The Washington herald., 1914-01-11
HOWARD WANTS
congress TO ACT
viii Ask for Special Investi-
cation Of Atlanta
Penitentiary.
PLANS 10 KEEP UP FIGHT
Senator L Foilstte Offers Support
Warden Meyer Explains Discharge
of Seven Guards.

1t became known yesterday that
Representative Howard. of Georgia,
has not given up his intention Of sub
! hitting to Congress a resolution call
ing for a special investigation of the
I administration Of the Atlanta Federal
Penitentiary.
Senator La Toilette informed Repre-
sentative Howard that he would sup
port any resolution authorizing an in
CURRY into conditions in the prison.
More than fifty members of Con-
gress have offered their support TO
such a resolution" said Mr.. Howard
last night. II shall not relax in my
fight for better conditions in the At
lanta prison. The Department of Jus
tice has man on the ground; who 1t
lis, i don't know. II he does not get
all of the evidence and make an hon.
est report of conditions, I will take the
matter further"
One man told Mr.. Howard yesterday
that friend in Atlanta had written
him that quantities of fresh beef. vege-
tables, eggs. good milk. and other
foods daily were being bought for the
prison commissary. Mr.. Towards in
formant said this was the first time
since the last investigation that sum-
Gent good food had been taken into
the prison properly to feed the con-
victs.
Explanation by Meyer.
Representative Howard yesterday re-
ceived a copy Of a letter written by
Warden Meyer to a member Of Congress
in which he stated that the discharge OF
seven convict guards was not due to the
food mutiny last October. but resulted
from an investigation brought about by
Guard Evans.
Warden Meyer explained to the dis
charged guards that he had proof they
had encouraged the mutiny. Mr.. Meyers
letter in part follows:
THE most recent Investigation of my
administration was conducted by a rep
Tesentative of the Department Of Jus
tice. This investigation was based upon
a lot OF charges rejecting upon my
honesty as well as my ability as warden,
and the charges were undoubtedly the
result of a conspiracy or understanding
On the part of s-veral guards and one
employe, Of which Mr.. William N. Nc
CIure was one
''One Of the charges was that I am
discriminating against officers and EN-
ployes from the South. This was SO
overwhelmingly disproved by the records
OF the Department of Justice, as well as
my own records, that hoped this mat
ter had been settled. In his letter to
you, however, Mr.. Mcclure again at
lempts to imply unfairness and preju-
dice on my part by saying that six Of
the seven suspended indefinitely are
Seorgians.
Advice Was Sought.
In order to convince you that location
has absolutely nothing to do with their
suspension, advise you that before their
suspension was determined upon, / called
into council five of the highest and best
officers of the penitentiary, three of whom
are native Georgians and one other has
been residing in Georgia for more than
ten years, and 1t was the unanimous
vote that the safety of the institution
required that all the guards be separated
from the service.
Il, Immediately after that investigation
was concluded, requested the separation
from the service of those who were found
to be inimical to the prison and disloyal
to the warden. but no action was taken
at that time. These guards and the time
keeper evidently made the mistake of
believing that the matter would go no
further and became perniciously active
in attempting to destroy the discipline of
the institution.
In order to preserve the rights of
these guards and the timekeeper. which
probably would have been forfeited had
they been dismissed, l indefinitely sus-
pended them. II upon investigation that
may be ordered II should appear their
suspension was not fully justified. shall |
be perfectly willing to have them rein |
Stated