New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-17
ABUSES AT BLACKWELL )
AS SEEN BY A CONVICT
Continued from page |

I cells at the ends of the corridors
| Visitors are not allowed to see these
men. :,
"What is needed on the island IS
publicity. There is no reason why
/ the penitentary should be shut up
from the public. Let the light IN on
it, At present visitors are not allowed
| TO go into it,
Miss Davis Reads.
Commissioner Davis when shown
these statements read them over. :,
"Yes. we have the bucket system
she said. 81 have submitted plan
to take the penitentiary completely on
the island because it is unsanltary IL
would be impossible to put IN plump
ing without tearing down the building.
| have said so whenever | could.
at is not true that young boys are
pIaced with the older men. We have
: made arrangements TO segregate them
At present, you must remember we
have 1900 more prisoners than the
budget provided for last year. There
are some 1000 on the island. In all,
there arc about 1900. We have to put
some of them on the other islands.
Zone Of these men says we should
have more publicity. | tell all the
facts about the island in my speeches.
The trouble is that too many people IN
New York want rowing commissions TO
visit the island and stir up trouble.
There are two or three men in New
York who are wild to obtain these
rowing commissions and stir up mess.
One has been very anxious about II.
know the animus that sctuates him.
at seems that about half the people
in New York want these rowing COM
missions. Last year two newspapers
asked for this permission. But | said
not while ! was Commissioner"
Il was just about 10 ask you for an
unlimited pass for myself" said the
Tribune reporter
"Well, you'll not get it," she re-
turned, politely but very firmly. and
continued: "The recent riots were pro-
voked by newspaper Investigations.
Why, the prisoners believed that every
guard was against them. And even
after a year the grand jury, with all
the machinery of the District Attor-
ney's Office at its command, did not
send down a single indictment--not
even evidence that would warrant a
removal Of any officer on the island.
dShtu iOI any tHlueHCt III bHdb uilcC
ton. 1t was not forthcoming. And
you know evidence warranting an in
dictment and warranting removal are
two very different things.
"Yes, after that all the prisoners be-
lieved the guards and keepers had been
indicted. Prisoners said TO me, They
are not any better than we are. They
have been indicted. It's all been in the
newspapers
Miss Davis went on 10 say, that, as
every one knew, there were always
rumors in prisons, and that prisoners
would complain She told a story OF
how one man insisted on seeing her,
and reported that a rat had been found
in another mans soup. She investigat-
ed, she said, and could never find out
that there was any truth in the state
ment. The warden told her, she added,
that he had heard the same thing
twenty-five years before.
"Preposterous Stories"
"why. the men told me such pre-
posterous stories" she continued.
well, il may be true that once thirty
men were examined in forty-tive min
utes. We are soon to have an addi-
tional doctor on the island. The ale
CATION about the baker Is untrue. It's
preposterous. II is possible for a di-
seased man TO get past the doctor. We
don't have blood tests over continued
periods. But IL he had open wounds. II
would be impossible for him TO bake
bread. We wouldn't allow IL. And, so
far a. some msa's refusing bread, we'll,