The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-20
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HE SAYS
Discharged Prisoner Tells Of Horrible
Cruelties Practiced BY Guards
In Reformatory.

knew or the conditions existing In the
lonia reformatory. think there would
be change In the management,
says M. Massey. of Alliance. O.. a for
mer Inmate OF the prison, who arrived
In Detroit, Tuesday night. on his way
home.
Il haven't any grudge to satisfy.
and haven't any special fault TO find
with the way they treated me out
there, but | saw and heard some
things during my stay that the public
ought to know about" Massey to!a
The Times.
Il worked In the furniture factory.
which Is under contract with Ypsil.
anti Reed Furniture Manufacture
Ing Co. A young fellow named Clark,
sent up from Ionia, was put 10 work
doing reed work on chairs He was
frail chap and found the work more
than he could stand. He tried TO tell
that To the authorities and this. is
what he got. AT night they put him Ia
solitary confinement and during the
day they kept him handcuffed to a
post In the rotunda.
After five days and four nights In
this punishment. they put him back
at the old job. Then they saw for
themselves that he couldn't do the
work and transferred him TO the paint
shop. The smell made aim sick and
he was taken to the hospital. Right
after that the authorities heard that
the legislative committee was coming
to inspect the prison and they trans
ferred Clark to the asylum so the com
mittee wouldn't see him.
Another boy was set to work wind
Ing reeds on chairs II wasn't long
before the skin was worn of his An
gers and they were sore and bleeding.
Then. because he couldn't keep up
with the others. he was punished.
One day | saw guard knock boy
named Pelter. sent up from Detroit. of
the bench on which he sat working.
Then the guard tried to square him.
self by Offering TO Ak II SO the boy
could draw tobacco which is usually
Withheld from prisoners under age.
-Four forms OF punishment are en-
ployed in lonia One Is TO compel
prisoners TO stand In one spot with
arms folded for several hours. Next
comes solitary confinement. then the
shackles and post. and lastly the lash.
Whipping Is resorted TO when a pris-
oner fails to accomplish q task as
signed to him, when he fights with an
other prisoner, when he attempts 10
escape or when he escapes and Is
brought back. and when other punish
mert fails to bring him 10 time. They
take of all his clothes. tie him. face
down, on a semi-circular affair. then
the deputy warden lays on from three
to 35 lashes. according TO the severity
OF the offense. He uses for this pur-
pose a heavy perforated strap about
Is inches long and three or four inch
es wide. And for every perforation
there is a corresponding blister OH the
victims anatomy.
Il have never been whipped, but
have heard other fellows getting II and
their screams were enough to make
ones blood run cold have been told
that prisoners have been whipped into
insensibility and believe II TO be
fact
The foreman In the prison shops
are hard taskmasters. They work
hand In hand with the guards and
when they think fellow isn't doing
his work as he ought TO the matter Is
reported TO the deputy warden and the
prisoned is punished without being
given a chance to defend himself"
Massey says he has also seen evil
dences OF graft in lonia. When first
received at the institution he worked
in the kitchen and says he saw the
kitchen foreman wrap up supplies on
one occasion and take them away
with him.
Massey was sent up from Adrian
on a statutory charge. He was re-
leased after serving two years. but
violated his parole by going out OF the
state and was sent back for nine
months