The Detroit times., 1912-09-07
ASH is BEING APPLIED
|OMly TO DESPERATE MEN,
! DECLARE PRISON OFFICIALS
o Innocent Inmates Are Being
Punished for Recent Riots
In Institution
,oLDIERS TO LEAVE SOON
fifty Militiamen Will Be Re-
leased Today and Others Win
Follow Soon

JACKSON. Mich.. Sept 6--oficiall
& Jackson prison say the lash IL be
az applied to only the ringlsaders In
,e mutiny which occurred several
Lays ago when so convicts dashed out
| q the bull pen and destroyed prop
Lrty with hammers. saws and other
reapons. Fifteen men were down on
ae original list for logging. This
| unishment was begun yesterday
|iorning and presumably was CON
Innsd today. Besides this number so
theirs are being kept on q bread and
Eater diet. The suspension OF pris-
,ners with chains. however, Is not be
lag employed. according to Warden
| ,impson.
Prison officers say no innocent pris-
|,ners are being punished. They de-
4 lare that no one In being made to
uffsf who Is not known beyond q
question OF doubt to have participated
% the riots and deserves to be logged.
the local police state that ex-con-
lets were seen In groups on the
treets late last night. talking in an
lndertone.
There are from 500 to 1000 ex-con-
icts located here, some OF whom
ave been out OF the prison but a
hort time. and are known to have
,,als within.
| II Is known that many OF the ex-
,onvicts are angered at the treatment
accorded inmates OF the institution.
rhe police are watching them closely.
some may be placed under arrest on
Iuspicion before the day IL over.
/ Edward Frensdorf. OF Hudson, mem
per OF the Jackson prison board OF
control, while stopping In Detroit Fri
lay on his way to Oxford, where he
was scheduled to speak Friday after
aocn at a political rally, said that pub
lisbed descriptions OF fiogging Incl
tents at the prison must be taken with
a grain of salt. 1t would be utterly
Impossible. he said, for anyone out
Side to know what disciplinary meas
ilres are being used. AS a matter OF
Fact he himself, though a member OF
he prison boarj does not know that
a single convict has vet been fosged.
NJ Jackson said Mr.. Frensdorf, was
simply the question whether the con-
sicts arc to run the prison, dictate
their pay and their line of occupation
anc say what should be provided on
lhcs table for them to eat or whether
those placed IN authority by the state.
are to have to say.
ut is very clear that the trouble
was brought about by the improve
ments shown In Warden Simpsons
annual report This showed that with
Increased earnings and decreased ex-
penses the institution was almost
Il believe the taxpayers OF Michi-
gan are entitled to as much consider
alton as the convicts. And | know
from my experience In living in IA
small town where everybody knows
everybody else and where I have per
sonally received appeals for help at
tax time, that the revenues for run
ming the state are contributed by hard
working men, mothers and widows,
who have all they can do to get along
The control OF the Jackson prison,
30 far as I am concerned will be from
the standpoint OF these taxpayers.
We know from records carefully
kept every convict's mental and physi-
cal condition, and Just what his abil-
ity and his earning capacity are. And
II We are true to our oaths of office
he must be kept ut hard labor which
Is the term used In sentencing con-
victed prisoners.
I'VE fear no trouble about taking
care Of the prison inside, but 1t Is true
that there are outside the prison In
Jackson, ex-convicts and dangerous
men whose influence and actions are
difficult to foresee.
One of our main concerns Is to
protect about 600 wellbehaved order
ly prisoners from an unruly disorderly
group OF about $50 or less who are de-
generates and who resort to every
device to force the intelligent con-
victs into ,disobedience."