National Republican., 1874-05-08
THE DEAD CONVICT, y03RPH VIII
S0N-THE FACTS or gHB CASE.

LIE DEdD tCOHT4O4, .S0OBfd nll~
S0N-THF FACTS or THB CASE.
tFrom the Valley virginian.l
At the March term Of TIE Circuit Court for
Augusta county, Joseph Wilson (colored) was
tried for burglary, and attempted rape on .
white woman of this county. He was tried by
an Intelligent jury, found guilty, and his
punishment fixed to two years in the peniten-
tisry. Hewas taken to Richmond, and thence
snmediatedly sent to the work of Messrs.
Mason; Gooch & Hoge, on the Valley railroad,
in the vicinity Of Greenville, who have q con-
tract under law with the authorities of the
State prison, for q certain number of prisoners
as laborers. A few days after he had reached the
camp, and shortly after being punished by the
oVerseer of the work for negligence, he died
suddenly. Before learning the full particulars
Of the death Of Wilson, we published the mere
announcement of the sudden death. Various
and highly colored rumors as to the cause of
the death were set afoat, the truth Of none of
which could we ascertain without giving the
matter more attention than We then had time
to devote to it. f.E.T
| THE WASHINGTON REPUBLICAN of the 18th
contains a communication dated at Stanton on
the 14th instant, and signed by W. Il. Scott,
which gives . very prejudiced statement of the
case, draws some very erroneous conclusions.
| On reading the article, we determined to get at
| the truth of the matter. To that end we had
an interview with two of the principal wit
nesses who gave evidence before the jury of
inquest, and with the magistrate who ehieiated
| as coroner on the occasion. Mr.. j. Fl. Smith
and Col y. ID. Lilley, two highly respected AMI
intelligent citizens, were the witnesses, aud w.
F. Smith, Esq, o gentleman of unimpeachable
| reputation, the acting coroner. The facts as
detailed TO us are these: On the morning of the
Sd of April, one of these witnesses was con-
yersing with Wilson, when he compiained of O
pain in his back. The overseer remarked to
him, that the physician had sent him out as
well, and he had to work, or he would be
made to. .
At dinner time, he said the pain had gone
into his legs, and as he reached to get his plate
of vituals, fell, bruising the back part Of his
head against a projecting plank or log. twas
believed that he was feigning sickness, as he
had manifested very perverse spirit ever since
he had come upon the work, and the overseer,
Mr.. Loving, struck him several times with
| small hickory switch. Persisting that he was
| sick, the regular employed physician, DIR.
Strother, was sent for, and gave it as his opin-
ion that there was nothing serious the matter
with him. He was again ordered to work, but
hesitatiDg, he was struck several times again
4
Gated more Of tap than lick. He was then
broughtup and struck with leather strap,
on the legs between the knee joint and hip, his
| breast leaning over keg, but he was not tied.
So soon as the punishment commenced, he
started to roll to get out of the way Of the
strap, and went down the embankment.
He was ordered up, and two other conyicts
directed to bring him up. About this time,
while an effort was being made to get him out
of the trench, DIR. Gilkeson came along, and
was asked to examine him. He did so, and ex-
| pressed the opinion that he was very sick, and
prescribed stimulants. Shortly after this,
| Wilson died. An inquest examination revealed
no abrasion of the skin, and no marks what
ever. We did not learn to what cause the
physicians assigned the death, but heard it said
that it was probably the result of congestiye
chill.
Mr.. W. F. Smith brought the proceedings of
the jury of inquest to the county clerks Office
| for recordation. It was thought proper to
transmit them to the State authorities, then If
so directed, they could be sent back and placed
on record here.
These arc the facts of the case as we have
learned them directly from gentlemen who
witnessed the whole affair, and whose integrity
is above suspicion. -.
| Messrs. Mason & Hoge, to whom the COM
munication particularly alludes as the coHtrac-
tors, are gentlemen of high character, and al
| buey udNC years hOIhCu COuNlCIc
! on public Improvements, have never been
charged with cruelty or unkindness to them.
We do not believe they would knowingly tole-
rate anything of the kind on their works.
Apart from the inhumanity feature Of it, their
own interest would suggest consderate kind
ness, so far as their Instructions from the prison
| authorities would allow.
The communication in THE REPUBLICAN, is
written in fretful spirit, and misstates facts.
l In tho first nlapa II that Mason e. H0On
had at one time been Qverseers themselves.
This is not so. In the next place, it assumes
that only colored convicts are hired TO work on
public improvements. This is an error. Both
white and colored are disposed of in this way,
and it Is optional with the contractors which
| eolored; while several years ago Messrs. Burn
ham q Gordon selected the whites, and
worked on the Chesapeake and Ohio road Over
one hundred Of them. White couyicts are also
worked in the quarries about Richmond, on
the same conditions that colored conyicts are
worked. We arr informed also that the regu-
lations of the State prison allow the infiiction
Of strikes to the amount Of thirty-nine when 1t
Is found necessary to enforce discipline with
both white and black.
Ii we could consult merely the emotions of
humanity, much of the harshness of prison dis
ciplne would be modified. But we must con-
slider crime in its relation to socety-to the com
munlty at large, and attach to it such penal
ties and hardships as will make the violation of
law the antecedent of punishment and suffer-
ing, and thus by rigid adherence to well set
tied rules governing culprits, prevent the COM
mission of criminal offences. Did we d scoyer
any discrimination in the application of the
law in the trial of an accused or the enforce
ment of prison rules after conviction between
whites and blacks, we certainly should promptly
denounce and expose it. Crime is crime, let It
be committed by whom it may, whether white
or black. A white criminal should not be, and
we believe is not, allowed any immunity, be-
cause of the color of his skin.
Some of the colored people are apt to mag
nifty even imaginary wrongs. They are dis
posed to look melely.at the punishment in
hicted, and not to the crime committed, and |
allow their sympathies and feeling to overcome
their judgment. The complaints in the COM |
munication in THE REPUBLICAN are ofthischar-
acter, are not justiaed, so far as our knowl- |
edge goes, by the ADMINISTRATION of the laws in |
Virginia, and especially ir this portion Of the.
State. 49,. -
We have devoted this much to this matter
in order to put this case Of Joseph Wilson be-
fore the public, just as We learned the facts |
from parties whose statements are entitled to
the fullest credence-parties who have no in
terest in the matter, except as citizens. As to
Messrs. Mason Il Hoge, no men stand higher.
They are gentlemen In all the relations of life,
and no considerations could induce them to
practice cruelty upon anv one, and especially
those placed under their control, and for whose
proper treatment they are responsible.
FOREIGN NOTES.