Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-08
UNTRUE POMEROY YARN.
False Story Regarding Treatment OF
Child Murderer Causes Excitement.

A false story which has circulated
throughout the country declares that
Jcssc II. PomerOy, who has been con-
fined in the Massachusetts state prls-
on n, Charlestown for more than ii
wears, is kept in a dark, poorly-lighted
and ill-yentilated cell, and this yarn
is causing the warden to receive hun
dreds OF letters of protest every week.
These letters are nearly all from wom-
en- and many other communications
are being received at the state house
protesting that such treatment is IN
human.
Jesse Pomcroy was committed to the
prison on Sept. {. 1876. at which time
his sentence had been committed to
life Imprisonment in solitary confinc-
ment. Most likely it is the SOLITARY
confinement" wording which has
caused the untruthful stories to be
circulated. Many people do not I'M
derstlnd what is meant. Warden
Bridges naturally has TO choice but
to enforce the laws governing the in
stitution over which he has presided
for the past eighteen years, and those
who know him realize that he has
done this to the best of his ability,
and has not been swayed by pulls or
prejudices. Pomeroy, as matter Of
record, is treated with more consid-
Grafton than his own conduct would
appear to warrant.
His cell is in the Cherry Hill" Sec
ton of the prison and is one of the
largest i'll the institution and model
Of its kind. 1t is 16 feet long by S13
#. wide and is 49, it. high. There are
two windows, each SO inches long and
six inches wide. These give plenty of
light by day. At night the prisoner
has the use of an electric light within
the Cell. The ventilation is particu-
iarly good anu it is team heated. The
door is Of the steel bar grating type
and when Jesse is fed the dishes are
carried into the room by an attendant,
and not passed through an opening as
the story claimed. There is u COM
Portable bed, Il chair and Il table In
the room and Pomeroy has a plenti-
full supply of reading matter on hand
at all times.
The regulations provide that each
prisoner confined in the Cherry Hill
wing shall be permitted three hours
in the yard each week. This applies
only to the men committed to separate
confinement. which really is what is
meant by SOLITARY" Instead of this
threc-hour allowance, however, Pom
croy gets six or seven hours in the
yard each week.
AS to his not being allowed to at
tend religious services in the chapel,
along with other prisoners-that is
true. 1t could not be otherwise if the
courts instructions to keep him sep
arate were to be carried out. But
Pomeroy does have spiritual advice
whenever he cares for it, and the
chaplain may call upon him at any
time. His mother, also, is allowed to
visit him, and she goes to the prison
once every month, always hopeful that
her son may some day be freed For
lnerIy she was permitted to see Jesse
only once every two months, but
when Warden Bridges took charge >he
succeeded in getting permission for
her to come twice as often.
The warden and the prison pllysi-
clan said that never since they have
been at the institution, Is years, has
Pomeroy been ill enough to be taken
to the prison hospital. There may
nave been few times when the doc
tor has dropped in to see him because
of a slight cold or some trifling all
heent, but never anything of serious
nature. This gives good evidence of
his treatment and good physical con-
dition.
A part Of the punishment prescribed
by the court was "hard labor" but
this Pomeroy has escaped. He abso-
luteiy refuses to work, and the war
den does not believe that it is worth
while to make him work by severe
ana frequent punishment. When War.