The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-01-08
SICKENING REVELATIONS.
Treatment of the Convlcts on the Green
wood and Augusta Observation-Disclosures
Cruelty and Neglect.
Ne,vs and Courier.

The following are the reports of the
superintendent and surgeon of the State
Penitentiary as to the treatment of the
convicts leased to the Greenwood and
Augusta Railroad Company, which were
called for by the Senate at its recent ses-
sion, and by that body ordered to be
printed:
THE REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT LIPS
COMB.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Sept, 2, 1879.
To the Chairman and Board of Directors, S.
c. p.
GENTLEMEN-Having received let.
ter from Gen. P. H. Bradley, president
of the Greenwood and Augusta Railroad,
stating that great deal of mortality and
sickness existed among the convicts leas.
ed to that company, I conferred with the
chairman of the board, showing him the
letter. He instructed me to 60 over there
and make an inspection of their condi-
ton, and at my suggestion be instructed
me to take DR.. Trezevant, the surgeon of
the institution, with me, to see what
could be done to ameliorate their condi-
ton.
DR.. Trezevant and myself appointed
the morning of the 21st of August to 60
on the inspection. On the night of the
goth I received the attached note from
DR.. Trezevant, saying he conld not 60,
and I proceeded by myself on the morn
ing of the 21st.
1 met the Hon. A. P. Butler, one of the
board of directors, in Augusta, about IL
O'Clock the same morning. We left i'm
mediately for the camp on the South
Carolina side, in Edgefeld County, about
nineteen or twenty miles distant, which
we reached about 5 P. NJ. 8.
found in one end of the stockade nine
sick men chained on what was intended
to be straw bed, but the straw was too
thin to do much good. I could not stand
the awful stencil, and had to direct the
guard to unchain them and bring them
out in front of the stockade. l found
them in a deplorable condition, all of
them complaining of veuereal diseases,
swollen limbs, &c. l then went to the
so.called hospital, where I found three
sick-two white men and one black man.
They had some straw to lie upon and
were all chained. They were all cover
ed with vermin and feas-.so much so
that was forced to leave the room. /
don't see how it was possible for well
man to exist in these places we'll treated,
much less a sick man with no treatment,
or so little that I regarded it as none.
They had no change of clothing, no
shoes, no covering of any description that
1 could see. They reported that they
had had no medicine and no medical
treatment except one dose of paregoric
in the three days preceding, and their nour-
ishmeDt was fat bacon and bread. left
the camp and proceeded 10 where they
were at work on the road, about a mile
and half distant. I found about sew
enty.fve men at work on the road,
clothed in the Penitentiary stripe that 1
had sent to Gen. Rradley about five weeks
before. 1t was so late that I could only
look at their condition generally and
postpone the inspection until next morn
ing.
l went next morning to where they
were at work, called the roll and inspec-
ted them. / found great many of them
complaining of venereal diseases and
swollen limbs, and almost all with sour
Wy. They were very dirty in person and
clothing-having no change; some Of
them said they had not washed for weeks.
1 saw no blankets or bed clothing for
them to lie upon or cover with.
I heard great and loud complaint
about the cruel treatment of convicts by
Capt. J. J. Cahill and his guard. One of
them, w. II. McGarvey, No. 2,125,
showed Col. Butler and myself scars upon
his head which he said were caused by
blows from stick in the hands of Capt
Cahill, and persons outside gave the
same information. Capt. Gahhi,l himself,
in reporting those that were dead, ia
formed me that the guard had shot one
while in shackles and fastened to the
gang chain, claiming that he was in re-
volt. We heard that Cahill had ordered
the guard to shoot him.
The convicts were generally i'll such a
bad condition that I deemed it my i'm
perative duty to send the surgeon of this
institution to see them.
The sickness and mortality being so
great heard that some of the directors
Of the road had resigned, and DIR. 7. j.
McKie, their surgeon, had ceased to visit
the conyicts professionally. l was in.
formed that he had refused to continue
to treat the convicts because his pre-
scriptions were not filled nor his orders as
to treatment and nourishmeut carried
out.
I returned to Columbia on Saturday,
the 23d, and sent DR.. Trezevant to make
a similar inspection on the morning of
the 25th, as will be seen by the following
order, approved by the chairman Of
the board, a copy of which l ap-
pend. His detailed report will accompa-
ny this paper.
On 25th September, 1877, they recciv-
ed 100 convicts; on 18th October, 1877,
they received 8 convicts; on 31st October,
1877, they received conviets; on I'd May,
1878, they received 65 convicts; on 9th
December, 1878, they received 40 con-
victs; on 7th April, 1879, they received
rs convicts; making, in all, 285 convicts.
Of this number Is were returned to the
Penitentiary before l took charge, 3S es-
capped, II were discharged, 7 pardoned,
and up to August 1st, according TO re-
ports submitted by Capt. Cahill, there
were SO deaths. 1 found when 1 went
there that 81 had died who were not re-
ported, the most of them in August,
making total of 114 deaths.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
T. ]. LIPscoMB, Superintendent.
TIE REPLY OF DIR. IRRELEVANT.
COLUMBIA, S. c., August 30, 1879.
Col. It. j. Lipsconb, Superintendent South
Carolina Pcnitcatiary:
DEAR SIR-In obedience to your and
Director Shields instructions, pro-
ceeded to Edgeield County to inspect
the condition of the convicts at work on
the Greenwood and Augusta Railroad.
I reached the stockade on Monday af-
ternoon, the 25th, and Immediately pro-
ceeded to the said inspection. 1 found
in the log pen. which is called the hos