The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-06-23

rufians who sought every opportunity TO
mutiny and kill their keepers.
1t is not many years since citizens or sing
Sing living on the brow OF the hill looking
into the prison yard complained of the nor
rible noises that disturbed the qaietude OF
their summer evenings during the hours OF
punishment In the prison, when convicts
were dubbed. padded. strung up by the
thumbs and put to various tests of torture
TO break their will.
al hat is OF the past" said Mr.. Con-
naughton.
IF there is any severe Furnishing going on
here now ] should know it," said the War
den. Il doubt II there Is any need of it be-
yond the forms sanctioned by law"
Resumirg. Mr.. Connaugnton said: "The
only effective instrument of punishment we
ever had in the old days was the weighing
machine. 1t was a good machine. II was
the most effective In bringing a man 10
MISUNDERSTANDING him without turning him
The weighing machine works in this
way: You handcun a man in the ordinary
fashion. and fasten him by the wrists TO a
is attached an ordinary block and tackle
fastened to the wall above.
All you have to do Is TO pull a man up
by the irons and there you have him. He
cam do anything. and in a moment or two
the blood being stopped by the rounded
edges Of the handouts pressing against his
tensest pain is produced. Nothing brings a
wicked man to his senses so quickly and ef-
fectively as the weighing machine. In a very
SuOTl tlue TIE COnNlCt makes a SlSn OF SUD-
mission. You let him down. and in a most
respectful. submissive tone he informs YOU
that he will obey the rules and behave him
self during the rest of his term. That f. Nle
last you hear Of him. From that hour he Is
the most orderly and efficient OF prisoners.
But with the paddle the result Is exactly
the reverse. The man Is turned into a fiend.
n brute. a beast of rage. The more you
paddle him the worse he grows. / have seen
men padded until they were at the point
of collapse. but as soon as they could get
their breath and strength enough IN efaQCar
across the corridor hey would clinch their
fists. shake them In the keepers face. and
II. You -. If ] ever catch you outside
swing for it.
$50, you see. the man was not benefited
and never could be reformed by such treat
ment. whereas. the weighing machine con-
quered In a moment. The nature of the
that It simply appalls a man. II is some
thing he cannot fight. II is the machine.
not the keeper. that produces the pain. No
one has struck him a blow or shown any
anger, as Is the case with the terrible pad
die. l never saw a paddle used with holes
in il. as has been charged.
And we had other machines of punish
with a steel collar that fastened round
the neck and closed over the head; but they
are all done away with now"
yes" said the warden. Il know all
about those machines. j have seen them.
They accomplished no good. They made a
man worse. ana IL WAS mat system OF I'M
reasoning brutal punishment that turned
Sing Sing into disorder at times, degraded
tho prisoners and sent them out to the
world hardened desperadoes. sworn to have
revenge"
According to the statement Of many con-
victs who had served for years In that big
I%s, ! the q paddle nSnish Mas th ss sI the s dayorif f.
sole Gather punched full of holes and fast
the leather was soaked in brine to give
extra weight and citing to Its blows.
The man to be padded was h~andcuffed.
hook high in the wall. fastened to the man
acles. Then the culprit was hoisted aloft.
not even HIS toes touching the floor;
In his helpless agony. before he tainted.
HI saw the keeper seize the long wooden
club Of a handle and with both hands strike
name and fire. OF ali the oid.time Sing sing
punishments II was described as the most
heliish and nonenecttve.
It seemed yesterday like living in a new
century to hear both warden and super.n-
~ten.ient speak Of these fearful punishments
as things Of the past. as of the century just
vanished. when Sing Sing WED with Havana
in mutiiating human creatures. helpless in
collars and chains.
Standing erect and commanding. resplend-
emit IN u mr. mI,, ., nawy Sluc, WIN o. gD,o
tendent Gonna ughton. the b~est-known pris-
on keeper in America. gave his views freely
favor nH% Of the new system Glorious gain
for humanity and a new civilization.
In that great, silent prison. with its 100
tomblike cells. ranged tier on tier. six
stories high. were all kinds of human crea-
lures. some to die. some to remain fol-
life, some to go free In a year-the long
est year of a lifetime. II seemed all very
we'll for priests and women OF mercy to
plead for the erring ones. but II was q
| fact that twice that day fresh companies
stood before the receiving desk to deceive
the ofncial taking their record.
! Burglars and low-down murderous-look.
Inc thues. beaters OF women and robber. OF
the helpless aged they werei And all that
stood between them and unprotected socie-
II were the brave u~pholders Of the law.
faithfully doing their duty In The prison
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