The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1872-06-21
GRANTS PRISONERS IN TO WI.
The Arrival of South Carolinians Con.
signed to the Albany Penitentisry.

signed to the Albany Penitentiary.
The ship Champion, from Charles
ton, arrived at Pier %, North river,
last night, having on board twenty
three Ku-Klux prisoners. Among
them were gray haired men aud |
beardless boys; strong men and |
crippIes. They were under guard |
of United States soldiers, and on
their way to the Albany penitentia,
ry to serve out term of imprison-
ment. All of them professed to be
farmers Or farm workmen, and their
sunburned faces and hardened hands
gave proof OF it.
The terms of imPrisonmen. are
Three for ten years and one thous>
and dollars fine six, eight years
and one hundred dollars fine two,
four years and one hundred dollars
fine; one four years and five hun
dred dollars fine three, three years
and one hundred dsiiars' fine; four,
two years and one hundred dollars
fnel three, year and half and
one hundred dollars fine and one,
one year and ten dollars fine.
All of these men lived in York
county, South Carolina, one of the
nine counties in which martial Law,
was declared last October. Some OF
them have already been imprisoned
for months.
STONED AWAY BETWEEN DECKS,
A Sun reporter went on board the
Champion, and found the prisoners
slowed away between decks in the
fore part OF the ship No air cir
culated through the place, and the
thermometer indicated ninety eight
degrees. They are rough-looking
men, haggered and tattered, but have
not a vicious look. The reporters
questions were answered promptly,
and by many of the men with much
intelligence. They said they had
been arrested "lor belonging to the
order" A gray haired man told the
following story:
When martial law was declared
last October, no outrageS had been
committed for year, and none since
in our county at least But the mill
itary authorities have been making
arrests for the past eight months.
The prisoners are taken before
Judge Bond, in the United States
Circuit Court, and the charges are
alike in all cases. They are accus-
ed of being, or having been members
OF the ku-KIux, and are told that
this can be proven by. members of
the band who are witnesses for the
prosecution, and advised to plead
guilty to mitigate their punishment.
Knowing how useless resistance is,
the poor wretches plead guilty to
avoid a seyerer penalty. Thus,
twenty-five of these men are suffer
ing the penalties cf convicts through
fear, and not from any evidence of
their crime. One man of fifty years
approached the reporter and said
vehemently:
UNFORTUNATELY AN AMERICAN CITI- |
ZEN.
II Ala not plead gu1uy l am no,
guilty, and | would not make such a
confession for the world. They
tried me ON two charges, but no ev-
idencc was adduced to convict me.
Yet it was meant that | should be
punished, and they gave me two
years. Two years for being an
American citizen unfortunate enough
to live in South Carolina | am not
nor never was a Ku-KluX-whatev-
er that may be-and have always
been peaceable, law-abiding citi-
zen. ! go to prison an innocent man
but the hardest criminal never left
his prison with a worse heart than
| shall leave mine. If my life is
spared, this in dignity shall be aven-
gcd,"
The men complained bitterly of be-
ing sent North for confinement. They
thought it bad enough to be summari
~ arrested by soldiers, illegally tried
and unjustly convicted, without be-
ing taken so far from home, and
where their friends cannot visit them.
RELEASED BY DEATH.
They are to remain in prison until
the fines are paid Some of them are
without money, or friends that have
means, and they sec no limit to their
incarceration.
The reporte. said to one, GLOW
will you pay your fine 2"
"By DEATH" was the answer.
He was a cripple, pale and enact
ated, and evidently rapidly falling
away through the ravageS of a hid
den disease. Death no doubt will
pay his fine, and cheat the prison of
a tenant.
At seven o'clock the men were put
into a street car and taken to the
grand Central Depot, and they en-
barlled for Albany on the eight
'II -. N V O.,