The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-11-28

do you ever wonder whether we are
living in a. civilized age or not?" ask
ed Attorney Chas: Baldwin Of rep
resentative Of the Labor World last
Sunday morning: 1T; is in" many res,
poets barbaric," replied the pessimistic
representative" of this paper. 'Yes'',
rejoined Mr.. Baldwin, "get any notion
that we have passed the barbaric state
out of your head. Only this morning;
my attention was called to case in
the county Jail that is brutal and saw
age in the extreme. Four young boys
who have been bounded by the police
for some time, and who plead guilty
to stealing some clothing were sitting
in the their cells when Finlander
confined with them was picking YER
min from his clothing and throwing it
at the boys. They asked him to stop,
and as he refused one of the boys Tom
Furry. threw a portion of a glass Of
water at the Finlander. At this mo-
ment Jailer Morgan happened to- be
passing, and after seeing what the
boys had done ordered that they be
placed in the dungeon"
1.-The dungeon is an enclosed cell
walled on three sides with heavy steel,
and on the fourth side steel curtain
Is pulled down leaving out the light
entirely, and the only ventilation is a
very small hole scarcely larger than a
mans thumb. There is steel rim at
the bottom surrounding the cell, ma
king the floor like a pan capable Of
holding from two to three inches Of
water. When the boys were placed in
the dungeon, one of them said, We
may as we'll take our medicine like
men, and they started to sit down
upon the steel floor. oh, no you
don't, said the jailer, you can't sit
down in there He then threw several
pals Of water in the dungeon; just
enough to cover the floor so that the
boys were unable to sit down. After
several hours one Of the boys, being
tired, attempted to sit on a steel rim
at the entrance of the dungeon, when
the jailer threw hot water at him to
compel him to stand. Three Of the boys
remained in the dungeon for twenty
two hours, and Were taken out at the
end of that time in an exhausted con-
dition. They were given four slices of
bread and some water during their
confinement in the DUNGEON
Mr.. Baldwin made like statement
In open court later in the day. Later
Jaller Morgan attempted to reply. He
said that the boys We're very unruly
and were teasing an insane Finlander.
This IN itself shows that something is
radically wrong in the Jail when young
boys are kept near such a person.
TALLER Horgan's reply, f,While s5 differ
ing largely from the statements OF Mi.
Baldwin as TO the cause of.$athe boys,
Econfin ement IN the dungeon, lis practic-i
ally Identical in referring to the treat
ment they received while imprisoned
ther.
It is the opinion of all fair people that
the treatment. was not only barbaric
but inhuman. It makes little differ
ence how bad the boy were there are
more civilized ways Of treating prison.
ers in this twentieth century. Jailer
Horgan's method was declared brutal
in the dark ages. That it should be
>neated in this city is astonishing.
Sheriff Butchart has said nothing
of the affair. It is not even known how
he takes the matter. One thing is
certain, that more care should be used
in selecting men to care for criminals.
Every student of crin1inology agrees
that none but capable men should be
employed in jails and prisons. Par
ticularly is this true in the case of
juvenile prisoners. The keeper of a Jail
who studies criminals and the causes
of their downfall knows how to handle
prisoners ina humane manner, and at
the same time maintain the strictest
discipline. The people of st. Louis
county expect the sheriff to employ
just such man in the local Jail. If
he does not do it now, a public senti-;
ment should be aroused to compel him
to do so.