The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-02-18
CONDITIONS
WORSE THAN
TIMES HINTS
Brutality to Prisoners A.
legged by Representative,
FOOD CHARGES UPHELD
COMMITTEE Chairman Asks
That Report Be Withheld,

That Report Be Withheld,
Charges that conditions ex-
lsting in the Oklahoma State
Reformatory at Granite are
even worse than depicted in u
series of articles on the refor-
written for the Times by
Jessie w. Hilton, are contained
in a written report by Jack
Barker, state representative
from Canadian county Barker
was a member of a legislative
committee which investigated
the reformatory recently dur.
ing the visit of Mrs. Hilton.
The repor, charges among other
things
That youths are housed with
hardened criminals, and are being
made into criminals Of the worst
type a. . result.
That food served the eonvicts 10
unpalatable and unwholesome.
That coaviets are treated with
the utmost brutality BY minor Of
feials, and that beating with
clubs and metal kAreks 10 COM
mon.
That the water cure" Is fre-
.qpfPily !ssQgtad To-
That The conviets are unable to
obtain IL ear Of Warden Doons
Williams 10 tell him Of their hou-
bles.
That adequate medical sttcn-
tion 10 denied eonviets.
That no state official ever visits
the eonviets themselves to learn at
first hand under what conditions
they are living.
That the Oklahoma stats re-
formatory 10 not fulfilling In any
sense Of the word the mission for
which II vas bYilt--reformins the
unfortunate youth Of the state.
Although the report was filed las
Friday afternoon during tho higt
wind which forced adjournmen, OF tn,
house on account OF the noise, il wal
not until this morning that the con
tents OF the report became known, du,
to the fact that it was not orderet
printed in the journal. which IS tn,
customary procedure, and due to III,
further fact that Barker did not dis
cuss /, a, the time it was filed,
Webb Asks Postponement.
Filing OF the report. Barker said
has been withheld for some time upo,
the insiS,ence OF Anderson Webb
Haskell county representative. III,
man who gave the institution a clcai
bill d health in his report. Webb i
the man who Jessie w. Hilton say
promised Boone Williams that h,
would bring a favorable report on IN,
institution. and the same man whS
characterized The Times article a
"baScless fabrication" and a damn
able lie
When came back from the insti
tuition Webb asked me TO withhold III,
filing OF the report. which | did" sal,
Barker this morning.
"Bui now ! know why l. was done,
he continued 1T was done Tor IN,
purpose OF allowing Webb and som,
more OF them TO put down a heav,
barrage of praise for the institu,io,
and shut off my report"
Il filed the report with the chic
clerk OF the house in the usual wa,
Friday afternoon when the noise Il
the house was terrific and the mem
bers could not hear very well. Som,
one from the floor suggested that IN,
report be printed in the journal, bu
this has no, been done.
After | had filed il Webb came 4
me again and asked that | Withdraw
IT, | did not give him an answer
but | took copy OF the report to IN,
governor and asked him what
should do The governor told me ,'
use my own Judgment, which | hay,
done"
waldrep's Explanation.
Tom Waldrep. speaker OF the house
said this morning that the report wa
no, ordered printed, and for thar rea
son had not been included in the Jour
nal. lie said that at the time Barke
offered the report there was consider
able confusion in the house, and ,ha
he told BARRIER from the chair iha, N
would be given permission 10 dis
Gus. the report later. The chief clevl
OF the house admitted that copies o
the report have been In his posssysIoi
since Friday. g w
Anderson Wsbb. who %. K.xs ~
Institution and Who asked thsl D4s6'
era reOort r. helh N s,af e1nAlSannl