Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-03-16

cripuon OF bedding, which, IN winter
time, when the mercury stood at ten
degrees belo1 zero, and water froze up
tight in the vessels was barely adequate
to comfort in mild without
sheet, pillow, or any other article, save
sack of shavings or straw, and two or
three blankets. ...
My first work was hacking hemp in
q room four feet below the surface Of
the yard, and so crowded with men,
badly ventilated, and filed with dust,
as TO prove fatal in short time TO most
of its victims. | have seen six men
taken from thirty in this house In one
week, and carried to the grave. Three
/ times | was placed in that house by
Craig, with orders TO kill me and each
time remained about four weeks.
From this / was transferred to spin
ming filling, and then In February, 1853,
to weaving hemp-sacking for sacking
cotton. This usually weighs one and
half pounds TO the yard, The task at
this work was 1000 yards q week for
the best weavers. Mine soon stood at
800 yards; and was able frequently TO
make so yards over, for which / re-
Ceived % cents. There never were fur
nished combs, towels, pillows, sheets,
brushes or anything of the kind and
by the little overwOrk | could make I
was able to provide some of these things
until the close of Craig's reign.
In 1851 | made the acquaintance of
Miss Tileston, in Auburn n. Y. She is
now my dear wife. After my imprisOn-
ment, made repeated attempts to cor
respond with her by letter; but, up to
the autumn Of 1865, there never was
letter received by the one from the 9th
er, Enough ! was often told of their ar
rival. Miss TilestOn, having been pledged
with me in marriage contract, ignoring
ease and domestic quiet, left her home
in Williamsburg, Mass, and engaging
as a teacher at Oxford, Ohio, watched
over my Imprisonment to the last, Wis
iting me and petitioning in my behalf
in 1858, SO, '58, 80 and SO, with no
other result than to compel respect and
admiration.
ZEB. wARD.-HIs BARBARITY.
In 1855, this man came to keepership,
and in the following winter obtained
the prison by lease at $4,000 per year;
and made, over all expenses, during
four years, 100000, by sheer physical
force.
In the weaving, which was executed
by hand, the task soon went up to 208
yards per day, mine standing for the
first summer at 1870 yards then for the
three following summers 208 yards and
whenever | failed which l frequently
did in 1866, and always during the
| summers of the three succeeding years,
suffered cruel torture, which l will
| discribe-during the first year not more
than three times q day; but the three
| succeeding years often four times a day,
sometimes for three months in success
sion and locked in my little filthy,
damp cell every Sabbath, while other
men enjoyed the liberty Of the yard.
The instrument. of torture was one
! commonly used by the Overseers of
slaves, and consisted of strap of har-
| ness, or sole leather, seventeen inches in
| length, two and a quarter inches in
width, and half an inch in thickness,
of the hardest, half tanned leather The
| bitterness felt toward me was such, by
| employees from the lowest strata in the
| community, that, though my health had
been much reduced during Craig's three
| wears, from the inferior prison food and
negleCtin bedding and clothing, and BE-
| ing every way much the inferior in
| physical power to majority OF the
| workmen, still there was no mitigation
| of my burden.
| During the year 1855, Twas fogged
| with the strap. after June frequently
| three times day, ranging from two to
fifty or sixty stripes, During the three
| succeeding years, after my task had
gone up so far beyond my reach that l
| could entertain no hope of success, and
while for three months of each year my
weight stood at about 1l9 pounds, and
| was so weak that could hardly drag
| myself up a fight of stairs without
| supporting myself with my hands upon
my knees, | have been flogged four times
| day with thai strap with all their
might, upon my naked body, blackening
the whole surface from just above the
| knees to the lumbar regions, receiving
| at each time from two to one hundred
| Stripes; at one time one hundred end
seven, throwing the particles of flesh
| and blood 10 the distance of sixteen
feet upon the wall All summer long
my body has exhibited this appearance
| from this cause; and for no other ex-
cuse than that did not complete my
task because was too weak, too sick to
| do so.
Often l have endured these fortunes
until they have inflicted sixty stripes
without motion or groan, while ev-
cry ten stripes excited the pains of
| death.
All this time l was toiling with all
my might, every thread of my garments
wet with perspiration, and while suffer
ing from dispnea and asthma so that
| the whole armament seemed an I'M
bounded vacuum, in which not one
breath of air stirred.
| Often / have resolved, and | have as
| often revoked the resolve, while with
ing under the lash, to make resistance,
and die if | must. Often | have
wished that no one loved me then 1
,could resist Often, early in the morn
ing, sitting supported by my own pill
lows bought with the money of my
dear friends, when the busy city,
the barking dogs, and the great
| bell indicated the return of day, | have