The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1922-10-06
dence that death was not a welcome

dence that death was not welcome
guest.
Prison record shows that on Dec.
Is, 1898, Christ Murtz was discharged.
He was in good health so far as
known, but the burial record shows
that he was buried the next day-Dec.
| 26, and that no tombstone was pro-
vided. Witnesses declare Murtz was
murdered by man named Tom Con-
ley.
Prison records show that two con-
victs were fighting. One was shot
and killed by guard named l.. M.
Crutchfeld.
Prison records show that George
Young would have been discharged
from confinement on Feb. 10, 1899,
but on that date he was shot and
killed by guard named c. W. Nc
Cullom. Witnesses say George Young
was heavily shackled when shot by
the guard. The copper newspapers
gleefully announced that "a brave
guard had saved his life by killing
burly prisoner"
| Prison records show Charles Fisch-
er was discharged from the prison,
but the burial records show that his
ibody was consigned to Mother Earth
March 27, 1900, and plenty of testl-
mony bears witness that the man cried
for medical attention and food, and in
desperation dived head-frst from the
top gallery and his life was crushed
out on the floor below.
Prison records show that Dan Nc
Ginnis of Anaconda was discharged
r
Friends testify he was so badly beaten
up that he was removed to the asy-
YUM and died. The Bulletin has been
) unable to investigate the records at
Warm Springs for his death.
And it really is true that the hap
penings above noted occurred more
than fifteen years ago, but the inves-
; tigator felt that the officials of the
; prison would run ''true to form" if
any faith could be placed in the
"dope sheet" so the records were
: further scanned.
: Prison records show that Charles
Connolly was murdered July 3, 1918,
by George Wilson, No. 2, colored, who
; escaped Wilson was later captured
and given life sentence. Sentence
was committed from life TO fifteen to
thirty years, but he was paroled Feb
l 6, 1921. Witnesses declare the murder
occurred in Mr.. Conley's kitchen
{ where Wilson was employed.
Prison record shows J. ]. Hartwell
! ! was shot and killed April /, 1918, al
: 5:15 p. M, by guard named Mitchell
; Prison inmates and guards declare
I Hartwell had been shackled continu
ousiy for six months and could hardly
walk. Warden Conley is said to have
!, = rushed to the scene, pulled his gun
- turning the dead man over and re
J, marking, II thought it was Blevins.
u Marion Lee was found dead in hi:
: cell. Witnesses say he died in grea
8 agony, constantly calling for a doc
:, tor, and that the prison guard report
: ed him the same morning for making
! unnecessary noise.
u Tom Burns died under similar cir
' cumstances and also was reported TO
e disturbance, according to reports.
! Six guards at one time were beat
- ing Pat Ryan into insensibility, VIII
was sent to Warm. Springs, as Wer
also George Howard, James Harris
!, John Etland and Pat Hays, after ten
! rible beatings, according to report.
- Ed. Parker was compelled to noun
= an insecure swinging scaffold, whic
- fell from it's mornings causing hi
q death, is another incident charged t
- prison management.
The open statement is made that j
Il A. Melton was beaten up by. c.
- Sauls and Jim Conley, a nephew o
e the warden; that Melton was kicke
:, and a blackjack broken on his hea
90 by Conley, after which he was give
;. twenty days in the dungeon. Whe
he came out his eyes were still blacl
Later, after Sauls tried to sgouge Me-
- toms eyes out, another twenty day
= was added for discipline. It is allee
- ed to be a we'll known fact that Ne
=, ,e ton put in ten years in solitary cor
N finement.
y Brutality, of course, is not made
i part of the record, but assertions her
20 recorded are, amply vouched for, an
~ some of the witnesses have disfgure
~ bodies which certainly are not brit
- marks, to bear out their tesl imony.
W The items chronicled above wer
Il secured by one days Investigation
- The writer was informed the lis
80 could be several times duplicated fro1
. the records if he cared to remain i
u Deer Lodge and devote the necessar
. time to the subject.
. The warden claims the records ar
r. open to the public and The Bullet
~ challenges anyone who doubts the at
- thenticity of the statements liste
- above as prison records to investigate
If Joe Dixon's warden is cruel t
prisoners, as claimed by the cope
= papers, The Bulletin unhesitatingl
- says the records show a precedent ha
: been established that he will have t
i Ego some" to beat.