The Ohio Penitentiary – 1899: Horrors of the Death Trap

First published at the turn of the twentieth century, The Ohio Penitentiary – 1899: Horrors of the Death Trap by Dan J. Morgan is a chilling exposé of one of America’s most notorious prisons at the height of its brutality. Written by a journalist and eyewitness, the work unveils the grim realities of confinement, corruption, and human suffering within the walls of the Ohio State Penitentiary, an institution whose very name became synonymous with cruelty.

Morgan recounts in stark detail the inhumane punishments, overcrowded cells, disease, and executions that defined daily life for the condemned, painting a portrait of a system where justice decayed into terror. Through firsthand testimony and investigative reporting, he condemns the moral and physical horrors of an establishment that reduced men to shadows long before their deaths.

More than a sensational account, this book stands as an early voice for penal reform and human dignity, demanding recognition of the suffering hidden behind prison walls.

Complete edition of Dan J. Morgan’s investigative account of the Ohio Penitentiary

Documents the brutality and corruption of the 19th-century American prison system

A rare historical exposé calling for justice and reform

Essential for readers of prison history, criminology, and social justice literature