The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-29
BE RESUMED AT THE CAPITOL
TODAY.
FINISH OF THE AccUsATlVE.
IT IS BELIEVED THIS TESTIMONY
WILL ALL BE IN BY TOMoR-
ROW NIGHT.
THEN IT WILL BE LEMONS TURN
To Show the People of the State
How the Prison Has Been Run
Inside.

The commission appointed by Gov
! Clough to investigate the charges Of
abuse Of prisoners in the state pen1-
tertiary at saltwater will resume It's
sessions at the state capitol at O'CLOCK
this afternoon, the hour having been
/ fixed at such in order to permit Mr..
/ Farmer, who lives at Spring Valley, to
reach the city with as little as possible
| inconvenience. It is likely that the
commission will now continue steadily
with daily sessions until 1t has finished
what the commission terms the accusa-
tive testimony. This. it is thought by
| Robert L. Penny, the Minneapolis at
torney who has been presenting the
contents of the publications in the
C l o to the commission, can be done
in two days more, so that by Tuesday
night, or by Wednesday at the farthest,
the strictly accusative testimony will
have been finished.
What the commission will do then
has not been definitely determined, eX-
cept that it will adjourn to meet at
Saltwater, and it is likely that the
greater part of the evidence yet to be
taken will be given there.
1t is expected that the commission
will, on it's own hook, summon num-
Der of conYicts. A number of the pris-
oners have signifed to the members Of
the commission desire to be heard,
and it is intended by the commission to
go as far into this class of testimony
as will be fair to the parties concern
ed; the commission correctly holding
that 1t is really. the convict in the
prison, more than any outside citizen
of the state not excepting the G o e,
in whose behalf the inquisition is di-
rected. -
The fact that the governor has order
ed a public and open inquiry may lead
to a little confusion when the testt-
mony of cOnVicts now in prison is
reached, but if it appears to the mem
bers of the board Of inquiry that the
testimony IS reluctantly given before
counsel, it is likely that the stenogra-
pher and all outsiders will be relegated
to the outside and the conVicts given
assurance of secrecy on the personal
honor of the trio who constitute the
governors inQuisitors. Warden WOlfer
has assured the board that no obstacle
will be placed in the way of the fullest
inquiry. The rooms at the prison,
where the commission held its opening
sessions, are so arranged that the COM
mission may closet itself with any con-
and it is possible that several days may
be occupied with this branch of the
work of the commission.
The officers of the prison will be call
ed, of course, and given chance to
rebut, if possible, the testimony which
has already been given, and while it is
the desire of the commission to expedite
s the inquiry as far. as possible, there
seems to be a disposition not to save
saIIV time at the expense of thorough
ness.
The interruption of Thanksgiving
day. together with the fact that the
counsel appearing before the commits
sion had some conflicting legal engage
ments, prevented a very extensive in
vestigatiOn during the week. but the
Minneapolis sessions while occupying
but two days, were among the most
sensational in their revelations of any
yet held. The reluctant but painfully
graphic testimony of the young ex-as-
sistant physician, DR.. D. G. Beebe, the
narrative of the gray-haired eX-guard,
McCracken; the vivid descriptions of
prison atrocities furnished by Timothy
OMeara: the unaffected stories of the
convicts who were called. all these were
listened to carefully by the commission,
as they were by those auditors present
In other than official capacities.
Many who had up to that time pro-
feSsed to believe that a political animus
was at the bottom of the charges
against Deputy Warden Lemon re-
canted after hearing that testimony
and admitted that such evidence indi-
water which. to say the least, reflected
no credit on a state which has been
credited with being in the van of hui
name commonwealth.