Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-12-10
MORE REPORTS OF SOUTHERN
HORRORS

a revolving story of cruelties suf-
fered by convicts i'm prisons i'm the
southwest is told by Matt Wagner,
who was arrested in Texas for stealing
ride on a railway train.
John Kulik. aged %. "A Milwaukee
boy who was with Wagner, died in
custody as a result. Wagner says. of
beatings administered by his captors.
Half an hour before ne dropped dead
at his enforced labor, Kulik was
severely horsewhipped. according to
Wagner, and when the youth was
buried I'm the prison yard ne was
thrown like a dog i'm shallow pit
There was no coffin, not even "a rude
box. The clods of earth We're shov-
eled in upon the roughly handled
body
Unable To get work I'm Milwaukee,
Wagner and Kulik. both moulders,
started for the west on April 22, in
tending To go to California. They
had little money and they made their
way across the country as best they
could.
They were taken from a freight
train in Texas by deputy sherirfs. ar
raigned before judge and sentenced
to three months at hard labor in the
county prison. They were unable to
pay fines of $50 imposed.
Wagner says they were beaten al
most daily without proVocation and
that they were forced to live with
negro prisoners. Their working hours,
he says, were from sunrise To sunset,
or as long as there was light enough
for them To see, usually from ) o'clock
a. m. until o'clock y. m. When
the prisoners were not working in the
cotton fields they were employed at
chopping wood or I'm the blacksmith
shop. II their work was not exactly
as IL srould bc, Wagner says, the
prisoners were whipped-beaten
like slaves of ante-bellum days-until
great wclts were raised on their bodies
and blood streamed from their backs.
Kulik, the youth who died in prison,
was taken sick soon after being ar
rested, unable To exist on the rude diet
of corn and potatoes. He was COM
PEELED To keep at his work. however.
his companion says. and task-mas-
trrs. armed with whips. stood over
constantly.
|
ability TO work on account of sickness.
the jailers and guards paid no atten-
tion to him. They accused him OF
tagging behind and trying to escape
the toll laid out for him. Faint and
sick. Kuilk worked In the blacksmith
shop on the day he died. He tried 20
give up from time to time, but he was
whipped on, says Wagner. and finally
he dropped where ne stood-dead
within half an hour OF his last beat
ing.
Prisoners were forbidden to com.
munlcate with anyone outside the
prison. but Wagner managed To pen.
ell few words on a scrap of waste
peper and he slipped II To farmer
who was passing the prison to mail
The youths mother received the rud,
communication and she at once tried
to get into communication with heI
son, but in vain. The police were ap'
peaIcd To and chief OF police John r
Jansen finally received response q
his wire from the jaiier of the prison
who explained that the boys had beer
arrested for stealing rid" on tn,
train
tn. Judge wired the chief of polio,
the amount OF the fine not yet worked
off by Wagner. and the mother, 9
poor woman. managed to scrape to-
gether enough money To pay the bal
ance OF the fine OF 1880 and hei
sons railway fare back To Milwaukee
Wagner says that another Milwau'
kee boy.a coiored lad named Williams
Is in the prison from which he has jus
returned. and that he will die IL h'
stays there much longer. Since hi
return Co Milwaukee a few days ago
Wagner has been trying to locate
williams parents, who are said to liV'
in this city. Milwaukee free Press