Clinton, Dutchess, New York, USA
1869 - The Shower Bath in State Prison.

A correspondent of one of the New York papers, who confesses to have been a convict in Clinton (N. Y.) State Prison, thus relates his experience in the matter of punishment by the infernal machine called a shower-bath:

"I, too, have done the State some service, and will tell you how it happened, and give you, furthermore, an account of my experience in the institution at Clinton, N. Y. I left my home at the age of sixteen, and came to the city; but being unfortunate in getting work, I traveled from one place to another, and in that way contracted wandering and unsteady habits. In the spring of 1858 I found myself in Albany, and, being unable to obtain a situation, extreme necessity compelled me to take what did not belong to me, but with the determination to make restitution at some future time. Being arrested, I confessed the theft, and received the long sentence of six years, which I served out on account of the lack of money and political influence. I had been there but two weeks when I was subjected to the torture of the shower-bath for a trivial offense. I was taken into the guard-house, stripped perfectly naked before a dozen or more of keepers and guards, and put into a stock, with my hands and feet extended and fastened firmly by the writs and ankles - spread eagle fashion - head thrown back on another plank in the rear, in such a way as to receive the deluge from above directly into my mouth. Here I was literally drowned to unconsciousness in about five minutes, and was then told that the next time I transgressed I should be severely punished. I felt the punishment more than a week in every part of my body. I was tortured in the same way four times during the first year, but then got into a position which placed me out of the power of the keepers, and which I held until my liberation.

"I know many cases in which men were killed by severe punishment, and were reported to have died of this or that disease, merely because they did not die on the spot. I have known men to enter the place, strong an vigorous, and leave it perfect wrecks, lingering a year or two and then dying of consumption, the seed of which had been sown in their system by the torturing shower-bath. The public does not know what a punishment it is to be sentenced for a term of years to the State Prison with hard labor. In many cases it means 'health destroyed,' 'lunacy,' 'total destruction of moral principle,' resulting from the tortures at the hands of revengeful keepers. My experience proves to me that corporeal punishment is not necessary in prison. The dark dungeon and solitary confinement are sufficient in themselves to reduce refractory prisoners to submission. I hope that something may be done to ameliorate the condition of this class of our fellow beings. It is some years since I left the prison, but the events of that period will haunt me to the grave."

St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
May 8, 1869

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