The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-11

Keepers Criticised Also.
The keepers came n for their share OF
criticism also one fact stood out in N"
testimony along this line, and that was
that Warden Hayes plays no favoritcs.
In the words OF the prisoners. The hands
II to all of US
The trouble yesterday began when the
warden and ten keepers ordered out the
prisoners In tho cell block north or the
administration building. No sooner had
the lever unlocking twenty-three or the
cells been turned than the forty-tour men
rushed out. armed With their sixteen
pound cell pals. with yell or rage they
sprang for the keepers. The best eN-
PLANTATION Of what the keepers did Is IN
the fact that none Of them was hurt. They
jumped into tho melee with their heavy
nightstlcks and spared not any head.
Three Of the prisoners required medical
attention when the fight ended. Many a
man crept back to his cell nursing Jumps
and bruises that will ache for days
When Commissioner Davis arrived at
noon things had quoted down. or tn"
400 prisoners all but 50 were locked in
their cells. Miss Davis went Immediately
to tho west wing and walking from tier
to tier she told the men she was there to
and on. lust what the trouble was. Al
first they greeted her With Kisses and
ieers. She went right back at them with
the word that she would maintain order
~ she had to call out the militia to do II.
She said " they would listen to her they
would get a square deal. Then she told
them to pick out one man from each tier
a. their representative and she would hear
what he had to say. Then the jeers
changed TO cheers.
Eight prisoners. one OF them negro,
were selected to represent the west wing.
called the worst place In the penitentiary'
They were taken to room opposite the
wardcns office. Miss Davis said she I'M
tended to get at the truth OF the matter
md that no one need be afraid 20 tell 1t.
Prisoners Recite Grievances.
One after another the prisoners told
their grievances They said the warden
had denied to them the privilege OF writing
10 their relatives or friends and put then
| in SOLITARY II they urged him too per
sistently. As for favoritism they said
the warden didn't show any. except pos
slbly in the assignment OF Jobs. They
said the four police inspectors. recently
released, all had easy tasks.
II took an hour and a half to hear this
deputatlon and then the deputation from
the "old prison" was brought In. They
were six. including a college man, an ole
time crook, two negroes and two men. who
are near the end OF their terms. one mar
| told of seeing a keeper beat a man whC
was too weak to carry his cell pail, and
when the man called for doctor. tn
prisoner said, he was knocked down anC
thrown back into his cell The witness
would not tell the keepers name nor Thu
name of the man who had been mis-
treated. The college man said he hadn'
taken part in tho trouble. but no knew
the general feeling in the prison was tina
the warden was altogether too funny
for man OF his sombre duties.
One OF the negroes admitted that he hat
yelled on wednesday. When asked VIII,
he yelled he said that on July he didn'
veil. but had his privileges taken ava,
lust the same. so he thought tho seconC
time that he would have the fun OF yell
ing anyway. His dark companion said
81 amt got no kick on this here warder
at all. And ! don't know much abou
that trouble on Wednesday night, ! re-
some bowls begin to fly, and think tina
about the fourth bowl I was going ava:
from there fast"
Tho Old time crook sad he hadn't ha'
anything 10 tat from Wednesday night un
til yeste rday and that when he spoke e
tho warden about It the warden replied
that "the express hadn't come in and ther,
wasn't any bread"
Miss Davis suggested that this wa
merely the wardens humor The crool
said he didn't think much OF that kind o
humor.
Speaking OF supprcssing the revolt gen
orally Miss Davis said she had had
great deal of experience in prisons ant
she thought that the warden had don
Just right.
ons OF the prisoners heard by Mi'