Year: 1879

IL
Tee resumed the hearing of testimony for the prison
authorities, at the committee room, capitol buildno
at II NJ. yesterday


The trst witness Il. A. Foyle foreman in the
shops of Seymor, Sabin & Co. for six years past
MI; toye regarded the prison discipline as excellent
ana Hall as humane man. Hall had improved the
dlsclpllne The food equal TO that usually used
Ill manufacturing institutions.


BILL KINGS MEASUREMENTS.


AT this point Representative Donahue
Oh the committee called attention
to the charge made by Bill King in the
issue of his paper of yesterday. The charge auded
to l, In the following language: "With perhaps the
exception OF Mr. DonOhue, who has been very indus
trous i'll his attempts to convicting testimony
1noSe VINO listened to that of yesterday seemed CON
Vinced that they had heard enough.n


Mr.. Donahue said the direct charge was false and
the impression sought to be conveyed in the Ian
guaSo used nalcousy mean. Charges of cruelty
and m'smauasement had been made against the
prison management. The legislature had decided
10 invest gate those charges, and he with other
members of the two houses had been desiruated to
conduct the investigation on the part of the State,
ana III all he had done he had only been anxious to
perform his duty faithfully by bringing out the facts
relatlng to the accusations.


Mr. Marsh, counsel for the prison mana cement,
salo that MS principals had complaint to make of
MT Donahue but on the contrary considered he
had only done his duty,


Messrs. James Smith, Jr and Mr.. Denny, of the
committee, pronounced the charge against Mr..
Donahue unfounded aud unjust. The fact that Mr.
Donahue appeared more prominently in the investi-
satlon than Others of the committee was accounted
Tor by reason Of his having been selected to procure
the attendance of witnesses He had done this duty
faithfully, for which he deserved praise rather than
censure.


TESTIMONY RESUMED.


Having thus officially sat down on Bill Kino,s ring
paper, the taking of testimony was resumed and
Mr.. Frank H. Lemon, foreman in the painting do
partnent, gave his evidence. He not only endorsed
the statements of NIessrs. Foyle and Sargeant but
as he warmed up to his work became decidedly en-
thusiastic for Hall IIs alone was entitled to cradi+
tot tle improved declplne now prevailing. Hall
never swore nor usued brutal language, and all tes-
umony to that effect false he'll. Hall never
punished a prisoner without cause. Coffey worked
awhile in his room and was the meanest whelp he
had ever known. When Donnelly swore Hall struck
wilson lie lied. Washburn was dead beat, with
whom he could do nothing and if he had been al
lowed his OWL way he would have sated him good,
Why said he, talk about cruelty in my opinion there
IS no. not hslf enough OF it in the prison.


This closed Mr.. Lemons examination the cIosnr
sentence calling out the rem lrk that Judging nv his
evidence, the Witness in Halls place wou be mora
brutal than Hall had ever been charged with being


Mr.. E. W. Emerson was the next witness TIe had
been foreman in tue blacksmith sho, for little over
q year, working ten to twelve prisoners. His test-
m5ay was of the same general tenor of Foyle and
Sergeant. He did not know Of his person Il knowl-
edge as to the punishment Of prisoners that not be-
ing done in his presence but prisoners returned to
the shops after punishment had II yer complained of
any brutality





The next witness was Deputy Warden Hail. Tn
Introducing him Mr.. Marsh, counsel for the prison
management said he desired to place the witness in
the hands Of the committee their only desire bejnp
th%t he should be examined fully as possible as to
.i accusations made against him. After reciting
his connection with the prison for thirteen wears as
guard, steward and deputy warden, the latter in
1875, Mr.. Hall, in rapid conversational way and
with little or no attention to the rules governing evi.
dence, went on to give his version of the different
transactions with which his name has been ASSOCIATE
ed by the public charges and the evidence produced
before the committee.


