Emery County Progress | 1908-02-01 | Page 2 | Like Story from the Dark Ages

U ices an inmate of illinois reformatory tortured to death by inhuman prison officials after being cha ned up for hours and given the cold water cure the unfortunate victim is left on concrete floor with back broken pontiac III members of the board 0 managers of the illinois reforma lory in this city on tuesday heard stories from the lips of officers of the institution themselves of brutality and torture inflicted upon william hamlan an inmate whose death and the conflicting explanations thereal have raised a storm ot criticism admissions were wrung from of bleers of the institution that young hamlin was chained to the bars of the solitary writs held by handcuffs to a point even with the top of his head for twenty two hours the first day of his punishment and for sixteen hours the second day on the third evening when he was up his endurance gave out after five hours and after he revived from a taint he either tried to commit sul cide or escape being chained up again he climbed the bars of his cell probably while in a delirium he fainted the first day of his tor ture and the third night and for long periods during hese fainting spells he hung by hi wrists suspended from a bar of his cell the legs too limp to support his weight the cold water cure was applied quart after quart of ice water being thrown over him to make him quit shamming and once it was poured down his throat until he choked atter he was injured he was left lying on the concrete floor of the solitary with only a blanket under him and another oyer him his back broken in arree places and his body paralyzed all but the arms for twelve hours be fore the reformatory physician was called