The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-11-20
GTncKAnR No &

published in the newspapers, that the
undersigned Board Of Directors &c said
Road feel 1t due TO the public, to them
selves and to the employees of th5 Road.
to make the following plain statement Of
facts:
1t is sadly true thas during the little
over two years that the convicts have
been at work on orr Road, about half of
those we had in charge have died, but 1T
is also true, that about half of all their
deaths occurred the five next succeeding
months of the present year, dating from
April 20, 1879. when we received our last
batch of convicts from the Penitentiary,
and we are sorry to have to add, that We
now believe most of them died of scuryy,
although undoubtedly very many of the
dead convicts likewise had syphilis and
other chronic diseases.
I at each of fthestockades established on
our Road every reasonable effort has been
made by the Board to provide for the
comfort and health of the convicts scotl-
sistenf with their safe-keeping. Every
.stockade has had good spring or we'll of
pure water. A, large. yard has been en-:
closed for exercise of the sick /; commo-
dious prison pens have been erected, an
other separate structure for hospital has
been built, still another cabin for con-
missary stores put up, another for guard
house, yet another for the superinten-
dent hesides tsge Large tteent!ss 60: =s:;c: 6
uses. A bountifil supply of bacon, corn
bread, peas and such other vegetables as
could be bad in the neighborhc1d have
been the usL al diet of the we'll convicfs,
but they have also had potatoes, onions,
sugar, molasses, turnips, coiiards, etc, by
the barrel or wagon load, and lemons by
the box, while -four, rice, chickens, milk
and other delicecies have been furnished
the sick In large Quantities, both by the
company and by the neighboring citizens.
Many and many o box of tobacco has
been served to the well convicts and
whiskey has been freely administered to
the sicfF ones, especially since we ascer.
tanned, on the 10th day of August last,
that they had scurvy, since which time
they have Eiso been supplied literally
with ripe fruit, vegetables, fresh meats,
pure apple vinegar, potatoes, &c. Par
tlcular care and attention have also been
given to the cooking, and regular dipio.
matlzed pFactioing physician has been
employed TO sattend to- the ssck ut each
stockade. Cleanliness of. person. quar-
ters, night-tnbs, etc., has been studiousiy
observed. An abundance of medicine,
shoes, clothing. blankets, etc., have al.
ways been kept on hand, except once or
twice n summer when we have been G
little short of clothing and shoes. but
during the present year each of our con-
ivicts has had three suits of clothes.
The convicts may have been pressed
somewhat hard at tines to finish partic.
ular jobs of work, but ordinarily they
have not been oyer-worked, and have
oitener worked less than ten hours dny
than they have worked the full ten hours.
AS rule they have never had less than
an hour for dinner and rest in winter
and from two to- four hours in summer,
according to the length of the day or the
heat of the weather. The superinten.
dent, eveTseers and guards have never
abused the convicts habitualiJ Or even in
particular Instances to our collective OF
individual knowledge, and some one OF
more of the directors, who reside Mt shert
intervals all along the line of road. have
almost, daily, and frequently several times
q day, either visited the stockade where
the convicts were kept for the time or the
llrailroad where they were at work. No
ONE but the superintendent or head over.
seoE mas been permitted to inflict punish
ment, and they only with strap. and Il
scars are to be found on The heads or per-
sons of any of the convicts we have had
in charge las is alleged by some of the
newspapers,) we unqualifiedly deny tha:
they have been inflicted by our en-
pioyees, except pefhap5, in ono or two
instances, for an attempt TO revolt OF
escape. Yet, although such has, been
our general sreatment,S the sickhess aud
mortality, as before stated, has been very
great, especially during. last summer and
srr::SS. rhss snnysy tEas the nnost fat tal
disease hardly admits of doubt, and al
though we had the best medical attention
in the neighborhood Of each stockade,
and although numerous country physi.
clans visited each of the stockades-No.
3, and 8, where nesrly oil the deaths
nave occurred-yet we were not informed
OF the presence of scuryy until the 18th
August last. when it was discovered in
most'of the conyicts by q medical com.
rlitsse eens.ss::aSS CO nssss. J. o.. Maxwell
9: ~. Burkhalter and 3! q. Merriwether.
RAT 1T was scurvy which produced most
Of the mortality is proven by the fact
th9t az sooH as the prisoners were treated
and dieted Tor senrVy, there was almost
an instantaneous change for the better
and only one death has occurred from
disease at this stockade during the last
month, and only two other deaths as, We
| are Informed have happened. among the
twenty-five lconyiots returned by us to the
| penitentiary on the ,26th September
! nearly all which twenty I've were RAPIDLY
convelescihg at tbs time OF 'thsir idepatt.
nre for Columbia. -
| Tho scurvy of course was greatly 40.
| gravated durinf thepast summer bEs chs
almost universal aud pfotfaeted drought
~ The E= M ...s 4 :5,l.e5, pre- .eIitiIiES III
from supplying the cohvicts with the
fresh vegetables they ysotld have other.
wise received On tho 9Th day of April
last our company received aeventy-iiye
conSicts from the penitentiary 4cith6u
| any nlezicdk crdRtindtio;a BIZ our snrdeon
and that many of those eonvicts, as wt
| are Informed, were afflicted with syphilis
| aropsy, general debility or other eonsti.
tntional diseases, which rendered them
unfit for grading q railroad, and made
them easy victims for the ravages of dis.
ease. Although fonr written contract
called for seventy-five table bodied" con.
victs. yet we received .sesen under fifteen
| ysars OF age, and otheSs having syphilis
epilepsy, etc. We do not CHARGE tia
! those convicts we're the picked ;nyalidc
/ pf the penitentiRgy, but it Is not reasnri
able that the most III lde. .b1died or healthy
were selected by the overseers in the pen.
itentiary, to be sent TO us, particniarI,
when We were 30 glad to get any, chat =.
took all who were offered without inspec.
tion or accumulation. Among them yTert
undoubtedly several who had been re-
turned to the penitcntiary as seo1ts lsss by
other iessees. If we or our employee,
have been guilty of wanton abuse 0,
our trust we have takcn strange way d