The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-12-11
PRISON CRUELTY
TO GIRLS Barred
Women inmates Strung UP
to Cell Doors

AhAaAHA NHANaHs Affta IL
ilandcufiins refractory prisoners In
the state Rcformatory for Women
10 their cell doors so that only the
tips OF their toes touched the floor
il uniform practice" according 20
Thomas Quinn, a guard NJ the In.
stltution, who testified In the in.
quiry into methods OF maintaining
discipline which Is being conducted
hy John $ Kennedy, vice president
~ the State Prison Commission
quinn told 81 one giri whose feet
failed to reach the floor. She found
a footing on cross bar. Quinn
said. hut the attendant kicked the
GIRLS heels out"
Ruth Carter. whose trial on 4
charge Of assaulting matron
brought about the inquiry. testified
20 being strung up TO her cell door
for three days Her wrists were lac
Grated. she said. and her only food
was bread and water Administered
by a matton.
Quinn also told o., dashinE buckets
~ cold water ON the suspended prls-
oners and OF dipping the heads OF
handcuffcd glrls into buckets of wa
ter holding them there 80 long
sometimes he feared the victim was
dead when her head was withdrawn.
In three years he had helped 20 dip
100 girls. he said. and IN the last IL
months so
Handwriting Custom
zone dip vas as good as five. -
said Quinn. IF you KEEP; her head
down long enough"
Ever since he became n guard AT
the reformatory four years ago.
Quinn said. IL has been customary
TO punish an unruly girl by hand.
cutting her wrists behind her. lifting
her on a blanket to her cell door
and fastening the handouts TO a
crossbar. After a reasonable time. =
he said. II the girl s,lil seemed oh
streperous. she was put on a cot
with her hands and feet shaekied to
the sides
The girls generally screamed all
the time we did IT," Quinn said.
He said he never bad heard OF
girls mouth having been filled with
suds while Katharine II. Davis was
superintendent. but II was done
once. at least. he declared. during
the regime OF the prcscn, superin.
tendent Helen A Cobb.
Soapsu.s Crammcd Into Mouth
The giri seemed insane" Quinn
said Three or four OF us went
into her cell and one threw water
on her. II was cold water. but Il
had no effect"
The girl being aa violent as ever.
Quinn continued. he and the other
keepers began dipping her. They
stuck her head In the bucket OF
water several times. he said. keeping
II beneath the surface from 30 sec
ends 10 n minute each time This
failed 20 soothe the giri. 80 they
wrapped n towel around her head
and crammsd her mouth full Of
oap and water.
-Aii the girl said waE My In.
sides are burning" Quinn testified
The name Of this victim. he said.
vas Elizabeth Nichols.
He said the cold water Treatment,
generally was used when giri was
strung up. After the treatment. he
aid. the glrl gaspsd for breath. her
eyes protruded and In some cases
she was unconscious.
Thrown Into Bedloss Cell
Several times when he started to
remove the handouts he thought
the girl was dead. he ssid. They
were always "all In" he continued
but were thrown into cell that
contained no bed. so they would
ave to sleep on the floor.
On August !. Quinn continued. a
.irl whose name be could not re-
member. was manacled 20 the door
4 her cell 50 that her feet failed
% reach the floor.
"She managed to set the heels
Of her shoes In between the bars, :"
Quinn said. but when this was dis
covered by an attendant the attend.
ant kicked the girls heels out She
Just hung there and wrigEied and
squirmed after that"