Referring to the situation in the prison at the time
OF his appointment as deputy, he said a short time
before an attempt at escape had been made by Tom
smith, Boyle, Seymour and others; when he took
hold these men showed by their acts that thev were
determined to do as they Pleased as they had done
with Williams. The consequence was for the first
six weeks he had warm time OF it and had to 90 in
on his own muscle. At the time there were but two
dungeons in the prison. He had seven moro made
at once and soon had use for all of them. But he
soon found this would not bring some of the worst
characters into subjection, some of them making
their brags the dungeon good enough for them
He then had bull ring put into beam overhead in
one on Of the cells for hanging stubborn convict up
side WALL into which the feet of the prisoner could
be thrust if necessary. He caused these means of
punishment to be made known to the convcts at the
same time letting them know if convict was in the
bull ring whom it came time for closing up for the
night, he would have to remain there until morning
Had this circulated 80 the prisoners would be
tSs
man to have to submit to the bull ring treatment was
Boyle. Handcutfed him and strung him up by the
wrists. AS soon as the door closed on him Boyle
commenced making disturbance, which the guard
reported, whereupon he (HalD went to the cell and
told Boyle if the noise continued lie would be
compelled to lock his feet in the ring in the side WALL
and he conld judge the condition he would be in the
next morning, hanging all night by the weight of his
wrists. There was no more noise from Boyle that
night, and the next morning he was released after
saying he had enough.


Hall said he had this punishment Of Boyle circu-
lated freely among the prisoners, his idea being that
it would operate to make them obey the rules.


In to MI. Wedge Hall said the case of Boyle
was the only one in which he had ever had the
sion to use the bull ring to enforce submission.
Whenever prisoner was rebellious he would the
necessary force and severity to bring him into SUBJ
lection, and no more and just as soon the COM
pliance was promised, the punishment was with
drawn Hall then detailed at some length the affair
between Wilson and Farrell in connection with which
he (HalD was charged with brutaly pounding Will
son. Wilson was given to self-indulbence, and, of
course, given to violent fits of passion, often closely
verging on insanity, making him very troublesome
prisoner to control. Owing to his condition he hesi-
tated to resortto severe measures, and finally put
him to outdoor work. At the time mentioned Far
rell asked Wilson to help him remove something,
when Wilson picked up hammer and flung it at
him, and then picked up another and started toward
him. Hall saw the disturbance and rushed in, when
Wilson turned upon him, and he saw at once he had
to meet maniac. The result was that in getting
Wilson to his Cell, he, Hall, obliged to knock him
dovn three times, compress his wind pipe, etc., but
no severity used than absolutely neces-
sary.


In reply to Mr.. Wedge Hall said he did not think
Wilson responsible for his acts, he should have
pat him in the dungeon. He had since that affair
kept Wilson employed out doors, and he thought
there some improvement in his condition. He
appears chearfu and takes interest in the
light duty to which he is assigned to, occupying his
leisure time in doing little jobs, for which he (HD
has given him corner of a room.


COFFEY's CEoToN OIL.


Referring to his trs atment of Cotfey, Mr.. Hall
stated the testimony OF heretofore
was absolutely true. Cofey was confined in his cell,
not the dungeon. The guard reported 70 him Coffey
was suffering from eyes. Went to the cell and
found he had been using plaster and fine cut tobacco
to cause the inflammation. Reported the facts to
the doctor, who advised counter irritation on his
neck. The hospital steward directed to apply
croton oil around the neck from ear to ear. The ap-
plicaion msde covered space about as wide as two
fingers Told Coifey when it was put on not to allow
his shirt to touch it, if he did would spread it to
other portions of his body. This was the only time
croton oil was used and it was done by direction of
the physician and to relieve his eyes,


Hall denied that Cotfey any other convict had
been kept in dungeon twenty-seven days. He
thought the longest time was week. Ths time
sworn to by Coey, he in his CELL not in the dun
geon Convicts in the dungeon always got the regu-
lar dungeon allowance Of bread and water,
except perhaps he would not give
idea being that by doing they would yield sooner
than otherwise. On no occasion had dungeon oc-
cupant been deprived of bread and water more than
enc day.


Mr.. Hall explained the circumstances of the al
legged hysterical attacks of Eliza Wood, who he
described as a quarrelsome body, and denied ever
having used her harshly. The time she confined
on bread and water it was sc the order of Warden
Reed.


GERARD HANEGAN.


In reply to Mr.. Donahue Hall said he did not
think Hanegan was right in his head the last few
months he was duty. He knew nothing of any
promise te Hanegan as to his position. When Stack
died he absent in Pennsylvania, and knew