Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-10-30


Anyone in the Khan should bs hung
and Governor Brewster should he
strung up on telegraph pole"
Becoming somewhat fiustered under
the Questioning of Attorney Pattan-
gail' he admitted that he did not know
now many Catholics were chartered in
the dormitory or how many were
walters, although in previous state
ments and in his affidavit he had stat
ed tnat most Of them were Catholics.
He seemed surprised when told the
actual division Of religious prefer
ences' which was II Pedestrians and
six Catholics in the dormitory, ana is
Protestants and eight Catholics in the
waiter personnel.
he seemed honest in his attitude of
urging a stricter discipline and de-
pioIeo the laxity in effect. He said
tnat ABOUT month ago one of the
prison commissioners had asked him
how things were going and at that
time he had said "All right"
AT the conclusion of his tastfmonv
Mr.. Bunker asked permission to adj
dress the governor, council and audi
ence' and said that despite his affida-
VII ana testimony he had no feelings
against Catholics and that he was not
kIansman." This statement was
greeted with scattering applause.
Frank z. Harding
Frank E. Harding, second witness
caiieo' stated that he had worked
IN the commissary for five years, and
oelore that for three years in the
blacksmith shop. He testified that in
1873 he had found three conyicts
drunk IN the broom shop, but that
since that time he had seen no
drunkenness,
Inc text of his testimony conferred
on the fact that he had no fault to
ma with the present regime of the
institution and that the routine was
going along smoothly.
lie advanced the theory that the
three men found in the broom shop
had secured the alcohol from the
sheliac used in making the brooms,
upon cross examination he stated
that Tor two months past things had
Deen going fine at the prison and
that no instances of intoxicatfon had
come to his observation.
AS In the case of the first witness
ne stated that the affidavit to which
ne mad sworn was not worded in the
right way. He also refused to state
VINO had written the affidavit for
him.
In examining the witnesses It ap-
peared that Attorney Pattangall was
seeking to bring out the fact that
the person or persons who wrote the
amdavits had couched them in Diff
ierent terms than the actual facts
SO That 1t would appear that the in
stances cited in the statements were
much worse than actualities and in
some cases almost entirely false.
Rev. p. J. Clifford
Though sweeping charges were
made by Rev. Percy J. Clifford. chap
lain of the prison, the chaplain in
prefacing his testimony stated that
while some Of his statements were
based on actual observation others
were based upon happenings told to
him.
He had been chaplain Of the instf.
tuition for one year and z months, he
stated. and during that time the dis
cipnne had seemed very lax, that
men going to all parts Of the prison
freely and many times beyond the SUI
pervision OF the officers, that he had
heard the officers called vile names
and that he himself had been threat
ened several times by convicts, citing
the case of Convict McRae who had
threatened him with violence follow
ing the holding UP OF several pieces
Of mail.
He spoke Of several cases of assault
by one prisoner upon another and in
these the name of Fallon was fore
most He told of a. convict named
Boyer who had assaulted another in
mate with a knife, and that though
he (Clford) had reported it to the
deputy warden nothing had been
done about it so far as he knew.
Again he told of an assault by Fall
lon ana another prisoner upon Nc
rae. This time the men had been put
In solitary confinement.
The chaplain's testimony attacked
the convict Fallon throughout, the
unfolding story revealing that Fallon.
formerly one of the board of govern
ors elected by the prisoners, had
seemed to have an authority above
the other prisoners. He told of Fall
lon being under the influence of
drugs and named Boyer and McRae
as also at times being under the same
influence. He did not know, he said.
where they got the drugs.
He stated that Fallon had once
told him that when he (Fallon) had
taken care of McRae in the hospital
he had fooled the latter by giving
him half portion of morphine and
had taken the remainder himself. He
also stated that Fa1lon was always
attended by "bodyguard" of his
friends whenever he went through
the prison. the reason, Fallon had
stated, was so that no one could
jump on his back.
In pressing his charges of immor-
atty within the prison the chaplain
said that the most refractory girls in
the reformatory were sent to the
State Prison, and there had been no
place to conflne these girls outside of
the mems solitary. Some had been
locked in their rooms, but had
wrecked them and had torn them to
pieces. These girls had then been
placed in solitary.
The chaplain then went on to state
that a prisoner in solitary was only
bread twice a day, but in
the case Of the girls it was found by
Mrs. Clifford, the matron, that they
had been given meat and other food
contrary to rules.
He stated also that the girls had
behaved like demons to get into soli-
tary and after such confinement
came back boasting that they had
hnnv1 foA Nd %hnk 49,