The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-27

institution before the Reformatory came
Into existence in 1897. The board or d.
rectors of the Prison South were James X.
Henry, w. S..Carpenter and John -Nugent;
Those contracts provided tEat men snould
work ten hours a day and that the State
was 10 receive 50 cents a day for their serv-
ices from the Indiana Manufacturing COM
pany and ~ cents per day from the otner
contractors on a ten-hour basis, ana the
contractors were TO have the labor OF every
man assigned to them for the hrst thirty
days free OF charge. These contracts Wheh
entered into were referred TO Attorney Cen
eral Ketcham and approved by him as be-
ing in every way IN accordance with the
law. Not single member or the present
board OF managers was a member OF the
board OF directors at the time these con-
tracts were entered into, and the members
of the present board are not responsible tor
any Of the provisions of these contracts
The law establishing and governing the Re-
formatOry, passed in 1887, specincally re-
quires that the board of managers or the
RefOrmatory must carry out the contracts
entered into by the board of directors or
the Prison South In 1891 when the insutu-
tion was created. the board OF managers at
that time consisted OF ex-senator Ihomas
T. ellison. OF Fort Wayne. James X. Hen
~, Of Gosport, ex-senator H. G duncan,
of Bloomington, and ID. j. Terhune, OF Lin
ton who decided that IL was for the best
interest Of the inmates OF the institution
that tie hours Of labor should be reduced
from ten hours to eight hours per day. rms
met with severe opposition from the con-
tractors, as they claimed their investment
was just as great working eight hours
as in working ten, and that the free labor
employed by them at the institution, such
as instructors, Office force, etc, could not
be reduced in wages correspondingly, and
that the expenses would be much greater
pro rata under the eight-hour than under
the ten-hour system, and that their pro-
duction would necessarily be less The
board OF managers. however, forced them
to make the concession, and at that time II
was agreed that the working day should be
reduced 20 per cent. and the price 70 per
cent. OF the whole number or men en-
ployed on contracts only one hundred were
on tasks, and it was agreed that in con-
sideration OF the acceptance of the eight
hour system instead OF ten hours the tasks
Of the one hundred men should be reduced
Is per cent. All these facts were open TO
full investigation by Senator Goodwine and
his committee, but for reasons best known
TO themselves they declined to get at the
truth while at the institution and were con-
tent to make general charges and insinua-
ions against the present members of the
board which ARE absolutely untrue and
without any foundation whatever.
ALPHABETICALLY DENIED.
4. In answer TO the charge of undue pun
ishment. we emphatieally deny that any
unusual or improper punishment has ever
been inflicted in the Reformatory with the
knowledge or consent of the board. and so
far as our vigilance has been able to de-
tect the same we know that the insinua-
ton and charge made on that subject will
not DE sustained by fair, candid and i'm
partial investigation of the fact. The one
/, case given by Senator Goodwine is like the
rest of his statements and those who are
attempting to force the passage of this bill,
mere statement of only half the truth,
with the suppression of such facts which.
when all are presented. leaves the charge
without any Foundation. The convict TO
whom Senator GoOdwine says he talked
: had been confined in the solitary for fla
ant rrfnle Of rnnIe. 81 ffrrr
ton on some five or six times before and
was 'classed as an incorrigibe. The state
ment that convict had been hung up by
MS hands Is absolutely false, for nothing
like that ever occurred In the institution.
Incorrigible convicts are handcuffed to the
doors part OF the time while in solitary con-
fnement. 1t must be remembered that
some of the vilest and most persistent GRIM
tnals are sent to this institution, who
have never obeyed the law or willingly sub
mitted to either the law or other authority.
Some punishment is absolutely necessary
to enforce discipline in the institution. The
solitary cell on limited diet is considered
by most prison people as the most HUI
name No prison can be conducted without
punishment and II Is always a serious sub
ject of consideration. care and watchful-
ness of the management of this institution.
But We insist eniphatically that no inhuman
punishment has ever been inflicted in this
institution since 1t became a reformatory.
and demand the fullest investigation of the
subject. The fact that the legislative COM
mittee found but one man i'm punishment
at the State Prison at Michigan City and
on their visit to the Reformatory found
nine men is another illustration OF a stud
led perversion of facts to throw discredit
on the management of the latter visit
at another lime at Michigan City prison
might find nine men there in punishment
ana another visit to the Reformatory but
one In punishment. That depends entirely
upon the infraction of the rules of the in
>etitution, and "A statement OF such facts
isNmade not in good faith, but for the pur-
pose of prejudicing the minds of the MEM
bers of the Legislature and the public
against the Reformatory. The manage
ment OF the Indiana Reformatory has ney-
er adopted the rule to regulate the number
OF Inmates in punishment with reference
Elittee or the State Board of Charities