Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-04-01
ARMSTRONG'S
PRISON METHODS
CoLoRED COOK TELLS STORY
ABOUT DISPOSAL OF
FOOD.
CRUEL PUNISHMENT USED
Stories Before the Grand Jury Run
From Food to Punishment Of the
Rule Breaking Convicts.

The grand jury investigating the
Armstrong wardenship of the Michi-
gan state prison Friday morning di-
vided it's time among the doings in
the wardens residence, the halt TO
which the saate board OF corrections
and charities brought him in his pun
ishment of prisoners and the workings
OF the state pardon board.
EX-Convict Peter Lamarind, Convict
Benjamin and Convict Smith, all Of
whom worked in the prison residence,
testified that boxes were packed with
chickens. eggs, extract Of beef, canned
goods, bottled delicacies and other
fancy groceries bought from Carlton
& Windt and shipped 10 Armstrong;
daughter after she took up her resi-
denee in South Bend
Smith is the colored cook of the
prison household. He said:
"The old man came out to me af-
ter this affair had blown up and said:
We'll, Smith, they've got me falling
I'm going TO fall hard. But I'm a -
il I'll drag anybody down with me-
"The Saturday night the old man
was arrested he and his wife walked
the floor all night. Mrs. Armstrong
drank nine cups of clear black coffee
so fast that | began to think I'd need
a bicycle to get 'em to her quick
enough. One day a little while after
that she came out into the kitchen
and danced a regular barn dance. best
hoedown I've ever seen since ] came
from the south. She had heard some
good or other"
THE missus is the one with the
brains in that family. She knows
more in a minute than Armstrong
will all his life"
DR.. Dayton Parker, member OF the
state board OF corrections and char
tiles, was asked about the investiga-
ton made by the board into methods
of punishment imposed at the prison
and the subsequent order abolishing
the cruelest form Of il.
When we were considering the
plans which Armstrong had framed up
and asked an appropriation of 100000
for the new cell block and other inn
provements," said DR.. Parker. Eve
struck on the head which finally de-
veloped our order for the abolition of
the so-called stringlng up punish
ment."
Let's see your punishment cells,
we said to the warden.
"'They are filled today he replied
$50 much the better. that's just
when we want TO see them
"'Then you will have to sec the
deputy warden hu said.
1--WE did, and found that Armstrong
had ordered men handcuned with their
hands manacled behind them and then
strung up with chains to the sides OF
doors Of their cells. The little doctor
DR.. Pray, told us that he had to stand
over the men and watch to see that
they were not punished past the limit
of human endurance.
1--WE called Armstrong in, and he
| defended the procedure. He said he
considered it conducive to discipline
| We pointed out that solitary confine
ment or a good spanking would dc
| more that this sort of thing was
cruel, and further that it defeated the
very end he aimed Att made each
! convict in punishment think he was a
| martyr, and encouraged him to hold
out as long as possible. Then we or
| dered the warden to discontinue il"
did you hear that he got the idea
| for ii from the Detroit house OF cor
rection?" DR.. Parker was asked.
"Well, he claimed that, but hard
ly think the claim correct. We never
Investigated the house of correction
on that point. We trust Supt. Melon
nell. ! think he just shoves mar
into a dark cell and leaves him there
to think it over"