The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-01-15
TIE CONVIC1' OU1R AGES.
"A Moderate and Probably Truthful State-
mont from Ono ftho Victims.
From the News and Courier.

mont from Ono oftho Victims.
From the News and Courier.
Allen Hill is colorcu man who was
sent as one OF the conyicts from the
penitentiary to work on the Green
wood and Augusta Railroad. lie re-
ceived q pardon from Governor
Hampton, and returned to his home i'm
Columbia, where he now is. His gem
eral reputation is good, his pardon
having been obtained by the earnest
efforts ofmany influential white citi-
Zcns who believed his statement that
he was innocent of the crime of which
was convicted, cattle Stealing, having
been dupcd into assisting in driving
some stolen stock. These circum-
stances, and the fact that having been
pardoncd his evidence is good before a
court of law, render his testimony val
liable.
Hc was visited by reporter for the
Nctos and Courier on Monday night
at his house in a row locally known as
"Sharp's Jail" near Arsenal Hill, Co
lllmDia. Hc was found sitting before
the fire contcntcdly smoking u pipe,
several members Of his family being
seated about him. He is middlc-agcd
black man, tall, well made, and type
OF the ordinary colorcd man in dress,
manners and conversation. lie rcudi-
~ answered the questions put to him,
being cautioned that only facts within
his own knowledge were wanted
His statement is rs follows:
lie was sent to the pcnitcntiary in
May, 1877, and went to the Greenwood
and Augusta Railroad in October of
That year. Was in good health when
nc lett the pcnitcntiary. Remained on
the road until the 1st of April, 1878,
when his pardon arrived.
HAD A PLENTY TO EAT
while he was there, but the work was
sevcrc--gcnerally from O'Clock in tho
morning to 6 in the evening. Coos
fires were generally lighted for the
men while they We're at work, and they
were tolcrably well cared for in the
stockaeds. They were allowed one
blanket each, and lay on pine straw.
That was at "Pattcrson's'' stockade.
Capt. Calill punished the men "pretty
sharp" "He was right bad fellow -
The mems legs were all sore from be-
ing kept on tho chain, and they were
lett IN 1T in that condition. Hill him
self had never been beaten, but he had
seen Capt. Cahill beat men on the
work with
A BIG BLACK STICK.
lic had seen men knocked down by
him, and some knocked scnsclcss. Re
mcmbercd among those so treated one
colorcd man named Scott, and a white
man, name unknown, and there were
others. Capt. Cahill never whipped q
man when he came down, but ALWAYS
used his stick. Would say that men
were beaten with sticks by Capt. Ca
hill as often as three or four times a
wcck--hardly every day. He fire.
quently cut mems heads badly when he
struck them. When he knocked them
scnscless hc gave orders to 'let 'en lie
there, d-'em, till they get their
minds about 'em." When a man re-
gained his senses he would go back to
work. Men were
WHIPPED OFTEN--EYERY DAY,
with straps, and frequently severely.
Had seen men worked on tho road
whom he believed to be sick. Saw one
man taken sick ut work, who told
Capt. Cahill he was sick and unable to
continue. Capt. Cahill told him he
should work, and took him down the
road and had him whipped. Made
him work. They carried him home to
the stoclade in the evening and whip
ped him again there. The next day q
pardon came for that man. Flo was
sent to Greenwood. and there, so Hill
says, died, being unable to 90 further.
"MY TOES TELL ABOUT ME-"
said Hill, looking down at his bare
feet. "Thcy arc all tros' bit" One
OF the women sitting near by laughed
as she said, eyes, all dc ends OBJ Aliens
toes bit OIL" and Hill joined in the
laugh at what seemed to be considered
a joke on himself. Hc stated that Ca
hill wanted to make him walk home in
the condition he was when his pardon
came, but Mr.. Bradley insisted on his
being furnished q mule to ride to
Greenwood on, and got him one. Hc
ascribed his general compa rativcly e. oil
treatment to Mr.. Orchard, one Of the
guards, who, he said, knew him, and
he believed, "kcp many q hard lick"
off him that he would otherwise have
gotten. Ho had worked full time
while on the road. Had never been in
the hospital. The stockade was kept
pretty clean while he was in it, but all
the men suffered greatly from cold.
Saw convict named
DAN BROWN SHOT BY A GUARD
named Hunter. Brown was running
off down the road and refused to halt.
He was killed. Had never seen any
one knock the men with sticks except
Capt. Cahill. Hill stated, and his wife
confirmed il, that when he got home
his body and limbs were so swollen that
he would stick in a large arm chair,
that he pointed out, and have to be
pnllcd out forcibly. He did not be.
lievc that he would have lived had il
not been for Mr.. Orchards protection
10 him. He believed short time
longer on the work would have killed
him dead. The day Brown was killed
another convict d d, and the
TWO BODIES LAY OUT ON THE BARE
GROUND
in tho yard all night. Thenncxt morn
ing. they were taken off in wagon
and buried somewhere.
Hill gave vivid account of his feel
ings and the circumstances of his re-