Huntsville gazette., 1882-12-23
Our COnyicts.
Horrors OF their treatment. A Holi
day study for our Legislators.

FROM long artlcle In ne new YORK
Times ON Southern Convict camps, VIZ
republish the following concerning
our own State. AS the Legislature
has under consideration the convict
system the subject deserves attention,
and we trust that public opinion will
express itself SO strongly in favor of a
reform that when that body assemblies
after the holidays it will speedily re-
form the present system.
Turning to Alabama, in regard to
whose prison system little or nothing
has until recently been known, it ap
pears that under the vicious lease plan
the death rate among convicts in that
State for the past 10 years has heen
nearly 600 per cent greater than in
the majority of the penitentiaries of
the North and Northwest, where the
average death rate is about per cent.
Referring to this startling fact, DIR. j.
b. CASTOR, the President of the Ala
bama Board of Health, has within the past
few days made certain disclosures which
are we'll worthy The careful attention of all
thoughtful men. The more SO because DIR.
CASTOR is a Southern gentleman of known
ability and standing, man in regard to
whom, as Democratic State officer, 1t will
certainly not be possible to bring the ia
miliar charge of partisan bias. From his
testimony, given without passion and after
careful Investigation, it appears that the
extensive convict camp ut the Newcastle
coal mines, which is referred to AZ "the
best managed camp in Ala. J" and which Oh
that account is selected for description, is
little better than second Black Hole Of
Calcutta, and not quite so desirable I,
residence as was the deaf. r~'cnn Of Ava
during the English Burmet war. What ia
known Rs 1.-THE camp ;el. for W l.. con
victs' is described as bs..,, II l.es io,. o. y.
feet wide, and 81 feet hign or to
ceiling. 1t is made to accommo late from
25 to So convicts Placing the number al
rs, each convict would have only about 18O
cubic feet Of space, or 220 cubic feet less
to each man than is allowed in British mil
itary prisons, and 1920 cubic feet less to
each man than is allowed in Eaglish mill
tary hospitals in warm and wet countries
like Alabama. At one end of the cell there
is door and ut the other one window q
feet wide and guarded by iron BARS
Through this window and number OF
holes in the logs of which it is built the
cell is ventilated. A platform extends a.
long one side of it and half way along the
other. This is divided by planks, to 10
inches wide, into hunks feet wide. In
each bunk there is straw mattress 5 feet
inches long and feet wide and a coarse,
heavy blanket Of mixed cotton and WOOL
Two conviots are obliged to sleep in each
bunk. Upon recent inspection the mat.
trcsses we're found to be Extremely filthy
ana swarming with bedbugs and other YER
min. The blankets were also as filthy as
they could be-saturated with coal-dust,
human sweat. and gresse. There were 2
tubs in the cell In whioe the convicts we're
expected to wash themselves The feeal
and urinary excretions were received in
buckets, which were not emptied until
the morning.
But terrible as are these conditions un
der which the whi te con victs are expect
ed to exist, tn cir situation must be re-
garded as an enviable one when COM
pared to that of their black brethren In
misery. The negro cell at Newcastle
has no window, such ventilation as