The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-18

Two citizens of good repute yesterday
told stories, before the commission
which Gov. Clough appointed to inves-
| tigate the state prison abuses, which
must have stirred the hearts of every
| listener.
Both were eX-guards. One stood un-
shaken under the rafting cross ex-
| animation of an hour or more from
Deputy Warden Lemons counsel with
out in any material fact detracting
from the seriousness of the charges
preferred in his direct testimony
charges which, if true, show that
cruelties have been practiced at the
Saltwater institution.
The examination of the other witness
was unfinished. Some slight discrep-
ancies were shown in his examination
as to the circumstances, not Of cruelty,
but incidents in connection with SEN
sational occurrences which did not bear
directly on the charges of cruelty, eX-
cept as a measure Of veracity and
memory.
The first of these witnesses was Will
liam c. Forester, a stalwart fellow,
intelligent and apparently truthful,
Of the prison-for he was discharged
has secured a position of trust and
credit with the National Surety COM
pany, of New York.
The second witness, whose story was
equally blood-curdling, who was de-
tected in some slight inaccuracies of
| statement, was A. b. Ewing, a merchant
of Mankato, a young man favorably
known in his own community, and
who, without any solicitation by any
one, so far as the G ! o b e has been
informed, or so far as was revealed in
the testimony thus far, gave to the
Mankato Review,a daily paper publish
ed in his own town, an interview in
which he told of his experience as a
witness of abuses at the prison.
The specific incidents of cruelty tes-
titled to by these men were some of
them merely indicative. perhaps, of
the gruffness of speech acquired
through long association with and
command over rough characters; 9TH
ers were of cases where the violence
used in furnishing prisoners was eX-
ceptionally severe, whether or not the
commission may determine that it was
in-tempered or excessive; but when it
was shown that one officer kicked
prisoner while two others held him
down. some brutality was generally
conceded; when it was shown that a
convict seventy years of age, reported
times innumerable for trivial offenses,
such as going to dinner with his coat
collar turned up, or having coat but
ton not buttoned, finally released him.
self from the oppression of domineer-
ing prison officials by throwing him
self headIong over the railing of the
top gallery in the big cell block at the
penitentiary, no smiles were visible
anywhere. Whether or not the man was
childish. insane, or not, it was not a
Laughing matter that in a modern pris-
on, intended for reformation, as well as
punishment, condition of things
should be possible whi"h should make
possible such a deliberate suicide, the
feeble victim having talked of suicide
two or three days previous, giving the
reason for his actions.
A summary of the incidents of cru
city specifically alleged by witness of
yesterday, together with the circum-
, stantial detail briefly stated, is as fol-
: lows:
That Ed Kelly, a convict working in
the tWiueshOp, afflicted with nervous
, disorder which made him scream and
start at sudden sounds, was punched,
kicked and dragged down stairs ana
! into the solitary by Deputy Warden
Lemon because of one of these acts re-
sulting from the sudden report of the
! guards whistle.
That Charles Hahn, for an insult
to a woman at chapel service, was set
upon by three men bigger than him
self two of whom, Guards Parker and
Colligan. the latter of whom has since
been promoted to assistant deputy war
den. held him while Deputy Warden
Glennon kicked him while he was
down. after which Deputy Warden
Lemon came along and struck him
with his cane This incident, witness
} ed. Forester claims, by him, was
given some circumstantial corrobora-
, ton by Ewing, who says he saw a piece
of a cane like the one Lemon had car
ried. a peculiar stick, lying in the jail
ward later in the day. Hahn is the
: man. familiar to all who have followed
the charges, who has since been com
: mitted to the Rochester insane hos
pital
who jumped eff the top gallery in the
cell house almost to certain death on
the stone flags below, and who died
later, was driven to it, he said, day
: or two before, by petty prosecutions.
That after John Reed, whose in
iuries were testified to by DR.. He'd
beck, the assistant prison physician,
Monday, was injured, Deputy Warden
Lemon was seen with his coat off and
his cuffs spattered with blood.
That when Ed Smith complained that
5 he was unable to lift certain heavy
: bales in the twine factory, one of the
subordinate officers had two negroes
pile one of the bales on Smiths shoul-
ders. and he sank to the ground or
: floor under the burden.
: That convicts cannot get communi-
cation about abuses to the warden,