The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-23
NOT MALTREATED,
SAYS VAN ALLEN
DeSeret News "Victim" De-.
clareS He Got No More Than
Was Due Him.
GUARDS NOT CRUEL
TO THE PRISONERS
Spent Their Own Money TO Buy
Cakes for Men on the
Chain Gang.
II got jus, what was coming TO nc.

Il got just what was coming 10 nc.
ran away and hid In the EnSberS house.
and naturally I made a fight when the
policeman came to get me. I'm sorry
didn't get away for liberty Is dear TO
me, but 1 have no complaint against the
officer who captured me, Hc MADE a
couple OF swings and so did l, and then
he spanked me-sort Of schoolboy fash
ION, with shincle or something OF the
kind / was not abused at all. Do l
look like a man who had been brutally
asSaultcd?'
John Van Allen, a prisoner serving
ninety days in the city prison on a mis-
demcanor charge, made the foregoing
statement Wednesday evening and would
have gone more into detail except for
the fact that his dinner was gotting cold
while he was being interviewed,
Pretty soft here in the winter" said
Nan Alien. I'D talk 10 you longer only
that roast beef is getting cold. See
you tomorrow.
Van Allen is the prisoner who was fas-
tened 10 a telegraph pole BY Guard
George Harris of the chain gang, some
weeks ago Van Allen attempted to es-
cape and was recaptured, after short
chase. lie made hight and was severe
Is (?) chastised with n shinglc before
he was suhducd
Get All That Was Coming.
do 4ook like a man who had been
assaulteJ"' said Van Allen. Wednesday.
when questioned regarding the alleged
beating administered 10 him by the cha in
gang guards. The emanat tions from the
overheatcd brain OF Deseret News re-
porter caused Il number OF unsuspeciinS
persons TO lima gine that a youthful un
fortunate had been matreated. But Van
Allen comes out with the tcrSe cNplana-
iion: II tried 10 get away and didn't
make good | got all that was coming
10 me-
Miss Ardell Ensberg Cule Deserct
News. with its usual disrcspect aud
iorceo familiarity. alluhes 10 the young
woman as 'Dcll') said Wednesday,
when questioned about the alleged as
sault; The prisoner ran away and
sought refuge i'll our house. When the
policeman came In. the man made a
ilgh,, and the officer picked up light
piece Of board and spanked him with it.
lie wasn't abused in tho .east, and I'm
sure ie dtdu', suffer 10 any extent"
at Walker Bros. bank. told OF giving
coat 10 the prisoner on the chain gang
because she thought the man was cold
Saw No Brutality.
II never saw any brutality" said Mrs
BUzzo. but there was Young chap
WHO worked in his shirt sleeves: and ]
! asked the guard II ] might give him
a coat and the policeman readily acQuI-
eTn stocks so vividly described IN the
Deseret News with the words ''cruel"
and brutal literally iuierspcrscd
throughout the article:
handcuhcd me and fastened me To a
telegraph pole until the patrol wagon
arrived and took me back 10 the city
prison. lie had thirty-cigh; other pris-
6nrrS n watch and ,sNplaincd . he
had 10 tastcn me to the pole because
he didn't have time to watch me. II
WASH t cold. and ! didn't sufier any at
all was chained UP about thirty min
utes. Then ! was taken 10 jail. had
tried TO escape. but didn't get away
with il. | was not unduIy punished and
have no complain int TO make. The Des-
eret News story is the bunk II sounds
like the hallucination OF a hophcad.'
Others, No Complaint
Twelve men on The chain gang were
lntcrvfewed by representative OF The
Tribune and not ono registered any com
plant; They Si feed US pretty Well and
George Wilson, doing thirty days Tor va
srancy. ''Tf any or these brows think
ihis is tough. they ought to take
seles. This is easy
Mrs. Buzzo told of an occasion when
ono OF the guards stopped a bakery
wagon and purchased supply OF cakes
and cookies from the driver paving for
the same out of his own pocket and dis
tributing the cakes among the prison
erS.
Guard Harris said Wednesday evening:
Yes, j have purchased cakes and
cookies for the prisoners upon several
occasions. ] look upon the men on the
chain gang as unfortunates and not as
hardened criminals. and j like 10 help
them out. seldom have trouble with
the boys. and have many friends on tho
outside who have worked under me while
doing time for the city