Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-10-28

AFTER attending to the business IN
mana, Mr.. Shorey, Supt. of the shon
ana We're talking, standing back To-
me prisoners in the shop. All at once
4 !, neard one of the conyicts saw
Amt that the ="
AZ this Mr.. Shorey turned white ana
iooked excited and he worked me
uoWn 10 the further end of the shop
oy ASKING me how wanted the goods
nppeu. AT that l turned around and
saw SIX men standing near the place
R b. naa peen standing with Mr..
then said to Mr.. Shorey, "What ;s
,iie trouble? He replied "The men
Know you signed petition against
laying prisoners for work." / said
Euess i! mad better get out" He re-
plieo, you had best go by the ele-
ea,or which will get you out quick
er. L then told him that INV over
coat was in the shop beyond the
prisoners and as he went to get II for
me- l slipped up little nearer TO
where it lay and while he was gone
+! heard one OF, the prisoners saw. az
-, - - ever comes
IN here again we will get him" All
ms tlme Mr.. Bunker was in the
them. 'Ne ~ eaiiil
Mr.. Shorey then let me out Of the
uooa y uia not go down by the ele-
Nator) and as l passed out Mr.. Shorev
no 70 me want you to report this
80 tt' 70 the warden when you get
TO the guard ROOM" This T did bnt
the warden seemed but little inter-
ested and so far as I can lear, fre,,
those who witnessed the incidant
none OF the men concerned in n were
| ever punished.
nisned) ROSCOE STAPLES.
SUBSCRIBED and sworn to by the
salo roscoe Staples on the day and
year above written. anu
| Before me.
"oisheo) L. r. CAMPBELL.
Notary Public.
STATE OF MAINE
| county of Knox, SIS. DOT ,oos
i, FRANK Z. Allen, of Thomaston
maine on oath depose and saw thar
l nave been employed in the Maine
state Prison for last seven yenrs
as Guard on the wall. Discipline has
oeen very lax during the past few
years and conditions in the institu.
tion have been going from bad To
worse. The guards have but little IN
say regarding discipline.
Walters have access to the master
locks for each cell block thus enab-
ing them to unlock every cell door in
every block in the prison. l was en-
pioyed In the prison one year before
! mad key to these cell blocks. in
TACT l never had the key, in my pos
session. for any length of time.
Inc COOK heats water nearly every
evening between eightand ten o'clock
mat the prisoners occupying the
| Dormitory may make cocoa and cot
fee for lunch.
There is great waste in the kitchen.
good fresh fish in particular being
thrown on the dump before being
cooked. A number Of times a pris-
oner on the way to dump these fish
has given me as many as Ia at one
time rather than throw them away.
l In turn giving them to other
guards.
The Deputy Warden gets his three
meals day from the prison six
| days a week.
There is no uniformity in the dress
OF the convicts, some wearing white
collars and ties, hats, caps, in fact
| much the same as civilians outside
the prison walls.
Alden Boulier has become a drug
addict since coming to the institu-
ton.
| Dan Fallon, a prisoner, got into a
light with another convict a few
months ago with the result that his
knee was injured. He was taken to
Portland by the Warden, for medical
advice and was also taken on a sec
ond trip one Sunday the latter part
of September.
Alexander McRae, prisoner. was
also taken to the Knox Hospital,
Rockland, by the Deputy Warden
and William Maloney, teamster for
an x-Ray examination, this during
the latter part OF last September.
(Signed) FRANK Z. ALLEN.
Subscribed and sworn to by said
| Frank f. Allen on the day and year
above written.
Before me, (Signed)
L. r. CAMPBELL,
Notary Public.
STATE OF MAINE
tNCounty of Knox, SIS, Oct. 5, 1925
/, James A. Gilchrist, of Thomas
ton. Me-. on oath depose and say that
I have been employed in the Maine
State Prison for the past six years.
served as night guard for one and
a half years and as guard on the
wall for the past four and half
years. I can truthfully state that
the discipline is very lax in the in
stitution and is mostly in the hands
of prisoners themselves. Would not
be surprised IL riot broke out in the
prison yard any day. /,
Heard Dan Fallon, a convict. say
one day as the Deputy Warden pass
ed: HE thinks I believe that stuff
(Catholicism) but I am doing it to
keep on the right side Of him.
The prisoners are dressed much
the same as any group Of workmen
In any industrial plant would be, thus
making a getaway much easier
than it would be If there was sys-
tenn used in their dress. I defy any
one to pick them out from any ordi-
nary group of workmen.
Heard letter read from Com.
Hichborn by a prisoner at meeting
held in the dining room, it began
MY Dear Boys" and was relative
to a statement said to have been
made to a convict by Mr.. Russ, the
superintendent of the Woodshop.
that "all those in the prison were
thugs and buns" The letter stated
that the officers would not be al
lowed to make such statements to
the inmates and that the matter
would be investigated.
During the rebuilding of the prls-
on, after the fire, prisoner by the
name of Ward was piling boards up
in the corner of the west wing OF the
c0RNo- pFM0vFn