PRISON HORRORS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1932, Page 6

PRISON HORRORS

REVEALED, IN UNITED STATES.'

MAN CHAINED IN “SWEAT” BOX

NEW YORK, Aug. <25

y How/ atrocious yprison: .conditions in America can ha shown by disclosures concerning the. death of a. 19-year-old New . Jersey, youth,; Arthur ..MaiJlefert. linvestigators .. say that Maiileferb was strangled in a/t’sweut box” at .’ the Sunbeam Prison Camp, 'Florida,' by; two camp officer's,- Captain George Coursou •a,i*d Ouard JSotonTon Higgenbothara.! Bpth have been remanded on charges of first-degree murder. They contend that death was due to suicide and not the result of torture. '

Cburson testified that the youth'’was chained l by the neck to the rafters of the “sweat box,”; not as punishment for repeated attempts to escape, hut as va safety- measure to prevent another attempt. Ho said Maillefert had refused to work, and maintained a generally defiant attitude/:' .. Tv .:zy:

■ \ Courson declared Maftlefort- told him lie would ' ’’servo his yhihe years'- fi>frobbery “in hell rather than here,” and taunted him for -cowardice when' he frilled to shoot the prisoner in'eanturirg him after a break for -freedom.. Severaj convicts summoned by the State for the habeas corpus hearing testified they bad been brutally treated and that they had seen Maillefert whipned. They said he was placed in the “sweat box” after complaining of being ill. , ’ -

Before being placed in the tiny board structure under the 1 blazing sun with a. chain round his neck, and his feet/ in stocks, the convicts said, Maillefert had 'been confined for a tipi© in h •nrrdl with only his heifd and* feet outside. He jrnawed his way out of the barrel with his teeth .arid tried t.o escape. He Whs recaptured soon afterward.- . ■" . > '