Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-10-15
THE COLD WATER CURE.
In the Oregon state : ait, htiary II
Has Proved Eacs tive.

In the Oregon state = site ntiary II
Has Proved E:icS tive.
The cold water cure Ia, recently
been Adopted nj the Oregon state peni-
Tertiary with apparently satisfactory
results. tol all practical purposes
Iog.ing has been abandoned. No rule
has been established prohibiting fog
ging and if Il case should be presented
in which all other punishment failed
the lash might be rcsorted to. but this
is n contingency not dec:ned probable.
The cold water cure has been found eff
fective in some very obstinate cases.
The cold water remedy consists OF
stripping the prisoner To the skin and
turning upon him stream OF cold wa
ter from an ordinary garden hose. The
infliction OF the punishment Is not as
brutal ms fogging. 1t leaves no scars
or permanent injuries. anu the punish
ment ends the moment the water Is
turned off. \ prisoner who has been
subjected 10 the punishment once
wants no more of II, though he may
be smiling within few moments after
the ordeal is over. Governor Chamber
lain and the prison authorities are
highly pleased over the result of the
experiments. for they have been de-
sirous of abolishing the whip.
Only one prisoner has been logged
during this administration. That man
was trusty and had run away and
upon being captured was given the
penalty always imposed in such cases
mp to that time. Since then two prison
ers have been punished with the cold
water remedy. One of them was
big. bury negro Wien he came to
the prison he was assigned to work In
the shops. but refused TO obey orders.
He asserted that he didn't have to
work and wouldn't work. He was
taken to the bathroom. stripped and
stood In corner. The first squirt Of
water from the hose brought out
Shrek that was evidence of the effec
tiveness of the remedy. After trying
for half Il minute to dodge the stream
Of cold water the man gave up and
began to beg and make promises. The
punishment ended. he went 10 work
AMI has given no further trouble.
The other prisoner subjected TO the
water cure was white man. For sew
eral months he had been giving trouble
and seemed to find enjoyment in dis
Obcying rules even when he gained
nothing by it, Small penalties did no
good. and he was finally warned that
another ofiense would bring severe
consequences. \ few days later he
deliberately violated an important reg
ulation and was sent To the bathroom.
He began to beg before the water
struck him. and before pailful of
water had been used he WAS complete
" subdued. Before he had dressed
again he was laughing over the punish
ment. but his subsequent conduct has
proved that he doesn't intend receiving
n second dose of water cure.
There are men In the Oregon peni-
Tertiary who bear logging scars that
they will carry TO their graves. 1t Is
but fair to say that the sears were not
received during this administration.
Some of the men thus punished are
still unconquered and are perhaps
more vicious and more desperate be-
cause OF the method of lnilicting pain.
Many prisoner has sworn that If he
ever gets an opportunity he will take
the life of the officer who laiI the lash
across his back. Flogging was de-
grading TO both the prisoner and the
man who imposed the punishment.
The prisoner was stripped and bound
and flogged until in many instances
the blood flowed down his back. Not
SO with the water cure. The prisoners
are not bound nor cut and bruised.
The cold water cure leaves the offend
ing prisoner with cleaner body and
| apparently Il more peaceful mind
| Portland Oresonian.