The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-14
STATE PRISON INQUIRY
INCIDENTS SHOWING THE ANIMUS OF
CERTAIN NEWSPAPERS.
studied Efforts to Discredit n Board
Composed of WeIl-known and
Reputable Indiana Citizens.

investigation in progress at the Michigan
City prison by the Board of Charities that
it seems important TO make clear a few
points regarding it, For instance, the Chi
cago Record-Herald, the union of two once
reputable newspapers, had the following
editorial in Saturday mornings issue:
out of the farcical investigation of the
prison abuses at Michigan City arise sew
eral questions of vital interest TO the peo-
pie of Indiana, namely:
rs the State Board of Charities greater
than the Governor who appointed II?
us the prison board more influential than
the State Board of Charities which Is
shielding it?
Are the prison contractors greater than
the Governor and the two boards over
which he has the power of appointment ana
dismissal?
However these questions may be an
swered, it is evident that the contract con-
vict labor system is the curse OF the prison
at Michigan City as ii is at Joliet ana at
every institution in which II has become
intrenched."
Who constitute this tribunal carrying on
"a farcical Investigations" Governor Dur
bin, ex oficio president; Judge Davis, an
hOnored citizen and well-known lawyer Oh
Terre Haute: Prof. Demarchus c. Brown,
of Butler University; Timothy Nicholson
a citizen of Richmond, prominent in char
liable and Christian work for years; w. F.
Cooper, an esteemed citizen of Fort Wayne,
with Secretary Amos w. Butler, secretary
of the Board of Charities. 1t is scarcely
worth while to allude to the politics OF
these men, but as the impression seems to
be abroad that it is partisan board 1t
may be said that two of its members are
Democrats, and two others, not including
the Governor, are men who may De called
conservatives in politics. And this is the
board that is said to be conducting far
cical investigation.
1t should not be So but being so, il is
necessary to say that the person represent
ing the Record-Herald at the investigation,
and doubtless the author of the editorial
Wet labor. 1t is known that he is one of
those who persuaded DR.. Horne TO
make the charges. He sits at the reporters
table. The reader may get an idea OF the
sort of person he is from the following
incident: A prisoner named witness
was brought in to testify. He is partially
insane and his talk was that of an insane
man. When ii was seen that the man could
not make understandable statement
Governor Durbin told the guard to take
the man out. ThereupCn the Record-Her-
aid reporter jumped up and said in a loud
and excited voice: Take him out and
don't bring in any more crazy men"
Fortunate it was for the man that the
tribunal was composed of men OF so eQul-
table temrers, or he would have been put
out. If such Offense had been COM
mitted in court, the offender would have
Yet he was left to continue his misrepre-
sensations.
SCOPE OF THE INQUIRY.
IL seems not to be clearly understood
that the Board of Charities is convened to
investigate certain charges preferred
against the deputy warden and several
guards for cruelty, and that tainted meat
had been fed the men. The Board is Civ
ing it's attention to these charges. 1t has
nothing to do with the alleged transac-
tions of DR.. Horne or with the question
of contract labor. The law has regulated
contract labor. 1t provides that half of
the men in the prison may be employed
by contractors. The last Investigation by
Secretary Butler was made on Feb 49,
when he found 81 men employed on coop
erage contracts, 30 on chair contracts, 10
on wooden contracts, 81 on shirt contracts
and 30 on cane-seat contracts-41S prisoners
out of total in the prison of SOL Men
who have had no experience at the work
TO which they are assigned work thirty
days without any return to the State-that
time being necessary for learning some
thing about the work. This has always
bee no the PraeT bsr This however amounts
men on contracts than the law permits
because all additions to the number en-
ployed by any contractor are known by
al least three different officials.
METHODS OF THE BOARD.
~
the tribunal, it should be said that every
witness is treated with the utmost cour-
tesy and kindness. DR.. Horne is treated
with the utmost consideration. He has
no need of a lawyer because every aues-
ton which he has proposed to witnesses
has been asked. The examination is con-
Quoted by Judge Davis. He treats every
witness with the utmost courtesy and
makes 1t easy for confused man 10 an
swer the questions put to him. All speak
of the admirable manner of the Judge
that or a magistrate who is seeking to
arrive at the truth by painstaking ques-
tioning. No witness has been spoken to
harshly, but each is urged to tell all he
knows, and is assured that he will be pro-
tected. Until the name of a prisoner who
is wanted TO testify is called, no one about
the prison knows Of 1t. When the name
is called Secretary Butler goes with a
guard and takes the man from his cell or
work and conducts him to the tribunal
Thus there is no opportunity for guard
to speak TO prisoner before he is exam
ined. One of the prisoners, a negro. who
testified that he saw a man killed by
guards, is a murderer and could not have
seen the place where the alleged murder
was committed In regard to tying up
in the solitary, the arms of the men
are not stretched upward, but are thrust
through the grating at the height of the
shoulders, or little above.
There is but one opinion on the part
of those who have heard the testimony
and that is that the charges are not sus-
tanned thus far. This is the general opin-
ion around the reporters table 1t is said
that more than one reporter has told mem
bers of the tribunal that he is under orders
to report cruelties in his accounts whether
they occurred or not. In other words they
sent there to falsify. as were reporters
to Montauk Point when the convalescent
camp OF Santiago soldiers was there in
September, 1898
1t may be said that such troubles as
that at the Prison North will occur so
long men like DR.. Horne can be an
pointed to such positions partisan con-
siderations Dr. Horne was selected for
prison physician by Warden Shideler in or
der that there might be a Democratic Of
fetal in the institution. He was recon-
mended by well-known Democrats living
in his city and by the officers of medical
societies.
Inquiry has been made of ex-Chaplain
Smith, OF Noblesville. who told such a
story of cruelty after a silence of four
or five years and who says he was dis
charged because he would not sign a report
declaring that there had been no cruel pun
ishment inflicted. The answer to the in
quiry that the eX-chaplain will not ne
Charities is not investigating the condition
oil the prison five years ago but at the
present time with view of correcting any
irregularities which may exist
The status of the cOnvicts as reDorted
by Secretary Butler must be regarded as
satisfactory. Under the present regulations
prisoners are classified into first second
and third grades. When convict enters he
Is put into the second grade If mis- con-
duct is good he Is elevated to the first
class, ana if vicious put down TO the third
The report OF Feb. 10. the last called for
in the first class, loo in the second and ont,
I'm the third.