The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-13
HAwTHORNE'S SUCCESS.

Julian Hawthorne g series of articles
appearing in The Tribune each Sunday
on conditions in the Atlanta peniten.
tiarv, which he has called ffhell on
earth,' has raised the wind IN the
East, and especially at Washington: A
Federal inquiry of some kind is now
assured. Representative Howard of the
Atlanta district has fled charges with
the Civil Service Commission and with
the Department of Justice.
The charges are signed by ex-guards,
couvicts and cx.couvicts, and many
persons engaged in charitable and
benevolent work. who are said to be ia
milisr with the facts. In brief, these
charges allege, first, that the food
served iu the Atlanta prison is in
iurious to health; second. that the
prison officials at times inhict cruel and
unusual punishment on prisoners;
third. that gross favoritism is exer
cised; fourth, that the medical depart
mept in the prison is inadequate; fifth,
that conditions generally In the At
lanta prison have reached such pass
rs TO call for corrective measures with
ont further delay.
Mr.. Howard has asked Attorney
General McReynolds 20 make an in
quiry into the conduct of the Atlanta
prison, and intimates that if an in.
vestigation is refused he will ask for
an inquiry by special committee of
the House of Representatives In the
meantime, Warden Meyer says that
he is like the little boy on the fence,
simply attending 10 his own business
and looking on. He adds, however,
that he is perfectly willing that an in
vestigation be made.
An investigation OF a prison is al |
ways battling matter. Necessarily |
the evidence against the management
must come from convicts, ex-couvicts
and former employees. IL is difficult
:or auv one TO determine how much
credenee should be given 10 conyicts.
ex-convicts and discharged workmen
prl in, all ha
be filled with misstatements, exaggera-
lions, and absolute faIseboods is prac-
ticallv certain. On tho other hand. |
much truth is told which it is impos-
sible to distinguish from the falsities.
One of the ex.convicts who is willing
TO testify in the present case is John
{. Roberts, who has just been released |
from the prison, aud who alleges that
prison supplies are sold. that attempts
have been made to kill certain prison
ers with concentrated lye placed in
their coffee. and that convicts, as
mas already been stated by Hawthorne, ,,
arc kept on starvation rations. He de.
claTes that the conyicts almost worship !
Law bUos
Until he entered the prison no one
had dared TO tell the truth about the
awful conditions which prevailed. -
says Roberts. ''apd every man in the |
prison feels grateful TO him. IF Haw-
thorne wanted to he could have had |
everything he desired while in prison, |
but he was so unsclfisb as to tell the |
truth for the sake of his fellow
sufferers. Warden Meyer fairly hates
Hawthorne SO bitter is the warden
against Hawthorne that an order has
been issued barring the lattcr's writ
ings from the prison.
Roberts told Hooper Alexander. u. |
). attorney for the Northern District |
of Georgin, that All attempt had been
made TO railroad him out of At. |
lauta 20 keep him from talking 10 At. |
lanta newspaper men.