The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-10-31
DENY TALES
tcontinued from Firs. Pags.)


required that the prison physician be
present, and II was stated that AT
least 80 per cent of the men 70 pun
ished were able 10 20 and did 20 i'm
mediately TO work AFTER the punish
ment was inflicted
The writer was permitted 10 see
and speak 10 TWO OF the prisoners
mentioned In Spinks' story, Sam
Crabtree and Galtano SicilianO. Both
OF these men. by attacks upon fellow
prisoners. had made II necessary that
they be placed apart from the others.
but aside from the fact that they
were forced TO remain in their cells
they were treated IN no wise different
The cells are the ones they regularly
occupy. well lighted and equipped
with every convenience that could
possibly be afforded. At the times
their cells Were approached they were
chatting amicably with men confined
in neighboring cells and those who
passed down the corridor. Crabtree
was holding a paper in his hands
while numerous magazines and papers
lay on table I'm mis- cell Both an
swered the warden pleasantly as he
babe them Good Morning"
Spirit OF Contentment
Necessarily the conditions I'm any
penitentiary are 20 certain extent
hard. for where hundreds of men are
held in restraint against their will
certain privileges must be- denied and
some authority exercised over the in.
mates. Yet. during the entire course
OF the inspection. nothing but the
greatest OF content with conditions
was evidenced OF every side The
men passed 20 and from their work
orderly and without the least confu.
Sion which would necessitatc the in.
reference Of the guards. while at
their work they showed the best Of
spirit with no sulking or discomfort
During the investigation practical.
~ every part OF the penitentiary was
carefully gone over. No evidence
was found OF the grosser forms az
punishment. such as bucking and gag
ginE. the water cure" hanging up hv
the thumbs and the dungeon Nh.
merous prisoners who were question.
ed verified the warlen's statement in
inns respect in every detail and il was
their trm assertion that there was
less punishment under the present ad
mlnistraiion than ever before Con
Nlcts who had served under several
or the recent wardens marvel.d ~
the leniency permitted al present and
stouily denied that conditions were
such as alleged by SDinks
ne inspection was primarily for
thepCrrose of investigating the
cnarges made 10y Spinks. and IL must
be said The conditions as noted -
inc penitentiary yesterday certainly
did not sustain them
Not Unnecessarily Punished.
One of Spinks first charges was
that men were beaten for trivial OF
FENCES. but q close examination OF
th" punishment records failed 10
snow this. In each instance where
puni .nent Is adm uistered a record
IS filed giving 'h" full particulars
Judging from these rccords the en-.
t'e number Of cases OF punishment
per day amounts 20 approximately
three or four The instance in
which padding are rcsorted 10 are
very few. and then only where the
offender has been guilty Of hehtinr
with or woundiug a fellow prisoner
or guard. or gross characterization.
One OF The noticeable features OF
this report is the large number of
cases marked pending" CnGxr this
system. when q man has committed
some trivial offence and reported for
and the warden talh the affair over
with him. AMI 30 10 develops that tho
past conduct OF the offender has been
good and a promise OF better be-.
havIor De- given for the future. no
punishment az all g. administers.
but the man is released 10 his work
on parole. n there are no further
lnfringemcnts the former ofeuse is
entirely overlooked
Records We're -zamines.
tn, record OF Spirk-. DID. ey.rris.
oner pr"lerrius the crarc.s. 10
gefher with those OF Harry Howard
and GaltnnO SIc.li3uo were also OK.
afrlnGd Sp.uks l' develops. while
never breaking any az the rules. and
in some ways e model prisoner i-
claimed hy the prison official. 90
have acquired 10. reputation Of ID
chronic complaIu"r E,rau-. ~ u
health he was given outside work TO
do on the farm. and 10 was claimed
that ho abused This privilege o.. I.a..
IrE fhn rrDund- tf night When no
was reported tv another t~u.tv
named Waters for fHf4 oNer.a r.
was removed % 'ln inside and There.
after worked around On. corridor.
While o. b. regretted that direct OBJ.
position must hr taken fo SIR -p.rk
vet the FIRST statement of Hl. story
BEL coutrldic'ed tv The record. av...
1hI" af 'h" rr. 900 Br 'I. record
b. is shown fIaf sphinx va. sent ul
FOR breaking and entering saloon
81 Charlie. Town. Jefferson pnlrf..
RIfn minimum sentence .f f..
years Under mUn. lm sentence %
prisoner D.. rY' r...U.. for r.rD... and