Atlanta Georgian., 1913-10-18
PRISONCH|EF
SCORED BY
GUARD
Present Employee Corroborates
Charges by Hawthorne of the
Mistreatment Of Convicts.

As shocking as were the revela-
tions Of alleged conditions in the
Atlanta Federal prison made by Ju.
liam Hawthorne when .he doors
opened to let him free, they were sur
passed in their uRllness by a story
| related to The Georgian Friday Ivy
another man-not a convict recently
! liberated, as was Hawthorne, but Il
guard who has been working at the
prison for years and who hopes 10
work there many more il the author
tiles do not succeed in learning his
identity.
For obvious reasons he would no.
tell his story except under promise
that his name would not be used. He
declared that IL Warden Meyer
learned who It was who not only had
cOrroborated Hawthornes story. but
: had added to It, the official ak would
! get busy at once and he (the guard)
would be without a job. That there
are many other guards and employees
| at the prison who would testify to
| the actual conditions at the prison II
anyone could guarantee that they
would hold their positions sfterward
was the startling statement Of this
guard
While the fioodgates OF criticism
have been opened upon the warden
by the sensational story OF Haw-
thorne and his companion. DIR. w. ].
Morton, Meyer has not been without
his staunch friends and defenders.
] p. Matthlessen, musical director at
the prison two and half years, told
The Georgian Friday that there wss
nothing to the charges. number
of former conviCts also have put in n
good word for the warden and his
aides and have secuted the story that
the prisoners are mistreated OF
starved.
The guard who told his story to
The Georgian supported Hawthorne's
declaration that the prison Is little
less than a living hell for it's inmates.
In broad language he branded War
den Meyers prstense of humane
treatment as a sham and a bluff To
deceive the officials of the Depart.
ment of Justice In Washington.
He wrecks all semblance of dis
Cipline by arbitrarily refusing to lis.
ten to reports against unruly pris On
ers," said the guard. "A deputy war
den may have a man put In solitary
confinement for an infraction Of the
rules and Warden Meyer will have
his1 taken out so that there will have
to be no report sent to Washington.
He wants it to appear that he is rul-
Ing by kindness.
But he shows his hand by turning
around and permitting these very
same prisoners practically to he
starved so that he can make a good
showing from the standpoint Of econ
omy. All that he cares for is a good
showing at Washington.
"Morton's story OF the poor food
not exaggerated in the least.
Neither were the facts of the food
strike misrepresented. There was
real mutiny there, and some of the
prisoners told me that there would
have been blood split If the warden
had been at the prison at the time II
occurred.
Leavenworth Said To Be Better.
"They call this a model prison, bu:
men who have been at Leavenworth
tell me that the prisoners there get
all they want to eat. When bologna
sausage IS served, for example. easn
man is given three or four big pieces. |
Here It is sliced thin. about the size
Of dollar, and that is all man
gets. No man can remain in good
health with such meager fare.
AT Leavenworth man Is given
generous piece Of beef. when that is
on the menu and afterward II is
passed as long as the prisoners are
hungry. Here. he gets only small !
piece and It isn't passed afterward !
It's the same way with boiled pota- |
Continued on Page 6, coIu&.n I.