g out important matter, as the men having it, would not
divulge unless under oath.

I was called on first to testify and asked to state about the Sylver
case, but, as before related, I then knew but little of material value.
The transactions of that Wednesday night, I had, at that time, heard
something of, but to me they were only matters of report, and among the
points requiring the efficacy of the oath to bring them out. Hence, I
could say nothing of them. I was asked some questions about the prison
living, but on points concerning which I knew but little, and then was
turned directly to my own prison management. It seemed by the
questioning that, in this summary manner, with no opportunity to prepare
for defense, I was virtually put on trial for a violation of prison
rules on two points,--the correspondence, and passing information to
prisoners,--and called on to testify against myself. But I had nothing
to cover up, had acted in all cases as I thought to be right, so frankly
stated my whole proceedings in the matters, as near as I could recollect
on the spur of the moment, and also explained my motives, excepting that
I could not, of course, allude to anything of the warden's procedure as
making my efforts especially needful to the best order of the prison.
No one else was called to testify on these points; but I was kept
standing during the narrations and questionings till so far exhausted
that, perhaps between ten and eleven, I had to ask the privilege of
sitting.

Then I was called on to state about my lecturing for the Prison Aid
Association, whether I had alluded to the prison or not. Having become
somewhat confused in mind, for the time, I could not recollect a single
allusion I had made, and therefore answered unqualifiedly, "I have not,"
not thinking to say, "I have not to my present recollection." The
Governor replied, "There must be some mistake in the matter, for I have
received two letters from places where those lectures were given,
stating differently," and he called for another witness.

As to the Sylver matter, the effort was made to leave the impression on
the mind that the patient really died of a heart difficulty, though he
probably would have died of the congestion, but not so soon. No
pretense, however, was made that any unhealthy condition was found about
the heart, except in the attending physician's assertion, that, on
puncturing the pericardium; a little gas, as he thought, whizzed out,
a