The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-11-02
EhiGantE,rSOs,y,

Ohe udJ l"St Nech, lDlOi!latluiE WIS IT,
ceivcd that colored man confined in the
Penitentiary for larceny, 1--WE bei!eve) had
died under the cold water punishment. Tie
was put into wooden enclosure just large
eneue h for him to stand ill., and bar placed
under his chin, elevat;ug his face, aud that
several buckets of water were then poured
upon him from above, after which the bar
broke and he fell. Historinentors then tried
to stand him up asgin, and failing in their
efforts. they tied rope around his neck and
faalcd him up to Il standing positi, and
more water was poured on, when it was as
eertaincd that the nan va dead. The G :
.lpplbia Union adds that ~the man was deli
cate, anyhow"
:. NOW the reading of the above will cause
any one to conclude that the unfortunate
deceased died either from congestion induced
by the delugc Of water poured upon his up
turned face, or from strangllation. The
latter, however, is improbable, since it will
BE remembered that the man fell down,
breaking the bar under his chin, after seve'
eral buckets Of water had been thus pourd
upon him, and it is very probable that this
was the time when his life left him. More
over, the jury of inquest, aided by physl-
clans, one or more, found that congestion OF
the lungs was the cause of death
= Who are they that have the power of iu'-
posing punishmcnts upon inmates of the
Penittntiary? The Board of Regents, who.
are all, without exception, so, far as we are
informcd. full blown Radicals, the very bone
and siuew, SO to speak, of the Republican
party in. South Carolina; The very men who
embracing the colored man with their arms,
carry the instruments Of cruelty in their
hearts, as the abnve case conclusively shows.
It is more than probable that this unfortu-
nate man, their victim, was not able to work,
and these inquisitors took these means of
forcing him to do it, with the result above
rccitcd. .... .a.H .. .,.. ,...
Who ever heard, in times of 'slavesy, Of
such dreadful tortures being inflicted upon a
man.. even of robust health? And yet, we
learn that this poor unfortunate. was "deli-
cate, any how" ...f. :
Who has ever heard of the terrible Ku
Klux, or any other band Of men, imposing
such horrible torture upon any one, no mat
ter how guilty, nor of what crimes, except
in mad houses, where it is considered the
most excruciating torture which can be con-
ccived, and is only there used when all other
means fail to control the lunatic.
This shows the philanthropy, the love
which RdHicols have for the colured man
TO take delicate and probably sick man, to
force him into box whence he cannot es
cane, to fasten his face in such a position
that he cannot move, and then with con
summate cruelty to pour bucket after bucket
of cold water upon his agonized face, his
pleas for mercy unhceded, his prayers fol
help disdained: his moaus aid groans drown.
cd by fresh buckets Of water, until his tor.
tured soul leaves it's still tortured body
which drops dead in lis Wy footsteps, is
horrible and savage and .devilish enough
but after all this, to attempt to make his
dead body again stand, and failing in this
to put rope around his neck and drag and
mutilate that body, to hold it in proper posi-
ton that more tortures hight be Inflicted
and finding that no resistance was made, to
Let his body drop, and then find that ,heil
work had resulted in death-this almost
passes belief, and stamps its perpetrators as
mardcrers of blackest hue
Who is responsible for this? The Re
gents, of the Peuitentiary, the very men
whom the votes of the colored men have
lavished donors aud Office upon Colored
men, can it be true that this shall con-
tinue?