Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-11-14
M|NTO DEPOSED BY
BOARD Of CONTROL
ACCOUNT H0S|NG
Governor Makes Statement
Saying Warden Violated
Instructions
HOZING WAS" "CRUEL AND
UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT"
Governor Made Personal In
vestigation and So Pro-
nounces Il

Warden John Mimic, who was ap-
pointed to succeed Harry Minto, killed
last year while after escaped conviets,
was relieved Of his position at the head
of the Oregon state penitentiary this
morning by unanimous vote Of the
board of control, which met in the state
house at $3.50 O'Clock.
A general growing dissatisfaction
with the methods used by Warden Min
to in securing discipline at the peni
tentiary are given as the reason for
his elimination by the board of control.
This dissatisfaction has been growing
for period of several months.
The "hosing" given two eonvicts
Sunday, November 5, is said to be the
"straw that broke the camel's bach "
and forced the hand of the governor.
No appointment has as yet been made.
The matter was not taken up this morn
ing at the session of the board of con-
troll and will probably be left in abey-
ance FOR q few days. In the interim
until a new warden is appointed Deputy
Warden Sherwood will be in charge of
the penitentiary.
The following is the statement Of
Governor Withycombe in the matter:
Governors Statement.
"On Sunday, November s, two con.
victs were hosed at the penitentiary by
the authorities. When we got wind of
this affair, /, and the other members of
the board Of control, questioned Mr..
Minto He made light of the entire mat
ter. He maintained that it was nothing
more than "a wetting down, more than
deserved by the very unruly prisoners
in question.
yesterday to determine matters TO
my own satisfaction, and to get abso-
lutely first-hand information, won't to
the penitentiary and interviewed Dep
uty Warden Sherwood, the four guards
who participated in the hosing, the two
convicts who were hosed, and two 9TH
or convicts who witnessed at least some
of the proceedings
"The sum total result of this investi-
CATION. in most conservatives form, is'
as follows: Each man in turn was hand
cuffcd to sell door, facing it; his
clothing was left on him, the fire hose
with full water pressure was then play
ed on him from a distance Of approxi-
mately 81 feet, and from point APP
proximately 10 feet higher than the po-
sition in which he stood; the stream
struck him on his left side but he was
fastened in such way that he could
receive practically all of it on his back.
One man was thus hosed from probably
one to three minutes. The otheY man
was hosed from five to ~ minutes. The
officers themselves, questioned indi-
vidually, give these estimates OF time.
Higher estimates were given by the pris-
oners. During the hosing Warden Min
to and Deputy Warden Sherwood were
present
"The force of the water at such a
distance, as admitted by the peniten-
tiary engineer (who assisted in holding
the hose) would be sufficient to knock
strong man down unless he had some
thing TO back against. He states furth-
er that the application of such stream
would be very painful, even through
clothing, and certainly upon the neck
and head. Each prisoner testified that
his side and back was made black and
blue by the punishment. One prisoner
exhibited the cuts on his wrists made
bv the handcuffs 7.hen his weight fell
upon them. After the hosing the no
men were left in their cold cells with
the soaking wet clothing on them, for
probably an hour; estimates OF the time
vary from half an hour to two hours.
dNow note the following sentence
from Section 90, Chapter rs of tho l9l,,
Session Laws (The Board of Control