New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-29
The PENITENrIARY,
The Case Of Thomas l.. Noysns.

The Case Of Thomas l.. Morsaa.
Tho Madison journal Of the thirteenth
instant contained an account Of the death
Of Thomas L. Morgan, man sentenced to
hard labor in tho Penitentiary. vho Was
killed by hard labor ontof it. in defiance Of
Law and humanity. The account vas re
published in tho REPUBLICAN Of the six
teenth instant, and at tho same time the
announcement was made that "the atten:
ton Of Colonel James, the new lessee of the
Penitentiary, had been directed to the mat
ter. and he has ordered Thorough and
searching investigation into the facts Of this
case" A. one step toward IL the foreman
or captain Of the Penitsntiary, under whose
orders Morgan was when he died, writes
the following letter:
NAw CARrnAsE. TESsA. PAxIsk,l
July %, 1875.
To Major .. L. James Kenner, Louis ala:
SIR received your letter Of tho seven
teenth instant. and am surprised at the
news it contains; mean in relation to that
man T. L. Morgan. He did not work q
single day. He took the chill and fever on
the boat coming up and died in five days
after, a. my report to Mr.. Malta will show.
The cause Of his death DO not know, but
was told it was congestion Of the stomach.
He did not seem to be very sick. At the
time We had just arrived and were not
fixed up. The guards and myself were
sleeping on the ground on the bank Of the
lake.
There 10 no doctor living close by, and
therefore We had none; but We had all the
medicines he wanted, and We did all that
was in our power for him. We have doc
tor now. He came yesterday. We have =
great many sick with fever. About twenty
five men are laid up. You have my report
about the man that was killed at Cotton
wood Store. After being shot by the guard
when he ran through the lines, he refused
to surrender above, and WAS shot and killed.
We have good food and plenty of clothes.
Yours truly. CHARLES LESAGE.
This amounts to nothing moro than .
plea Of not guilty for Charles Lesage. 1t il
not an investigation; it is not even ad-
missible evidence toward il. An investi.
cation includes all the statements of every
ono who witnessed any alleged fast. II
matters not whether these statements are
on oath or not, OF whether the law has de-
prived the witnesses Of tho privilege. Of
taking an oath and prima facie credibility
or not. If sufficient testimony is taken, the
truth will appear, whether tho convict or
his keeper tells it. Any one would rather
have the unsworn tale of q convict on the
death of . mate than the oaths of forty
keepers who were suspected Of having a
share in the killing.
Mr.. LIE Sage says: "He did not work q
single day. What was he doing there
thens Also: He took chill and fever on
the boat coming up OF course he did,
and it also appears by the letter twenty
five more have chill apiece. "And died in
five days after. as my report to Mr. Malta
will show" Why, of course it will show it.
Is it likely, whether Mr.. Lesage did it or
not, that the report would, show that he
took this man, sick with chills and fever,
and kept him at work, giving him all the
medicine he wanted till he died! Not much
The letter is all very we'll as fur as it goes:
it amounts to just this: That Mr. Lesage
says he is not guilty of one-half of the
ctiense-the killing. To prove it he will
have to call in the testimony of the con-
victs. And all their testimony is wanted
not merely one or two who will, under the
eye Of their keepers, swear they have never
been fogged, when their backs look as if a
map of Petroleumville was engraved on
them. But the other and graver half of the
offense, the employing of Thomas L. Nor
gan and "about twenty-five men laid up"
hundred miles from the Penitentiary. What
is the answer to that's
THAT man." Thomas L. Morgan, was
Union soldier, and good one, from Mis-.
souri. He graduated from Q commercial
college in St. Louis, enlisted in Company C,
Eighth Missouri Volunteers, 40 Q private,
and served in the second division under
Sherman and Blair, till he rose to
be captain. He served throughout the
Vicksburg campaign, and was . fine, hand
some, excellent captain. and tho youngest
in the regiment. When the war was over
he came with the late General Frank P.
Blair to Milliken's Bend a. clerk, and re-
NAMED 10 the State ever since. If his death
was nastened by abuse, his character is
known to have been too amiable TO have
provoked it, and he is entitled to the
Thorough investigation" that Colonel James
promised. By all means let the investiga-
ton be thorough, for many old comrades
now in New Orleans who loved him hear
for tho first time Of his sad fate, and many
; schOOlmate and friend in St. Louis will
watch anxiously for the result. Warm
friends they are Of him that is gone, he who
has paid With his life ior one rash act when
Tho law was pledged for it's protection. If
,ot merely for their satisfaction, then, let
'he investigation be through that the labors
IT the next Legislature may be lightened.
The levees.
General JEFF Thompson. State Engineer,
las just returned from an inspecting tour
'long the upper levee, and reports every
hing as satisfactory as could be expected