Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-13
'|s0N warden DENIES
UNNECESSARY CRUELTY
jor j. b. Wood Admits Flogging
OF Sixty-Fivc-Ycar-Old
g Prisoner.
s "CRoss" Is MATTRESS
ruiy Men Arc Tied Down for Mis-.
behavior in neutrality-suspicious.
CORPORAL Punishment Is Permitted
~ Laws of Virginia.

ha'ses of unnecessarily cruel treat
NJ OF prisoners in the Virginia State
',eh'iary ere denied by Major j.
WOOD. superintendent Of the instl-
ION; The denial follows allegations
geo with Governor Westmoreland
Wis by l.. e. budding. president of
Prisoners Relief Association,
rsihs specifically that DR.. Asa w.
ainbcrlin. murderer OF his brother.
ise Albert Z. Chamberiin. had been
Incredibly logged and had been
ohy for hours.
n .,1a Wood admits that DR.. Cham
IN was logged following an at
npt TO escape some time ago. At
u time the prisoner had stolen civil
ciothes and had secreted a rope in
cell TO aid in his escape. He was
ected and logged for having stolen
clothes. A second attempt to es-
De was not punished by nogging,
oor Wood says. because he had con-
ncd that punishment did the physi-
n no good.
ROSS" Is MATTRESS
For TYING DOWN ZEN
MS reply TO the charge OF flashing
thamberlin TO a cross. Major Wood
ishinSiy admitted that we do have
ross" But the Cross" he explained.
an institution in the prison. 1t was
use when he came TO the Penitcn-
r! years ago. 1t consists OF just q
,in mattress
jnruiy men are often laid upon this
.itrcss.. with their arms and legs
a. and compelled to stay for an
nr. This punishment. Major Wood
rely humiliates When il is desired
punish for an offense not serious
ough for logging. the miscreant is
ICED on the CROSS" No record Is
the OF these punishnents. rs in the
SO OF logging. and prisoners SO
nished lose none OF their good be-
vior time"
Speaking especially OF DR.. Chamber
Major Wood said that he was a
team man." and that the ,Penitentiary
dn't often to deal with sueh charac,
y. he said the man had made many
rcats against the lives of other pris-
ers and was generally feared.
|'SrICrED OF MURDER
OF HIS BROTHER
Or. Chamberlin was convicted OF
st degree murder in connection with
Killing Of his brother in Gooch-
Id County in November. 1917. He
,s tried in Goochland in January last
lar. Judge Chamberlin's. body was
|lnd, cut into small pieces and buried
der fence posts in his brothers back
pearance. following an argument
ey had had over a debt owed the
1ge BY the doctor.
Major Wood made no defense Of tho
EginE. merely stating that it was
owed by law and that 1t was some
mes necessary to go the limit In
nishing some men. He said. too,
LAT Mr.. budding had come 10 the
|nitentiary asking that he be allowed
go through II. Major Wood had
49, I. H. ~
|onld be granted. Yesterday he was
the opinion that the prison-reformer
Id gone away peeved.
|jDDING SENDS LETTER
TO GOVERNOR DAVIS
SIR. Dudding's letter to the Cover
|r, in which the charges are made,
slows.
Dear Governor Davis.-We shudder
zen We read in ancient history OF
e brutality meted out to convicts
prison. You will. no doubt. be
ocked when we tell you that there
n welded by brutal agents. daily
alt out to the imprisoned men
ere. II all we have heard is true.
ch man receives a cup OF bitter
S., depth of degradation. the ex
I've to be possible. Men are being
1T in irons, being logged with
lther thongs, chained up to a cross
d locked up in dungeons.
I'VE cite you for one instance to
10 case Of old Doctor Asa Chamber
n, a siXty-hve ycar-old man and a
|ipplc besides. Because of some In
ngement of the prison rules he was
aimed to a cross and left suspended
'r hours and he was not released
til he had lost consciousness. and
|en as soon as he had sufficiently re-
|vered he was taken to the whipping
st and dashed and left the SECOND
ne unconscious for the same offense.
rs PRISON REEKISG
WITH BITTER HATRED
The information that has come to
shows that the prison Is reeking
III hatred and desire for VEN
lance against society for tho awful
|eatment accorded convicts. The
liter OF this letter has recently WIS.,
I'd all the prisons OF America and
I,ne of the others have one-tenth
lie gloomy appearance that he saw
the Richmond prison.
|"Priuons that have abolished cor
|,ral punishment have much better
|scipline and the men have a greater
sire when released for honest EN-
|oyment, than those coming from
ch as that which exists In your
ate. 1t is not our intention to con-
mn individuals. but the system that
axes anarchists out OF its convicts.
"Wc shall be glad to hear that you
we nut men with modern ideas in
large OF your prison system, and we
Iieye that you will earn for your
ne future reward by releasing
ese unfortunates from this state of