The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-17

All who have read the testimony taken
by the Board Of Charities in the investiga-
ton Of the charges preferred by DR.. Horne.
published in papers which have given the
statements Of those m as witnesses
as they were made. have come to the con-
clusion that the accusations had no founda-
ton in fact. So far as Deputy Warden
Barnard is concerned. not a convict. an ex-
convict or an ex-oficer charged him with
cruelty. Three or four cOnvicts gave testi-
mony against two or three guards, the most
pronounced being that Of a man from this
city who murdered a p%atrolman. On the
other hand, it appeared that the deputy
warden is an intelligent and competent
prison man. who has learned the profess
sion. for such IL is. by service in the lower
grades of prison work and rising step by
step through merit. 1t is the most difficult
position in our penal Institutions, and the
man who obtains a reputation for enforcing
discipline with little punishment is i'm de-
mand all over the country. The reports
showing the quality of the discipline in the
prison prove that it is not only effective but
intelligent. Under the present system all
convicts entering the prison are put in the
second or middle class. If their conduct is
good they are advanced TO the first class,
and If very bad they are degraded to the
third class. The report of the secretary of
the Board of Charities of Feb. 10 shows 754
convicts in the first class; LOG have re-
mained in the second. and but one was in
the third class.
The sweeping charges of insuficiency of
food and of giving the men food unfit to eat
were not sustained. In one or two in
stances the food was bad, a thing which
would occur in most places occasionally
where much higher priced food is served.
The drift of the testimony was that the
food served now is ample i'm quantity and
of good quality. All things considered. the
wonder is. in handling fresh meats in
hot weather for so many men. that such ac-
cidents are not more frequent. In regard
to the selling of convict labor to c~ontrac-
tors, the evidence from various sources es-
tablished the fact that the contractors do
not obtain more men than the law allows.
The law terminates the present contracts
III 1JUis dlleT WHICH no lnOIt ldDOI Will Dt
put under contract.
IT is the expressed judgment of all un-
biased reporters who listened to the inves-
tigation that it was fairly and intelligently
conducted. The examination of the wit
nesses by Judge Davis was so tactful as to
lead convicts to speak freely and so skill
full as TO bring out all the facts. The probe
was reserved for the men under charges.
II is not expected, however. that those who
trumped up these charges and tried to
create a bitter hostility against the prison
management will be satisfied. They will
continue their attacks upon the prison man
agement and assail the integrity of the men
making the investigation because some of
them think it is good politics and others
because they hope to sell a few hundred
more yellow newspapers than they other
wise would. But the fair-minded people OF
Indiana will be satisfied that the investiga-
ton was impartial and searching and that
the most that was proved is to the detri-
ment of the persons making the charges.