to see, however, how convict
with incipient insanity might violate the
prison rules, and go into punishment time
after time-might even be struck with clubs
in the hands Of guards and severely wound
ed, perhaps crippled, as was the case with
Reed, one of whose fingers was broken-and
yet not be a proper subject for prison dis
cipline. This was the case with Charles Hahn,
VINO was looked upon as crank long be-
fore he spat in a woman's face in chapel. At
the time Of this outbreak it is clear that
Hahn was not regarded as being sane; In
fact, the prison authorities testified that this
act Of his convinced them of his insanity.
Still, he was hurried away to the solitary,
and in the melee had his head cut. He was
treated on that day as if he were mentally re-
sponsible. Other charges Of cruelty had to
do with aged convicts, imbeciles who were
at times as helpless as small children in the
matter Of personal cleanliness and attention
to the wants Of the body.
This is a substantiation of all that
the G. 10 e. has asserted. 1t has not
concerned itself with the question Of
mental condition or responsibility, but
with the single fact whether or not
brutality was exercised toward prison.
lrs at Saltwater. The answer is that
he occurrence Of assaults, manning
prisoners for life, if not driving them
to total insanity or to death, is admit
ted. To us it seems that a deeper
shade by far of guilt attaches to such
actions when directed toward a person
mentally irresponsible. If his condi-
tion is known to the authorities, and he
is still club5ed and kicked and locked
w in the solitary, it is just as brutal
and inhuman as if that were to be the
common method used with patients at
Rochester or st. Peter AS matter
of fact, the Journal whose openness to
the truth is worthy of high praise,
makes a new and more serious indict-
ment against the prison authorities. To
do brutal and unnecessary violence
upon any convict is an outrage. To so
treat convicts who are partially insane,
as we'll as those of sound mind, is the
climax of atrocity.