The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-12
CHARGES CRUELTY
Miss Kate Barnard, Oklahoma
Commissioner of Charities,
Files Report on Conditions at
Kansas Penitentiary.
MODE OF PUNISHMENT
In Force Belongs to the Dark
Ages, She Says.
H. 1R
node OF PUNISHMENT
Recommends Removal of Con-
VictS to the Federal Prison.


longing to the dark ages. such as the
Crib the water hole" the dung
con-" and other obsolete methods of
enforcing discipline are employed in
the Kansas state penitentiary at Lam
sing, and recommendations of imme-
date action upon the converting of the
legislature in memorializing congress
to permit Oklahoma prisoners to be
sent to the federal penitentiary at
Leavenworth, and that the contract
with the Kansas institution for the
care of Oklahoma prisoners be can
celed, are made in the first annual re-
port of Miss Kate Barnard, commits
sioner of charities and corrections,
submitted to Governor c. n. Haskell
today
The report states that she believes
that Warden Haskell is ignorant of
many of these cruelties alleged to be
praeticed by his guards, but criticises
his system of judging the efficiency of
a guard by the small number of pun
ishments reported, claiming that this
many punishments that they never re-
port to Warden Haskell.
Her Authority Questioned.
Miss Barnard expresses the belief
that under a modern prison system
Warden Haskell would make a good
the sanitary conditions, the cold stor-
age system inaugurated by him and
the night school for the education of
prisoners.
Miss Barnard introduces her ex-
posure of alleged conditions in the
Kansas penitentiary by stating that in
August of the present year she visited
the prison, paying the regular admis-
sion fee. warden Haskell question:
ed my right to inspect the prison as
an official of Oklahoma" says the re-
port. but very courteously offered to
show me over the prison.
"One OF the members of the board
of control, which was in session at the
time, said to me, 4 would like to know
who commissioned you to come here
and spy upon this institution I re-
piled, I am commissioned by a mil
lion and half citizens of Oklahoma to
investigate this penitentiary, either
show me through as state officer or
order me out. I shall do my duty I'M
less I am forced from this institu-
tion-'"
Water Cure and Mines.
The report states that Warden Has
kell then told her she could interview
some of the Oklahoma prisoners in his
office, but could not talk to them in
their cells. Miss Barnard states that
Warden Haskell interrupted her inter
views with prisoners and when the third
was admitted said to her: Il refuse to
let you speak to this prisoner alone"
The prisoner than faced the warden.
says the report, and described to me the
water cure.
The report first pays it's respects to
the system of making convicts work in
the mines and fixing a mandatory task
of three cars of coal each day upon
each prisoner, and states that this i'm
poses a burden upon the weaker and
less experienced prisoners that they are
unable to cope with. The report charges
that prisoners who cannot finish their
Il ,5-I,D II hot
old boy was placed in a dungeon for
such inability.
"If a task were measured by the ca 4
pacity and skill of each individual con-
ditions would be much improved. Where
the contract system is used men are
worked to the limit of endurance and |
and failure on the part of the
prisoner results in the most hideous |
system of punishment" says the re |
port.
says Some Go Hungry.
Miss Barnard contends that the Lam |
sing prisoners are not fed enough to |
sustain men assigned to hard labor in /
he mines and that several of them |
of being hungry. She states
hat two pieces of bologna sausage,
hree inches long, plenty of bread, pea
md tomato soup was the dinner served
he miners while she was there.
At Leavenw orth, although the men do
lot work underground, the report states
hat the 300 Oklahoma prisoners there
re fed twice as much. The cost of
eeding prisoners at Lansing IS 1913
ents a day. at the Wisconsin peniten-
larry 11.4 and the federal penitentlary
t Fort Leavenworth 12.7.
Oklahoma pays for maintenance OF
ach prisoner 40 cents a day, Wisconsin
8 and Leavenworth 56.9. Some of the
oklahoma prisoners are worked at so
ents a day, which makes net profit
f AZ cents per prisoner to Kansas
Alleged Mine Conditions
With reference to conditions in the
mines. the report states that many of
he props are rotting; that many pris-
ners are compelled to work in twenty
wo inch veins, lying fiat on their
JACKS or sides where child can
carcely crawl through and where the
risoner is in greatest danger of losing
lis life.
hree men out of rooms where the
late roof had closed in upon them
uring the last year. This condition
makes mining a hell within prison
-ates.'' saws the report "for the man
Tho has no other alternative than to
% down to this dark death cell every
ay or go to the dungeon and starve.
md the mines are so dangerous that
or many it proves a death sentence
Mining as form of prison work ;
as long ago been relegated to oblivion r
" the enlightened nations Of the
arth and it is pitifu1 in the extreme
nd a sad commentary on the state of p.
Kansas that one of her institutions is A.,
till maintaining the same"
The report criticises the system al
eyed to be in vogue in connection with
hop work permitting the contractor
D fix the amount of work each prlS-
ner shall do and puts it in the same
lass with coal task. The report states
hat suction pipes should be provided
4 the twine rooms to carry off the INT
nd dust.
Black Dungeons.