The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-26
KEPT
OVER MONTH
IN DUNGEON
CONTINUED from First Page,

cluded that such chambers Of horrors
should not be permitted to exist in a
corrective institution, or any other
State penal institution, for that mat
ter.
The law on this point y that no
inmate shall be placed in solitary con-
hnement for a longer period than six
days. To keep an inmate chained
down in one of the ~reformatory dun
geons for six days, during which time
he is fed only on bread and water,
and that only twice a day; six days in
which the inmate has absolutely no
facilities for washing, and during
which only the crudest sanitary meth
DDS are afforded; six nights sleeping
on a blanket in a basement which
during wet weather annot escape
from being damp; six days and nights
breathing in, air laden with the dis
gusting odor of bone fertilizer, these
things, at least. the majority of the
committee regard as intolerable, and
should be corrected, and it may be de-
veloped that six days Is not the limit
of punishment of this character in
vogue at the reformatory, but h a 1t
is not unusual for the unfortunates to
be kept there for ten days or even
longer.
This, it is expected. will be one OF
the points hat the committee will en-
deavor to bring out today.
1t is expected that the committee
will conclude its probing Of the re-
formatory by the middle of the week,
that the affairs of either the State
hospital at Morris Plains, or the State
Home for Boys, at Jamesburg, will be
the next to be placed under the spot
light Of publicity.
The committee was late In getting down
to work today on account OF the late ar
rival Of the members.
When the Investigation was resumed
with Messrs. Jess and Perkins absent. Mr..
Backes called for the conduct" book,
showing the department OF the inmates
and containing the records OF solitary con-
hnements. Superintendent Martin was the
first witness. He was not feeling well,
but said he would go on, anyway. He SAID
he depended upon his subordinates for re-
ports as to solitary confinement In the
dungeon and In cells, except in some cases,
which he himself investigated.
In only one case did he find that a boy
had been confined more than six days.
This boy was kept in the dungeon six
and a half days.
The superintendent said that some OF
the boys were punished by being chained
in their cells by direction of their respec-
tive moral instructors, who reported to
him. He admitted that he didn't see some
of the BOYS during their whole period of
confinement.
He said he did not approve Of claiming
boys by their ankles in the dungeon.
Mr.. Backes read from the conduct
book showing that one patient was kept
on bread and water for twelve successive
days In the dungeon.
The inmate who was confined for twelve
days on bread and water was named
Brown. MI. Martin thought that here
must have been IN interval between the
days Of confinement. but the solitary"
book did not show this to be so.
Then Assistant Superintendent Charles
Abbott was called to explain what Super
intendent Martin could not.
Mr.. Backes asked Mr.. Abbott II the
solitary book showed accurately the
periods of confinement. the best of
my knowledge said Mr.. Abbott.
He said hat the Aforementioned inmate
had been confined twelve days without in
permission. Ibid you hear thatg'' thun-