Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1880-02-05
TENNESSEE coHvIcTs.
How They are Treat, ID at the
Sewanee Mines.
New York Tribune.

| hd'c oDtdlHeu as Uucn lnIOna-
tion about the way the convicts are
worked and treated as could be got in
few hours stay. All the men sem
fenced to the Tennessee peniteutiary
are leased to a single firm for seventy
thousand dollars year. The State is
at no charge on their account, save
the salaries Of Inspectors, the cen
tractors being bound to receive the
prisoners when convicted by the ]
CO lrts, transport them to the places
OF confinement, feed clotke and guard
them Formely the price paid the
State was thirty thousand dollars,
and the State paid the cost of trans
portation but at the last letting
the competition was sharp md the
price was ran up under the idea that
a great deal of money could be made
out Of convict labor. The contractors
are bound to keep men sentenced for
murder, rlpe and arson in the State
prison at Nashville. They also en-
ploy there such prisoners as are not
strong enough to do severe manual
labor. About Il hundred mel are sub
let to a company working mines in
East Tennessee, Il few are employed
on a cotton plantation in the western
part of the State, and the remainder
work in the mines about the coke
ovens in this place. OF the three
hundred and fifteen convicts here on
| ly thirty-hve are whites. There are
five female prisoners, who are kept
mending and darning. ! found only
four men in the hospital to day, and
they had nothing worse than bad
colds. The healthfulness of the
force is remarkable, considering the
hard life OF labor in the mines all day
and close confinement III cells at
night. The prison is a rude affair,
consisting Of high wooden buildings,
surrounded by a high plank stockade.
The narrow muddy spaces between
the buildings afford very little room
for out door recreati n. Judged by
4 Southern standard Il tolerable de-
gree of cleanliness is maintained.
Supper was on the table in the dining
hall as looked through the prison.
For each man there was tin plate
full of stewed potatoes, a big chunk
of cornbrcad and pint OF cOiTige. One
of the guards said meat was served
for breakfast and dinner. / went TO
the mine entrance with two of the
contractors to see the prisoners
march to the stockade. They came
in confused huddle--a black threat
ening clond of vilanous looking ne
groes, with here and there white
man, whose face was so begrimed
with coal dust as to be almost as black
as the rest Eight men armed with
double-barreled shot guns guarded the
aanks and rear. The dismal process
ion halted near where we stood and |
could see by close inspection of the
prisoners faces, that most of them
was of the lowest and most brutal
type of negroes A few wore fetters.
These said one of the contractors,
"are long term men. The motive to
, escape is so much greater with them
5 that we have to take extra precau-
TONS noticed a number of the
striped garb conyicts working around
: the coke ovens without guards.
} why don't these fellows run
:. away?" | asked.
Because they don't want to-" tn,
: contractor replied. I'VE have abou
: thirty whom we never guard"
What can make a man contentet
! with such life as they lead?'
: Il don't know. The negro is ell
Q rious animal. These men are attach
D ed to the place. Probably they neve
y got somuch to eat before in their lives
When their terms are up the will hir
q out to us as free laborers in order [,
remain here"
The contractors said the miner
y worked ten hours u day in summe
" and nine in the winter. They ha
N their tasks, and If they got out NOR
er than the prescribed number Of busl
n els, they were paid for the extr
10 amount. About fifty dolirrs q wee
- was usually paid out as extra none,
H There was very little trouble abot
ur discipline, he said, and punishmol
ig was seldom necessary. | hear !
,l- charges Of cruel treitment, Fortu
~ IN ately for the conyicts iii Tennesst
no the lcssees are gentlemen of humaI
i'll feelings, and the contract system
therefore seen here tho beet. 9a9ra
lU al ef Dsu ilpf