Huntsville gazette., 1882-12-23
there is being through the cracks be-
tween the logs. The room lis 90 feet


tween the logs. The room .is 30 feet
long, % feet wide. and 9 feet high
In it there are huddled at night fir m
$50 to 200 eonvicts. The walls are SUP
piled with 3 tiers of hunks flied with
foul and vermin invested straw and
moldering and ragged blankets. One
in length Of this bed-space is allowed to
each man. The cell is provided with 3
tubs i'm which the prisoners may wasi
and like number of buckets for what
ever other necessities they may have.
All the convicts, white and black, W ear
schackles. These consist of an ireH
hoop fastened und the ankle, TO
which is attached a chain 3 feet bong
and terminating in a ring. When they
are at work or at meals the riny end OF
the chail. is attached 10 belt fastened
| around the waist. In marching to and
| from the mines and at night the con
victs are chained together in Squads by
detaching these short chains from tn.
belts and lassing long and contin :
ous chain through the rings. When
DR.. CASTOR visited the camp he saw
| them as they came out of the mines to-
gether in this way. When the long
chain was passed through the rim rs the
schackles were carefully examined, link
| by link, to see that they had not been
| tampered with. This examination con
sumed nearly an hour. When it WAS
concluded the convicts were marched to
the eating g-hnuse, where they were ter
ribIy crowded around tables which We e
keep down the foul odors. Each pris-
oner had a tin cup and plate, but no
knife or fork or spoon. They were
OF liged to eat their supper, dirty, IS
the, came out OF the mines. They were
allowed no opportunity to wash their
hands or faces. After lsuEper they
were turned inio "the cells" where,
before gettit & into the hunks, they
we're expected TO hang up their filthy
working clothes to dry during the
night. In summarizing an extended
account of these, the terrible conditions
under which the unfortunates at New
Castle are obliged to exist and work,
Dr.. CASTOR. says in substance :''There
is particularly to be noted that the food
which is served to the convicts is Of
the coarsest description, and that much
given to them cold. There is
also to notel tue bed-sl .ace-a mas
lress abo feet Z inches long and 3
I,s. for : white men and foot
2nd a h;lfi of bed space for e4ch cOlored
convict; the revolving filthy condition
! of the mattresses and blankets, the sup
ply of water and tlbs for personal ab-
luton, tubs the size Of half barrels for
20 white convicts, three tubs of the
same size Tor more than l50 cOlorel con
victs; the presence in the cells at night
Of buckets containing the fecal and ur-
uol VI Tile COuVlCIS, 4
very trying change of temper atur ex-
perienced, particularly in winter, on
coming from hard work in a hot mire
in wet clothing and standing still for
an hour or more in a shelter, so called.
which is only partially and very i'm
perfectly protected by weather board
fhg ana at last-the frequent logging
for failure TO perform the daily tasAs.'
1t may be well TO repeat with as
| much ulStlnctneSS as Is possible that
these recently ascerLained facts in re-
gard To 1.-THE best managed convict
camp in Alabama" are supplied by an
| officer of the Democratic GOvernm enI7
| Of the State. They have been obtained
as they are now printed, without par
tisan pupose or inte It of any kind.