The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1867-10-19
Col James S. Hull

tFleQ before the PenItentlary Commissioners.
From the testimony taken in the case it APP
pears that Hull is a fend, devil incarnate.
1t viii be remembered that at the time be
was placed in charge Of the prison it was
done by the radical rulers over the head of
a gentleman that bid SI75, 900 more than he
did. Hull is a particular pet Of the Parson
Governor, and fair sample of the men of
that stripe. To show our readers that Hull
is a terrible, cruel man, we give below the
testimony Of w. H. Ferguson, one Of the
many witnesses examined:
A young negro girl was there as a pris-
oneri she was removed from the prison to
Col. HuiFs quarters she remained there q
short time; witness did not know how long
she did stay there; a short time afterwards
she was gone and missing witness knew of
no effort to Tecapture her; she was far gone
In pregnancy; it was generally reported
among the guards that sexual intercourse
was had with the female convicts.
@. Mr.. Ferguson, state all you may know
about the punishment of the convicts while
you were there | want you to commence
first and describe the mode of whipping
them.
A. It was done with a whip. It was
turned piece Of wood, handle, l suppose,
about 20 or "a inches long. A very heavy
piece of sole leather attached to the end of
that, and about the lenth Of the handle To
the end of that was attached four throngs Of
raw hide plated, about the thickness Of my
little finger, and from to 10 inches long
q. Now describe the position in which
the convict was placed when they prepared
MIN TO receive whipping.
A. Well, he was brought out and made to
IL IL. ]. Ill
clothes of of him, pulled his breeches down
to his feet and turned his shirt upon his
shoulders.
Q. Now describe where the man stood
that inflicted the punishment.
A. Well, Mr.. Crew said he got orders
from Hull, to take the convicts out Of one
room into another, and he would have his
revolver IN one hand and the whip in the
other. If the convicts would not lie exactly
still, he world hit them a few extras have
seen this Callahan put one of his feet on his
hands and the other on his neck, to keep
him from making noise while Crew would
be whipping them. The Coils orders were
to keep them from making a noise.
Q. Have you ever seen Col Hull present
at any whipping
A. he was always present except at three
times. He would tell them, "Give them
lightning, and thunder Frank throw it in
keen.
Q. How many are the most stripes you
ever knew to be inflicted on any convict at
a time?
A. Sixty blows with that large whip are
the most / ever saw. That whip cut four
ieks at a time, and on account Of its being
80 large and heavy, it cut the skin deep
Q. Sixty ticks with that instrument would
be how many lashes?
A. 1t would be four times the sixty, which
is two hundred and forty And at the time
the punishment was inflicted upon that
man, his clothes stuck close to his buttox
with blood and matter He had been whipped
three nights in succession before this time.
He was whipped because he could not get
his task done. The first three nights that
he had been whipped was because he could
not get his task done, but the sixty ticks he
received was for trying to get away The
guards said he tried to get away from the
room outside He was in such a situation
&hat he could not work.
Q. How many convicts have you known to
Tue whipped at one time?
A. ! cannot say positively to the number;
Il know ] have seen as many as eighteen
whipped at one time. One night saw one
of tho most brutal acts that | ever did see.
One of the darkies whistled in the cell
3trisd to find out the man, and / tried to find
III which cell it was, but | could not Col
HAL said will find out who it was He
said bring down the whole walk All were
whipped but two. They made up some kind
Of story, and told it SO they got off The
number of the walk numbered about twenty
eight. They whipped them to ascertain who
it was that Whistled They brought them
out two at a time and whipped them. There
were three men brought out that had been
hacking. One of them had been whipped
two nights In succession, and was not able
to fill his task he complained of being sick
from rheumatism. He staid from work un-
til after o'clock. The doctor came in and
said, go on to work you are not sick P"
The whole three fell off 1875 pounds in
hacking, and Col. Hull ordered that to be
divided into three parts, and give them that
many lashes. While Frank Crew was
whipping them, Colonel Hull said, Pour it
into them, Frank it viii make them come
up to their task Just increase the dose I'M
eli they do come up to their task There
was some more whipping done, that | have
not vet made a statement Of 1t was some
time in the first Of June, and on the Sabbath
There were ten white men whipped on that
Sunday.
O. Now tell'how they were whipped
A. They just laid them down and whipped
them. They were all white men. They
begged them to shoot their brains out They
were whipped until they evacuated from the
bowels and bladder. A few days afterward l
gave them some ell to grease themselves to
keep the clothes from sticking to them
These ten men were whipped for trying to
get away 1t was the report that day that
thew were going to break over the wall
o. Did you see Coffee whipped
A. / did sir. 1t was sir, one of the men
thst saw doing his business. I thought he
was going to die. l thought Frank was GO
,py ~ emf them in two for he Is n very stOI +
man and while he was whipping them he
would tipt toe, and lay it on as hard as he
could.
Q. Who ordered these ten men to be
whipped?
A. Col Hull, sir. They would cry for
mercy in the most pitable tones / ever did
hear from convicts or anybody else
@ How many times did you see cOnvicts
whipped in the Penitentiary2
A. Hundreds of times, and hundreds of
men whipped. Every night during the week
tbav ware vvbipned excapt Sunday y7i0bt