The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-10-15

Miss Kate Barnard state cOmmlss
sioner Of charities, has submitted to
the governor her report on the inyesti.
cation of Che charges made By the
Oklahoma City Times, concerning The
treatment Of the state prisoners while
they were confined In the jail at this
place The report which was made
public today is "a complete exonera-
rlon of sheriff Ridenhour and his
guards The following is the report
in full.
Guthrie, okla. oct A, 1909
Hon C. n. Haskell. Governors
Dear Sir On September 2Sth,
there appeared in The Times Of ok.
lahoma City, the following statement:
shocking story 81 Prison immoral
ity-Martha McGee, former convict,
brings shameful and narrowing recital
to Oklahoma city law Office Guards
Charged With Grave Onense-B Briefly
stated it is charged that guards whose
names have not been made public.
have made practice for several
months Of supjecting women prisoners
10 gross indignities and that the morals
OF the institution have reached i
shockingly low ebb."
Carrying a copy of the above state
ment | hurried TO the McAlester pen
itentiary to secure evidence upon
which to base prosecution. Arriving
there | first located Martha McGee
the exeonyict quoted. showed her the
paper, told her to read carefully, and
swear out statement affirming OF
denying same cautioned her to
state nothing but the absolute truth
as she would probably be called as a
witness later and must not periure her
self In the presence of three wit
nesses she swore out the following
statement:
state of Oklahoma, Pittsburg County
IS.
Martha MeGee being shown the
PARTICLE appearing IN the Oklahoma City
Times under date of September %
1909, regarding affairs Of the Vinita
prison, says.
4 never gave out an interview oi
statement to any reporter in 0klaho
ma City. or elsewhere. anG, In fact
was not in tie city on the date re
ferred 10. / did, however, say iii the
law office of A.essrs. Bessey & Gray
one day that We were well treated
while in the prison there at Vinita ane
that Sheriff Ridenhour. who was IL
charge Of the prison there took us on
walking in a body. under guard. fol
exercise on several different occasions
4 did not charge that we as prls
oners We're subjected to gross lndig
mites and that the morals Of the in
stitution had reached shoekingly
low ebb, and ] made no remarks thai
would cause any one to believe thaf
there was shameful or narrowing
details connected with the said pris
on. ON the other hand | do say tha
Sheriff Ridenhour was at all tlmei
kind to us girls and that he took nj
out for walks TO relieve us from th'
excessive heat IN the prison durinl
the hot summer months and the wear
ing effects Of close confinement.
! (signed) MRS. MARTHA e. MCGEE
Subscribed and sworn 10 before m,
this the Goth day OF September A y
1909.
(signed) w. a. WALKER.
lsEALl Notary Public
AS the charges IN The Times re
aeeted a criminal condition, which &
true would be Of the gravest possibl,
Significance, requested Or. Love. IN,
lpenltentiary physician, and Df Troy
one Of the leading physicians Of Nc
Alester, 70 ascertain the physical con
dition Of the women prisoners Theii
affidavit follows
state Of Oklahoma. pitttsburg County
IS.
y, e Il. Troy, practiclng nhysic