New Britain herald., 1930-12-30

olIiclS IOE lHtlI tCODtIdllOI. "The subject matter of this report naturally groups itself under three heads:
 Part l deals with allegations Of illegal, abusive and brutal conduct in connection with the treatment Of prisoners;
 Part II deals generally with con- ditions at the prison as they now exist;
 Part III deals with recommends tions for the improvement of con dtions at the State Prison.
 PART l
 Allegations of Illegal, Abusive and
 Brutal Conduct
 "The present investigation was apparently prccipitated by articles emanating from Rev. William Hen ry Smith, a former prison chaplain, and accentuated by newspaper in terviews with former Deputy War den George Patterson. The most sensa tional features of these articles indicated that prisoners, while Tn solitary confinement had been manacIed to the bars of the cell in such manner as to force them to stand on tip-toe for ten hours q day There were other suggestions to the effect that prisoners were manacled in strained and unnat- ural position with their hands high above their heads.
 "(a) The only persons from whom any such allegations emanat- cd were Rev. William H. Smith and Deputy Warden Patterson. They both testified under oath before the Committee. Ii appears from his testimony that the Rev. William H. Smith had no first hand information on the subjccu whatsoever. Appar- ently he had been influenced to make his statement by rumors which he had heard with reference 10 the treatment accorded to inmate Boughton.
 "fb)-While testifying before the Committee, former Deputy Warden Patterson repudiated the statement ascribed 10 him in the public press Representative of the press in sisted that he had been correctly quoted. It is not necessary for us 10 pass upon any question of veraci- ty which may be involved or at tempt 10 reconcile these apparently conflicting versions of the inter view. The essential points IS that Mir Patterson, when testifNing un der oath, asserted that he knew of no instance in which any prisoner had been shackled in the manner de- scrbed
 "(c) Inmate Boughton was in terviewed by us in executive session and asserted unqualifiedly that he had not been subjected to any such treatment.
 "(d) No witness was found or has been heard of by us who sup ports any such allegation.
 "(e) We examined q large mum Der of witnesses. including present and former prison physicians, pres ont and former chaplains, present and former Sunday School teachers, present and former employees, and, indeed. all others with whom we could come in contact who might have known or heard Of any such treatment. Without exception. all of these witnesses disclaimed any such 
 "f) In our interviews with in mates, we took particular pains 10 make inquiries on this subject. No inmate claimed that he had ever been subjected to such treatment or had ever heard Of any such treat ment being accorded to any pris- oncr.
 "Unhcsitatlngly, therefore, we
 find that there is no basis for
 either allegation or suspicion
 that the treatment above de
 scribod has been resorted 10 at
 Wethersfield. and any asser-
 tions or suggestions to the con-
 trary are totally without
 foundation
 We inquired further into the general treatment of prisoners 10 ascertain. if possible. whether any unnecessarily harsh had been administered or whether any Of the inmates had been subjected 70 brutal or illegal treatment in any Aside from the imposi- ion Of sentences to solitary continc- nent, upon a bread and water diet, Tor extreme infraCtion of the rules; md except for the occasional hand 'uffing Of prisoners, while in soli- ary, to the bars for restraint under lery exceptional circumstances, here appears to have been no treatment of refractory prisoners which would arouse the just criti- ,ism of even the most sensitive.
 At this point the committee com nent on the petition circulated l .mong the prisoners advocating the 1 of Deputy Warden Pat 1 erson as the successor of Warden | scott. The three investigators dis ! miss Patterson's statements on the l heory that he was dissatisfied with l he conditions surrounding his dis niSsal, as a result of the escape of | Lalonc and Landry. | The committee denies that it has | my evidence that Patterson accept | d a bride in connection with the . scape. The report makes much the | anne observations about the griev- .nce3 of Benton Mcintyre, a former prison employe.
 Upon the subject of the general rcatment of prisoners, aside from ertain minor incidents suggested " Mir. Mcintyre which have been net by contravening testimony, here is no adverse criticism.
 Miss Genevieve Cowles. who has her deep concern for he welfare of the inmates and their submitted a series of tatements which have 10 do gener-