The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-09
ny JOHN BLr1.urn WATKINS.

D.. u 4 4 .
From now on you will read much
concerning the third degree" ordeal,
in which police and prosecuting'oflIcIal
are alleged to infict mental and physical
fortunes for the enforcing OF COMES
sions from suspected criminals. TO pry
into this practice n select committee
OF the United States Senate will sub
Doena witnesses and mold some very
Interesting hearings during these re-
manning days Of the Congressional re-
cess. Senator Brand gee. OF Connects
cut. is chairman 4 this court OF In
sqtiiry, and the other members are Sena-
tors brown. Nebraska: Borab, Idaho;
Overman. North Carolina. and gtone,
Missouri. This body will be, divided
into two subcommittees, one. composed
OF Chairman Brandegee, Senaeor Boran
and Senator Overman, Citing In the
East, and the other composed of Sen
ators Borah. Brown and Stone, holding
its hearings In the West. Senator
Borah, father OF the legislation cre-
ating, the inquiry. will divide his time
3 between the two subcommittee. and
will act as, the chief exaninero of wit
nesses. His special interest in the sub
1ect was aroused during the bitter
mining difficulties in Idaho few years
ago, when he witnessed the application
OF tho third degree in fits various
phases. Upon the testimony, pro ana
con, heard by the Brnndegee committee
that body Will recommend to Congress
changes in our criminal procedure.
II arrest you in the Kings namea
Any statement which you make may
be used against your
Such was the warning which 1nspec-
tor Dow gave DR.. Crippen and his COM
panfon before they had an opportunity
to brenthe word in reply. They were
instructed as to their rights at tn.
very beginning OF the case OF the State
against them. Such Is the British
method OF treating suspects. IT Is de-
manded by British law, and the minion
who neglected IL would be ignomini-
ous1y shorn OF hds authority. our Law
having been based generally upon that
of the mother country, 1t was the Gus
tom for our constables and police
men. down to and including Civil War
times, to similarly warn an arrested
man that anything which he might say
to his own detrimcnt could ybe used
against him
Introduction of the Sweat Box.
But during reconstruction days, with
their unusual conditions OF crime, tor
ture seems 20 have first been generally
introduced by our police to aid them
In their inqufsittons held prior to court
trials. The most popular of the in
struments used to innict this torture
was the sweat box" which in the
following words was described the
other day before the American Acad-
envy OF Political and Social Science by.
Major Richard Sylvester. Washing
toms progressive superintendent of
police, who for the past ten years has
been president of the International
Association of Chiefs, OF Police:
TT was a cell. adjoining which. in
close proximity. was high iron stove
of drum formation. The subject In
disposed to disclose information which
might be securely locked within his
bosom would be confined within this
cell and without ceremony or formally
a scorching fire would be encouraged
in the monster stove adjoining into
which vegetable matter. shoes and
kindred trophies would besthrown. all
to make terrible heat, offensive as 1t
was hot. 1t became at last so tor
,urous and terrible as to cause the
slckened and perspiring object OF pun
tshment to reveal the fnnermost
secrets he possessed as the compensa-