The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-18
SHOCKING TREATMENT.
Kentucky Convicts Abused and Beaten
Until Two of Th. m Die.

II
Until Two of Ths Die.
| ST. LOUIS, September IA special from
Lexington, KY, says: The Coroner's jury
! finished its inquest into the death of John
! O'Brien and James Smith, the two convicts
alleged to have been killed at the convict
/ camp at the water works reservoir. The
I testimony revealed terrible state Of affairs
| at the camp and the most inhuman treat
ment of the convicts by their keepers. Drs.
| Buckner and Scott, who held a post NOR
! tenn on the bodies, testified that O'Brien
showed bruises upon both sides of the chest
and upon the back and scrotum- The
bruises were not sufficient to have killed a
well man, but would certainly be serious to
sick one and hasten his death. The negro
/ Smiths body showed no signs of mistreat-
ment except a confusion upon the head,
which was not considered fatal. The doc
tors thought that Smith had pleurisy, and
that neither OBrien nor Smith were in con-
ditiOn to work. The bodies of the men
were in an advanced stage of decOmpoSi-
ton, therefore the autopsy was not as salts
factory as 1t might otherwise have been.
| 4 SAD STORY.
Green Parker, a convict, whose time ex-
| pired Friday, testified that w. B. Conner
whipped O'Brien severely three or four
times Tuesday with leather strap, because
he would not work, O'Brien protesting all
the time that he was sick and could not
work. Half an hour after the first whip
| ping Conner went to where O'Brien was sit
ting in the sun and felt his pulse. He then
said: There is nothing the matter with
yOu," and knocked him down and kicked
him in the side several times. j. J.
! Quinn, guard also kicked O'Brien sew
eral times. OBrien got on his knees and
begged for mercy, saying he would work if
he could, but was too sick. IF you have
no pity for me, - he pleaded ''have pity on
my poor wife and children" Conner
cursed him and said, Cd d-n you, I'll
kill you, instead of thinking about hell.''
About this time Quinn knocked the
negro (Smith) down, and tried to get some
of the convict carriers to run their
carts over both Smith and O'Brien, who lay
senselesS on the ground. Smith rose and in
daZed manner
ATTEMPTED TO sTAGGER AWAY.
and Quinn called upon the other guards to
shoot him. OBrien and Smith were then
| taken to their quarters and died within an
hour. O'Brien never spoke after he was
or thirty cOnvictS were examined, and
they all told the same story and
subStantiated Parker'S statement Captain
cambridge, of the firm of Mason & Co.,
who are working the convicts, was present,
and told each of the convicts to tell the
whole truth, without fear. and he would
protect them, and they testified unre-
Servedly.
RFATFN
According to the testimony, the convicts
are treated very brutally, and are not al
lowed to sit down from four a. III. to seven
p. m., being compelled to stand while eat
ing their meals of corn bread and bacon.
Several of the conyictS made profferS of
their bodies, showing where they had been
lashed mercileSSly, as the still Tester
ing wounds evidenced. They testified that
the guards have a habit of Handwriting
prisoners and whipping them with lash
through which tackS are stuck. The Cor
Oner's Jury found a verdict that John
O'Bren came to his death at the hands of
w. B. Conner and j. j. Quinn, and James
Smith at the hands of j. j. Quinn. Conner
is in Jail under the charge of murder, but
Quinn left the country last Thursday. Cap
tain cambridge has telegraphed in
all directions to have him arrested and
brought to justice. cambridge ex-
presses great astOniShment at the revela-
tions made to the corOner'S jury. His con-
fidence in Conner has been so great that he
has not given the camp his personal super
vision, but has remained at his headquarters
in Winchester.
TALK OF LYNCHING.
Great excitement prevails and there is talk
of organizing mob to take Conner out of the
Jail and hang him, and to go to the convict
camp and furnish all the cOnvicts with
plain clothes and turn them loose, but better
counsel is Eikely to prevail The cOnvicts,
three or four hundred in number, were
brought here several months ago to con-
struct the reservoir of the new water works
by Mason Il Co., the contractors, who are
also lessees of the Kentucky penitentiary,
and majority of the citizens have objected
to it all along. Money has been raised to
buy OBrien new coffin and ShrOud, and
his body will be taken from the convict
burying ground and reinterred in the CathO-
lie cemetery. O'Brien's family reside i'll
New York city. He had been sent up from
Paducah for two years for forgery.