Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-02-14
CRUELTY IN PRISONS.
Methods of Torture Used in the Cali
forna Pententiares.

Y IL,
assembly committee on prisons has
made report on its investigation OF
cruel punishment in the San Quentin
and Folsom state prisons. They ma
that the strait-iacket and other
methods of torture .ire In use at both
Institutions. tho the results are more
disastrous at Folsom than at San
Quentin.
Two prisoners at San Quentin were
found to be permar entity crippled by
strait jacket, but st Folsom the eX-
act number has not been ascertained as
yet but it is large. a number of pris-
Cners at Folsom have been so coweu
that they would not give testimony for
fear of torture after the committee had
gone AT Folsom the committee listened
to many conyicts and made the follow
ing report:
AT Folsom we found that one con-
Wet. Robert Smith, had bsen perma-
nently crippled in his right arm and
hand, and had sustained other injuries.
In the case of Norris Weiss alias
Weitz. who was tailor and worked
at the same UP to the time he was put
in the strait Jacket, we find he sus-
arms as a result o. the punishment
that in all probability he will never be
able to work at his trade again
'In the case of James Deare, we
learned that he was found dead In his
cell within twenty-four hours after be-
ing released from thf strait jacket.
Members of the committee say they
did not have time TO make thorough
report and they aska1 an extension for
this purpose. Senator Williams. OF the
committee. has received letter from Z
trustworthy source giving information
which, he says, he verified. Parts OF
.his letter, which will be made the ba-
sis for further inquiry, are as follows.
warden Wilkinson was the first to
Introduce the jacket at Folsom. Inc
prisoner is brought in and the jacket
placed upon him. Sometimes a small
Jacket or vest Is placed on first. This
is composed of hair. This causes pro-
fuse perspiration, the strait-jacket be-
ing placed on over IL. The man is now
in standing position, the Jacket being
placed as tightly as POSSIBLE.
THE prisoner is then placed on his
back, the guards knaeling on him 50 as
to bring the edges OF the jacket tighter
across his back. He is then laid in his
cell Should they wish to extract a
confession, a short stick three feet long
Is used, 1t being inserted in the lacing
and worked on the principle Of the
Spanish windlass. The lacings thus
become as taut as ingenuity can make
them.
1.-The first serious case was that OF
Brock Smith, serving twenty years.
This man is big, stcu. and healthy, and
has lost the use of his right hand.
The next case WIS the killing OF
James Deare. the coroners jury bring
ing in verdict of death while UNDER
going punishms IN a strait-jacket.
This man was insane. as any number
of prisoners will testify. when he was
placed in the jacket. Turnkey Timothy
Haggerty said: Welt find out If he is
crazy or not'
.As the cries of The prisoners pun
ished kept the convicts awake Ut night
they are placed in the dungeons where
executions take place. Frank Howard
was in there while Deare was being
punished. Deare, during the night, told
Howard he was dying and that he had
seen his mother. The mans mind was
weakened. When &c was taken ou.
the next ray he was unable to walk
and Tim Haggerty kicked him in the
side, as he was uuIable to wash him
self He died In his cell during the
next night. He cried for water. but
the night guards laughed at him. He
was unable to hslr himself. He was
found dead in the morning.
"The next case is a boy, is or 10
years of age, half witted. woman's
tailor by trade, who is thoroughly
cowed by the treatment he received,
and he may be influenced by the OIL
cials not to speak about his case. Ex-
anime him and you will see both his
hands are crippled. He refused to sew
for the warden's daughters"
The committee found that the warden
had installed an eX-convict as the
practical manager of the prison and
that this man was torturing the pris-
oners against whom he had spite.