The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-30
No WATER CURE.
Warden Haskell Denies Sensa-
tiOnal Oklahoma Charges.
Rack and FIOgging Are Not Re-
sorted To.
TELLS OFPUNISHMENT
Rock Cracking" he Most Gem
orally Used.
attempt Made to Reduce Penal
ties to Minimum.

The charges of cruelty in manage
ment OF the convicts at the Kansas
penitentiary. which were made bv 3
former prison physician and investi-
gated by the Kansas legislature at the
1907 session, have been renewed by
Miss Kate Bernard, one of the Okla
homa commissioners of charities and
corrections
THESE charges against Warden
f1aSkell were submitted to Governor
Haskell of Oklahoma last August, but
the Oklahoma governor did not seem
disposed to take much stock in them,
for nothing was done about it, Evil
IDENTITY he had Miss Bernard sized up
as Thereafter
1t is reported from Guthrie, Ok.
that the report will soon be made pub
lie, but that it has been modified
somewhat, and will exonerate Ward
en- Haskell from any knowledge of al
legged mistreatment. The general
/ charge is that prisoners were given
the water cure, fastened in the crib,
and subjected to other cruel punish
ments.
The following in the statement of
| the case made by Warden Haskell:
| Some time ago I heard that Miss
! Bernard was making charges against
| the prison system. Miss Bernard Wis
tied the prison last summer while the
addressed her a letter in which 1 re-
| quested that she submit to the board
any criticism or complaint or Sugges-
ton she cared to make regarding mis-
treatment of prisoners or the sanitary
| conditions of the prison. No COM
plant or suggestion was made to the
board or to me. On the contrary,
| Miss Bernard prepared an address
which we printed for her in the prison
printing office and delivered copy to
| each Oklahoma convict 1 retained a
copy of this address and it is in radi-
| cal contrast to the statements she is
now alleged to be making in her re-
port.
No "Water Cure
amy assertion made that prisoners
are fastened in collins and water
| poured on them is silly falSehood,
and emanates from wild and vivid
imagination. No prisoner was ever
racked or confined in an unnatural
position as punishment during my ad-
ministration. The Kansas prison is
one where f1ogging or other corporal
punishment is not inflicted.
After a false and sensational
statement had appeared regarding the
management of the prison, Governor
Hoch, I understand, wrote the COVER
nor of Oklahoma, requesting him to
send a committee from the Oklahoma
state board of health to meet a COM
| mittee from the Kansas board Of
| health to thoroughly investigate the
| Il
on and the treatment of the prisoners
| Governor Haskell, I believe, replied
| that he had seen some newspaper re-
ports but did not deem them worthy
| of such serious consideration, and in
| formed Governor Hoch that he did
not deem it necessary to appoint a
committee
1.-The late Warden Coles of Oklahoma
spent several days investigating the
management and discipline of the Kan
DRnitentiarV he
pleased with it that he requested a copy
of our rules for the government of Of
f1cers and prisoners, and later inform
ed me that they had been adopted with
slight changes to meet local conditions
by the Oklahoma board of prison direc-
tors. Oklahoma still continues to send
prisoners to our prison.
Adopts U. S. Prison Methods.
1.-The management of the Kansas pen
itentiary invites thorough investiga-
conditions. We have certain punish
ments which are absolutely necessary
to enforce discipline, and exactly SINH
lar punishments are used in the Uni
ted States prison and other model re-
formatories.
1.-The inmates of the Kansas prison
are treated with firmness and as kindly
as possible and prisoners We're never
better fed. hold that any official of
a prison who inf1icts punishment on an
inmate just because he has the arbi-
trary power, is not fit to be employed,
and our guards understand this. All
punishments come directly under my
supervision. 1 believe the function of
a prison to be that of a reformatory
and I try to make each prisoner feel
that the warden is his friend and is in
terested in his reformation.
THE Kansas board of health recent
Iy inspected the penitentiary, visiting
the mines, shops, cell houses, kitchens,
dining room and in fact every depart
ment, and expressed themselves as well
satisfied.
How They Are Punished.
"a prisoner who refuses to work is
put in cell into which are dumped
two wheelbarrow loads of stone to be
broken. He gets nothing to eat until
the stone is broken. Sometimes instead
of this, he is required to stand in a
cell with his hands handcuffed to
vertical sliding bar so that no matter
what his height, he can assume nat
ural position, and remains there until
he decides he would prefer to work. He
can at any time so express himself and
obtain his release from the punish
ment.
For minor offenses we have such
punishments as depriving a prisoner of
his tobacco for a stated period, refus-
ing him the privileges of the library,
or depriving him of the right to write