The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-10-15
Report in Full of State Commissioner of Chari
Ties on Recent Alleged Scandal in Vinitq
Prison - Is a Complete ExOneration of
Sheriff and His Guards--SOunds Timely
Warming to Newspapers for Printing
Such RumOrs Without Docu-
mentGry Evidence.

IAN of tie city of McAlester and chief
surgeon Of the Mercy hospital located
here. al the request of Warden Dick
and Miss Kate Barnard commissioner
OF charities and corrections. have this
day carefully examined the female
conyicts now confined IN the peniteu-
tlary AT McAlester, aud find that none
of them are pregnant according to
the best OF my knowledge aud belief.
(signedl 10 H. TROY "
subscribed and sworn to before me
this The 29tn day Of September A. d.
1909
(slgnedl wv. A. WALKER.
Notary Public
DR. X. ID. Love swore out an affidavit
identical 70 this one
then took the affidavit of every
woman prisoner IN the penitentiary
Each woman swore that she was treat
ed personally with the utmost re-
speot by both the sheriff and the
guards at vinlta, but there We're ru.
mors, suspicious. and iealousles based
partly on hearsay and partly resulting
from a lack Of strict prison discipline,
together with a feeling on the part of
some of the women that fayoritism
existed toward three of the younger
prettier prisoners. TO erystallize this
dissatisfaction or suspicion into de
! finite. criminal facts, Is impossible
Bach quoted sonhthing told b. some
body else. and this somebody" when
asked knows nothing about t. tried
for two days through every possible
avenue OF information TO get some
thing definite in the way of sworn
facts The testimony shows irregnl
arities. but nothing criminal. and in
the face Of the evidence Il seems to
me that Sheriff Ridenhour and the
guards OF the vinita prison are not
guilty as charged and should be free
from public suspicion.
The people in a penitentiary are
always dissatisfied and unhappy You
and / would be If we we're IN their
place had to take these facts into
consideration in my Lansing invesu
cation, and exercise the utmost dis
eretion and care in erediting state
ments.
| have been as conscientious in get
ting the facts for this report as Il
these poor, unfortunate prisoners wer,
my own sisters. and II / could locate
any evidence to prove that the sherlf
or guards of vinita had fallen So loW
and had so far forsaken honor as Z,
take advantage of helpless womer
whom the state of Oklahoma had IN
trusted IN their care. no one IN the
state would more speedily prosecute
than T. On the other hand we cann0
permit homes 10 be broken. character
besmirehed and institutions disquali
fed on statements Of people, who un
der oath, can testify only to rumorl
and hearsays, and Il Is TO be hope(
that In the future our newspapers vii
not print lurid statements which re
feet on the honor and integrity o
men, women aud institutions of
great state without first securing doc
umentary evidence Surely the In
formal statement Of an ex-convict. d
any one else is hardly sufficient. Ev
cry community has good citizens VIII
are bending every effort to live a goos
life and bequeath to posterity and hu
manity noble record and goo,
name, and for the protection of these
and the things they stand for. ever
publication which mouIds public opn
ion should carefully weigh evidene,
before pfintiug matter defoat II
their good name
Cruee Will Announce Soon.