The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-28
CLAIMS TO HAVE
OTHER CHARGE
DR.. Darlington Reads State
ment at Prison Board
Inquiry
TEACHER COMPANY ~
FILES DENIA
Says it Has Never in Any
Way Sought to Keep h
Prisoners from Their
Rights

WHICH, unless
will reflect upon the naracter andZ
official conduct of some Of the mems
bers Of the board Of directors OF th0s
Virginia penitentiary and one or mora
OF the prison officials, DR.. ChA1leQa
V. Darlington, when called upon t6E1
testify before the board last nigh4sX
again threw down the gauntlet -
the board.
The board Of directors Of the p0nl@s
Tertiary met last night for the puy$4
pose of conducting an investigatton
into the charge made in the couraos
Of the recent hearing OF tho CO.
rington case that certain officials 60
the institution have been impropof1Y
influenced or controlled by the ThacAN
er shoe Company. All Of the mems
bers OF the board were present, am
Hon. Richard Evelyn Byrd conduct-s9
ed the inquiry on behalf OF the boar41sl
DR.. Carrington's attorneys, M25oks5
Miles Martin. and Messrs. John Hs
Minor and E. B. Thomasson. were ~;
hand to look after the interests "a &
the former surgeon, while Mes1rB
Scott & Buchanan. attorneys tor thoX
Thatcher Shoe Company. appeare0
and took an active part in the tu~@
quiry. II
AT the outset the lawyers for th0S
shoe company filed paper vigorous
any way, shape or form exerted o.
sought to exert any influence upon
any official or employe Of the pent-s
Tertiary by means Of which the con-
victs were deprived OF tNeir parolo
privileges.
At the request of Mr.. Scheref.
a member OF the board. the resotu-
ton under the authority of which,
The hearing was being held. WAS reads
x~avn 90
Reads Statement.
Before beginning his testimony tn
Doctor read the following statements a
Before l am examined aS Wit
ness. In which character only aps
pear, with all due respect. desire ~
to be distinctly understood that AIM
not here to prefer charges befcre
this board. I have information. In -
way connected with the recent elec~S
ton OF surgeon, which, unless refutodsA
will reflect upon the character 49,
official conduct Of some members g.
the board as well as upon ono or m0Ha
Of tho prison officials. can. IN 49,
ton, point out sources from Whtc6
other information may be obta1noGS
the correctness Of all Of which Wdly
necessarily be in issue. l am. h0MSSa
ever. ready to answer all Questtou1mS
whether involving the members OF tAa
board, or any prison omcial. A1
whenever I cannot answer OF my OWnS
personal knowledge. l arm ready taN
the best of my ability to point 0M1al
sources from which such informA&&00M
may be obtained" sss
Mr.. Byrd then proceeded TO QuG9f19s Sas
DIR. Darlington, as to the allegxtt01
made by him DIR. Darlington nan41Fx
a vigorous and emphatic witness. 8m2
denounced r. r. Penn. who n cG1f3
of the keepers at the instituttOus 9lk3
having been guilty OF brutal tro4&
ment Of prisoners. When Quest1C0o
as to his ground for the stAternQo
that the Thatcher Shoe Company 49,
exerted q malign influence In the 1MN
fairs OF the institution he asked e
the punishment book" and shOM
thereby that for the year ending 0o
TENDER 80. 1909. there had been &C.,
twelve hundred whippings admtnts
ed, while. under the Wood re8imes u s48
the year just closed there had -
but ia. DR.. Darlington expreae
the opinion very freely that SUCCESS
intendent Wood was the right man TN
the right place. He alleged that 1Gm3H
Penn had not given Mr.. Wood h
name regime loyal support H0 u
Of having reported certain Of
PENIS brutalities to Mr.. Wood ~
stated that MIR. Wood had replt44
him Il haven't the sympathy 1t
board. and don't know how to act,
A Will enter an order that no -
whippings shall be administerAd N
less order it."
Time after time, and in q NJ
ways as he could frame the CT
tions. Mr.. Byrd attempted to gek
witness to name some specific S
in which the influence Of the O&N
Shoe Company had kept q pri6oS
from getting such parole aa wAa 0ol
ing to him.
The doctor did not. in the eu11
examination. testify to any Ep41
case. basing his assertion OF ma1
influence on the fact that in@1 ~
OF the l.226 whipptngs adminisA(
about fifty per cent. were occas3Q
by complaints arising Of poor
or short tasks In the shoe shOp~
Punishment Of 'Sthc Cr0aG
One of the most interesting pn
of the examination was brought
when the witness described
cross" one & the punishm1nt1
ministered refractory priAOnNg1ss
told Of men who had bean k4n&
the cross" eleven hours. and hks
case several days. Under
Woods regime the limit = TIVE
The witness described the IN
ment as Outrageous. brutal -
that should not BE- permitt06.
In reply TO Mr.. BYRD wttneo
free to admit that present
lions at the tnstitntion W~s4S
than ever before and A0ul9
be improved upon. ~Donsk tG
OF This fact. however. 4o4G 1GS
rington. that the same ~
OfAcer1 and tho same 09Nf NE
Company are here that W1r4
years ago whom they beat anG
treated the cohvi4ts 5
Witness pointed out 11Ae
IA .S.a -