Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-11-08
Fearful Tale Of Days Spent
10 Hot, III SmeNiOg, Dark
"H0|e"
Nothing Less Than Slow
Murder IL United States
Prisons
Tales Of Julian
Hawthorne Brings Prison
Probe

[Alldlld, Ma. 81 = hANoS. y t,~-t I'll uAlu
Hawthorne, son of Nathaniel Haw
thorne, and his companion, DR.. w. |
Morton, coming out of the Atlanta pen
itentiary on parole, said that the prise
was a living hell and a place of slo'
murder, and told why they thought sc
they precipitated a debate that is likel.
not to end until all officials and EN-
ployes of the prison, as we'll as man.
prisoners of high and low degree, are sub
jected to questioning.
An investigation Is to be held. Wardel
w. Fl. Meyer, the object of Hawthorne:
most earnest denunciation, has requested
1t. r5.
The charges ONE as a complete sur
prise generally, and particularly in AT
lanta, where the Federal prison has a.:
y been regarded as a model. IN
Atlanta penitentiary, while smaller than
the prison at Fort Leavcnworth, KAN!
was believed to be more efficient, and
when a new warden was m to take
over the L~eavenworth penitentiary sew,
to come to Atlanta to study the details
of Warden Meyers establishment with
a view to installing some of the features
obtaining there at LeavenWOrth.
The Atlanta penitentiary Is the place
to which are sent all persons convicted
states. Fort Leavenworth is the desti-
nation of prisoners from he middle west
ern states; The western prison is at
Recently. within the last two years, in
fact, a number of features have been
added at Atlanta which have attracted
widespread attention among the advo.
Gates Of prison reform. A base ball
ers, with games every Saturday after
noon. which is always a holiday. a
prison paper. was established and pub
lished monthly under the name Of "Good
Words" Already there was a prison Or.
chestra. and the custom, was inaugurated
Also, the ban Of silence was removed
during the hours allotted to. the prison.
ers for play.
O., al these things the public heard,
lanta penitentiary was an ideal place Of
Hawthorne and Morton with unexpected
suddenness. The prominence of the two
men gave something Of verlsimilitude to
attached to the revelations of an or
binary convict. They had admitted tnat
they had never been il-treated, and add
ed that they were speaking out of no
Hawthorne and Morton talked particu-
larry of insufficient and poorly prepared
food, charging that men actually were
deprived Of necessary sustenance in or
der that a good financial statement might
be made. Hawthorne talked dramatically
Of he ~"tlole'' in which recalcitran prIs-
oners were confined.
As he drew the picture Of this place OF
solitary confinement 1t was q not, dark
dungeon, where men were strapped by
their wrists and left for hours upon the
Of the case of an old, half-witted pris-
oners whom he called Great Britain the
name by which he is generally Known
am6ug the prison inmates. Great Brit,
he said, was constantly subjected
to Incarceration In the hole when. be-
cause of his mental taint, he was not
responsible for his actions.
Hawthorne and Morton left Atlanta
within two hours after their release from
the penitentiary. Hardly had they LETT,
ton were heard. From Representative
Howard came the statement that he be-
lieved most. Of the charges against the
prison and would see that an investiga-
ton was ordered. a former gnard at the
penitentiary declared that conditions We're
just as Hawthorne and Morton had de-
scribed them.
on the other hand there az defense
of Warden Meyer. The warden himself
1 Mrs 1 ynr; requested ! nri sn l MoEkag! said
Hawthorne was an "old Crouch" and not
to be taken seriously. J.. p. Mathlessen. 9
well known Atlanta musician, for several
director Of the prison, orchestra,
said he knew Warden Meyers admins g
Bran, for seventeen years q federal prls.
oner. came to the warden's support
branding the charges as false.
To outward appearances the prison Is Is
thus. Every prisoner has so work for TO az ~
labor. There Is the st%onecut-
ter's shop, the tailor's shop, the laundry,
the storeroom, the farm, the carpenters
shop, the bakery-in all q which there
grounds, is a model camp for tubercu-
iosis prisoners. Nearby Is q plant in
which soa is manufactured from the
waste products Of the shops and kitchen:
Strict eco. econom A line ot railroad tracks
freight cars is always there The plant
at which electricity 10 generated Tor
light and nower y aiweys running. me g
well ordered enterprise.
''They are starving men in the name
of economy said Hawthorne, ana MOI
ton nodded his head In confederation.
that is nothing less than slow murdei''
said DR.. Morton. who is q practtctng pny-
There Is never enough to eat
The warden attempts to feed strong men
on 8 cents a day. and when, ne succecus
brags about 1t. There has ~ a
man gone into that prison but who under
goes a steadyss acknowledgements slow.
always sure" Fs.aX.
"You hear, Of the clean cells in which
the prisoners Sleep" said Hawthorne.
but you never hear Of the hole do you?
breaking a plate, sometimes for a little
more or less, a prisoner Is sent to the
hole q place under the main building for
confinement. There the heat Is
Mt times. and the stencil Is bad.
the prisoners are chained by their
wrists. and Held thus with arms OUT
stretched for hours. And sometimes con-
finement in the hole is for days.
"And the most miserable part Of It all
81 q model. There Is always the clean
grounds to exhibit and the base ball
Games to talk Of. the music Of meals and
the outward semblance OF good care and