The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-05
WOLFER'S VERSION OF IT
HE RETAILs IN WISCONSIN SOME
MINNESOTA PRISON HISTORY.
New Account of Some Investigation
That Cannot Be Located Unless 1t
Refers to That of 1S91-The Min
nesGda Warden Helps Out His
Brother Warden in WauDun.

Qualified, perhaps, by his recent ex-
perience in prison investigation as an
expert, Warden Wolfer, Of the Still
water pen" is pronounced by the
Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin an
able officer" The Wisconsin says
this was shown by his demeanor on
the witness stand in the Wisconsin
prison investigation now in progress
at Waupun, where Mr.. Wolfer has
been taking prominent part, possibly
on the theory that men Of certain
class must stand together.
1t was through the shrewdness Of
Warden WoIfer, the Milwaukee paper
claims. that Warden Roberts, of
Waupun. was able to place the blame
for instigating the present trouble at
the cell door Of convict named Camp
who, Mr. WOlfer testified, was former
ly an inmate Of the Minnesota peniten-
tiary.
Warden Wolfer in his testimony be-
fore the Waupun commission told some
things about the Saltwater institution
that We're never heard of before in
this state, or if they were, were not
brought out in the recent investiga-
ton. Here is a portion of his test1-
mony from the Evening Wisconsin, the
man Camp being the one to whom.
Warden VOTERS "shrewdness" was
applied:
The character of this man Camp was
set forth On the witness stand by Mr..
Wolfer. who showed himself to be very
able officer. Camp, Mr.. Wolfer said, was
the SmoOthest rascal that ever got behind
the bars. He had served three terms in
the saltwater prison and was wanted in
Minnesota for crime that would send him
there again. He made his escape from the
prison during his second term and showed
MS c!evernesS in doing that. He feigued
sickness and got sent TO the hosp tai Thsre
he made one excuse after another until ne
got himself located where but one door and
fpr ha- {TlIh
He easily picked the lock Of the door, got
into the surgeons room, sawed the bars
with the surgeons saws, $ ole the surg -on's
fur coat and took French leave.
He had been inveterate opium eater
and all the warden's efforts TO keep the
drug out Of the prison were unavailing.
He was the most resOurceful man | ever
saw" said Mr.. Wolfer, ''aad he knew more
underground ways of getting things in and
ever heard Of" When the warden finally
stopped the opium business things grew
monotonous fer him and he determined to
have an Investigation. He worked up his
case, induced w. c. T. U. woman to aid
him and prepared to play the s:ar FAR. HIM
self
He wrote a letter purporting to come
from an officer, in which it alleged
that there was great cruelty in the prison
and that inhuman treatment had driven
convict named Davis insane. About the
time he expected the committee he got
himself thrown into the hoe and began
the role of a crazy man. All would have
gone well II his letters had not been found.
But they were found and when put together
they exposed the plot so completely that the
investigation was dropped at once. Mr..
WolIer might have been giving an account
Of this investigation, so closely did the two
tally. and it was a very interesting story.
4 doubt if his equal as a schemer exists
in the United States said Mr.. Wolfer.
ending his story.
The people of Minnesota never knew
of but two Investigations in connection
with the Saltwater prison. One was
the investigation of 1891 and the other
the one recently conducted. Warden
Wolfer could hardly have had the lat
ter in mind when he said the investi-
cation was dropped at once. And If
he considers the recent investigation
was dropped at once" it is hard to
see how the man Davis or Camp came
in. No man by that or any other name
so far as was shown got himself
thrown in the hole and acted the part
of a crazy man."
If Warden Wolfer told about the in
vestigatiOn of 1891 his version of it diff
ferS materially from that contained in
the report ON record in the governors
office. AS it all happened before War
den Nolfer came to Minnesota the
chances are that the fapes developed
by the committee Of the state board Of
correction and charities are as nearly
correct as the ones which Mr.. WOlfer
testified to at Waupun, and 1t will sur
prise the committee that made the in
vestigation in 1891 that Davis got
himself thrown into the hole and be-
gan the role of crazy man." as we'll
as to find out that the investigation
was dropped at once
A convict named Davis figured In
that investigation, but the records
show that Douglas, Anderson and
Davis tried to escape, were captured
and thrown into the hole" and were