The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-07

partment in the prison Ia inadequate;
NTH that conditions generally In the
Atlanta prison have reached such pass
ms to call for corrective measures with.
out further delay.
Explaining his purposes to the corre-
,spondent OF THE SuN Representative
Howard prepared n statement as follows !:
"In dealing with "A great penal institu-
ton like the Atlanta penitentiary state
ments as to its conduct should be con-
servatively made and efforts at reforms-
ton of any Irregularities that may exist
should be approached with much caution
without any desire to lead those In
rarcerated IN the Federal prison at At
jlanta to believe that II is my intention to
make martyrs or heroes out OF them
I have submitted TO the Department OF
Justice, at the request OF the Assistant
Attorney General. such allegations as
have been made to me personally ny
guards. cx-guaids and eA-pr'soners. ana
by certain citizens in the city OF Atlanta,
together with interviews containcd in the
Atlanta papers.
"In addition to this I have also sub
mittcd to the Department several state
and his associates In the conduct OF the
prison I did this because of my desire
10 be absolutely impartial In this investi-
cation. I have submitted first TO the De-
partment of Justice these statements be-
cause OF the fact " is nothing out
courtesy to this great Department or the
Government that IT should have all the
information obtainable upon which 10
predicate any investigation that they may
see At TO make.
Cannot Eoreteli Action bS Congress.
''If the statements contained IN the
evidence have submitted to the Depart
nent are given any credence OF course
there will be a thorough sitting and i'm
partial investigation by the Department.
III the Department is satisfied with the
conduct of the prison and fails to make
mn investigation I am not in n position AZ
this time TO say what steps will he taken
by Congress
II assume that for the sake OF disci-
piine in the prison the Department Will
not allow charges OF such serious charac-
Ter to go unnoticed because these charges
have percolatcd through the prison.
Many of the statements are made by men
of respons iblity. and further believe
that the Department will cause an inves-
iigation to b, made because II has been
invited by the warden. and in justice to
him as well as other officials 1t should be
made
TT Is alleged that the food furnished
the prisoners il inadequate. that punish
rnents are administered out of proportion
hat fnS siSvv,
10 practised among employees and
prisoners by those In authority. that the
medical attention is of an inferior char
acter and that in the construction Of the
prison much waste and inefiiciency 10 dis
played.
"To Offset these allegations certain
newspaper articles and statements of citi-
xens of Atlanta are filed tes,ifying that
these charges are not well founded"
Continuing. Mr.. Howard said:
There has been some suggestion that
am moved by political motives in this
matter Any man who would deal with
n question OF this character In a spirit Of
craftsmanship ought to be driven out Of
public office. IT these charges are with
out foundation il will be easy for the
Department OF Justice to disprovs them
Mr.. Towards letter asking the Civil
Service Commission TO make an investi-
cation into the causes for the removal
Of the seven employees dismissed from
The Atlanta prison follows:
81 desire To call your attention to q
matter In which | am firm In the belief
that the civil service rules and regulations
governing such matters have been abro-
gated by the action of the Department Of
Justice.
ION October rs, 1913. there were sus.
pended from the Atlanta Federal prison
Ave guards, to wit: VI. r. Cobb. NJ. n.
Mcclure, Oliver Grimes, q. w. Rosson and
B. r, Evans, Farm Superintendent b. r
Dunn and Tmekeeper J. A. Baugh.
in the letter of suspension these men
we're charged with the offence Of melting
prisoners to mutinous conduct. lmme-
diate!y upon their suspension these
guards and employees requested from the
Department of Justice and from the war
den of the Atlanta penitentiary, William
H. Meyer, charges and specifications and
at the same time vigorously and totally
denied the truth OF the charges.
Never Received the Charges.
Up to this time these men have not
Deen furnished with a copy of the charges.
neither have they been given the privilege
VI a hearing Of any character. and on the
seth day of December through Assistant
Attorney-General Sam J. Graham these
men were finally discharged.
THE general charge OF melting pris-
Oners TO mutiny is Of course a serious one
and IL the charges are true a mere dis
charge from the service would be a very
light punishment hut IL they are not true,
As contended by these Government en-
ployees, and they are dismissed under this
cloud, 1t forever damns them In public life
for these charges to hang over them.
90 81 have been informed by the dis
charged men that at the very time OF the
alleged melting to mutiny. as charged,
one or more of these guards made reports
10 the warden upon prisoners whom they
believed to be responsible for the instga-
Non Of the mutnous conduct.
These men feel that they have been
wrongfully treated. They claim that they
have clean and untarnished records and
they ask at your hands as the only tribu-
nal to whom they can appeal n thorough.
searching and impartial investigation OF
the truth of the charges and that they be
given an opportunity to be heard. which
I understand il contemplated by the law
governing the creation OF the Civil Service
Commission
Specific instances OF alleged cruelty arc
cited in the ch' = submitted to the
Department OF - e by Representative
Howard. one guard alleges that inhu-
man treatment has been administered in
the prison in many cases that have come
under his observations IL ia charged