Carson Daily Appeal

CHANGE AT THE STATE PRISON.—At a meeting of the Board of State Prison Commissioners yesterday, Sam Hodgkinson, Sr., long time the Captain of the Guard, was superseded by the temporary appointment of Mr. J. J. Linn. The majority vote by which he was removed was cast by Governor Bradley and Secretary of State Minor—General Kittrell voting in the negative. Upon inquiry of the Governor we learn that the reason for displacing Hodgkinson is that he is charged by responsible parties with being unnecessarily harsh and cruel to the prisoners. Mr. Minor, whom we subsequently interviewed upon the subject, also said that he had been reliably informed that Hodgkinson had been too severe with some of the convicts and too lenient with others. Also, Mr. Minor gave as a reason for the removal of this officer that he had been the subject of unfavorable comment by citizens—the impression being that he was an obstacle in the way of the experts obtaining a full and unhindered insight into the workings of the Prison—how, we cannot imagine. We give these statements as they come to us from the Governor and the Secretary. Of course such a change as this can have no influence upon the final outcome of affairs at the Prison, and we attach no significance to it further than as it constitutes a matter of news. We understand that the report of the Experts will be forthcoming by the First of January or sooner.