New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-16
The Penitentiafy.

ing narrative of outrage, cruelty and crime:
It is reported that T. L. Morgan, who
was convicted of manslaughter at the last
term of our district court, and sentenced to
hard labor in the Penitentiary for the term
of ten years, died the other day near New
Carthage. Morgan had killed an old col.
ored man at Millikens Bend, without the
composed entirely of colored men, found
him guilty of manslaughter only. They
thought the killing was done without
malice, in the frenzy of drunken passion.
and hence their verdict. Morgan, who had
lived at Milliken's Bend since the sur.
render, had always comported himself in
quiet, peaceful manner. and was we'll liked
by all classes of his neighbors. Ee never
had any disputes or difficulties with them,
good man! He had been q soldier in the
Union army. had reached the rank of cap
tain in General Frank Blairs division,
though hardly more than boy when the
war closed. The act for which he suffered
was committed while under the madden.
ing influence OF m ,an whisky, and upon the
person of one of his best friends.
But we did not sit down to write Nor.
gan's eulogy, or to justify the homicide for
which he was sent to the Penitentiary. Our
task is with his murderers, for, before high
heaven and the criminal law of the land.
the men who, in direct cOntraventiOn OF
law, took poor Morgan from the Peniten-
tiary, under the burning sun of midsummer,
with his delicate constitution already en-
feebled by long confinement, never accus-
toned to hard labor, and put him at work
under exactine, unfeeling and irresponsible
tsskmasters, which requires the most vigOr-
ous habit OF the best trained laborer to ac-
complish in this climate at the most favor.
able season Of the year, are his murderers.
No man of common sense and experience,
with q s0uf in his body, would ever think
Of putting men at levee building in mid
summer in the woods of the swamps of
Louisiana. Tho most exacting slave mas
ter; under the most pressing exigency,
would never have thought OF putting his
slaves at such work. with the faro and
treatment which are given to the convicts of
our Penicentiary. Half fed and halt clothed,
they are incapable OF the labor at any sea-
son of the year.
If the officials of this State will not put q
stop to this murder0us system of hiring out
the Penitentiary convicts, the people should.
II the good of society requires that men
should be sent to the Penitentiary, it re.
quires that they should be kept there until
the term of their sentence is fulfilled. If
man deserves death, let it be administered
by the rope, by the proper officers, and not
by tho slow. lingering, torturing process by
which poor Morgan met his fate. If the
lessees of the Penitentiary, in spite OF the
law, will hire the c0nvicts to work on rail
roads. levees and plantations, let the peo-
pie, in the right of self-prOtection and re.
spect for the law, drive them-cOnvicts,
keepers and lessees- back to the prison
where they belong. The moneys that are
work are the rightful perquisites of the hon
est laborers Of the country, and they ought
to have their own.
It il possible there is another side to this
story. The attention of Colonel James, the
new lessee Of tho Penitentiary, has been
directed to the matter, and he has ordered q
thorough and searching investigation into
the facts of this case. Should the state
ments Of the Journal be c0rrob0rated, the
colonel will make an example of the guilty
parties. which will prevent like occurrence
in the future.
The journal of the same date contains
the following:
Solomon Connor. alias 'F'rog," who was
sent to the Penitentiary from this parish
soon after the adjournment of our last dis
trict court, for the term of his natural life,
made his appearance in Delta, last Thurs
day, and was arrested and placed in jail by
Sheriff Cramer, where he awaits requisi-
ton from Mr.. Duncan +. kenner's Home
Manufacturing Company. "Frog" says that
he was out cutting down some timber, and
as the tree which he was cutting began to
fall, the guards in attendance ran away,
and he thought he would run too, but he
took different direction. He says there
were several cOnvicts with him at the time,
three of whom attempted to escape; one
was shot, and two besides himself succeed
ed. Of the two who made their escape
with him, he says one was white man
from Carroll parish, and the other colored
man sentenced for life.
A few days ago q strange colored man,
about eleven o'clock at night, hailed for q
skiff to cross Bayou Vidal, opposite E. w.
Smiths plantation. Horace House took 0
skiff over, and after suffering some abuse
from the stranger for not beisg more expe-
ditious. demanded two bits for his services.
The stranger drew large knife and made
for House, who escaped by jumping into
the bayou; but about this time Mr.. A.
attack, drew his revolver and shot the
stranger, killing him on the spot. An ex-
animation of the body discovered that he
had on a penitentiary ehirt, and he ia sup.
posed to be one of those who escaped with
"Frog."
"Frog" says he don't like the Penitentia.
ry as we'll as he docs Delta, and we don't
blanc him for leaving. He came up part
Of the way on the Natchez, but changed
boats when ne discovered that some of the
crew had an idea of OBTAINING him. Judge
HOugh sentenced "Frog" to hard labor in
the Penitentiary for lite. The Louisiana
Home Manufacturing Company changed
the sentence to labor on somebody's plsnta-
ton or some levee or railroad. We don't
object particularly to the change, but we do
object to his coming to Madison parish.
The warden of the Penitentiary was we'll
advised of the character of this convict,
and that he had declared that he would not
remain in the Penitentiarv one month. He
is q treble murderer and as utterly regard
less Of human life as the most vicious ami
NAL that ever existed, and the people of
this parish want him kept out of it.
Colonel James states that since January
1, 1875, but eight men have escaped of the
gang which is employed on the 1ailroad be-
tween Kenner and Manchac. Of these,
three have been recaptured. There are now
at work ON the Jackson railroad track 800
convicts, sixty-five at work on the levee in
Tensas parish, ninety employed ON planta-
tions, and ll3 inside the prison walls.
Those on plantations were not put there
by Colonel James, but by the Home Manu-
Company, whom he has lately
succeeded. They will be taken off imme-
diately and put at other work. Colonel
James promises many other reforms, which
will no doubt make the Penitentiary more
nearly what the law designed it to be than
it has been of late. We sincerely hope
such will be the case, and shall take more
pleasure in recording any change for the
better than we have had in calling atten.
ton to instances of announcement