The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-06-25
Tie Returned COnvIcts,

The Register yesterday placed the
reading public in possession of the facts
that there were rumors Of repetition of
inhumnn treatment of convicts at the
camp, Of Maj. Twiggs, who is working
them on the line of the Savannah Valley
Railroad, in Abbeville County, and that
seven of the convicts from that camp
had been returned TO the Penitentiary 10
a disabled condition. Colonel John G..
Haskell, who had returned from Abbe.
vile on last Tuesday, informed the Gov.
ernor that reports of cruel treatment
inflicted upon the convicts employed on
the Savannah Valley Railroad were cur.
rent there. These reports stated that the
convicts were compelled TO work fifteen
hours day, and that the indications
strongly pointed to harsh treatment as
the cause Of two deaths which had occur.
red recently. At the Governors request,
Colonel Haskell submitted statement Of
these reports in writing; whereupon the
Governor Immediately directed the Su.
perintendent of the Penitentiary, accom-.
panied by the Surgeon, to make perso.
nal inspection of the convicts, and, after
careful investigation of the charges of
maltreatment, to make full report of
their condition. In accordance with
these instructions, Colonel Lipscomb and
DR.. Pope left on Wednesday for the con.
yict camp.
A reporter Of the Register was at the
ienilentiary yesterday morning when
DIR. Gaubert, who, in the absence of the
Physician Of the Pepitentiary attends to
his duties, examined these convicts
They were all negroes, their names being
Tom Williams, john Williams, Elias
Williams, Mussa Cameron, Joe Arm.
strong, Nathan Mitchell and Paten Will
son. Five Of them were In the hospital
where they had beer placed Immediately
on their arrival. They were suffering
from various causes, but nothing In thei,
cases pointed to any such brutal or severe
treatment at the camp rs indicated by
the rumors above alluded to. None o.
them made any complaint Of being them
selves subjected to treatment harshel
than being compelled TO leave their camI
before daylight in the morning in order
to reach the work, which WAS five or si1
miles away, working until dark and no
getting back to camp until about
o'clock at night. They all spoke Of th,
brutality practiced on some Of the other
con7icts by q white man named Jackson
from Georgia, who was left ia charge 0
them during the absence of Major Twigg
and Captain Cahill. In consequence o
the fearful beatings inflicted by this mar
on them two conyicts had died within ,
; month past, one being Sam. Fludd iroIl
OTangeburg County and the other Johr
FAINT, both negroes. Another convict
named Henry Porter, had been bound VI
with wires and beaten until, as the wit
nesses state, his back was left raw from
his neck down, and in that condition h
now lies at the camp. When Captain
Cahill returned TO the camp after al
absence Of about o week, during which
1t is alleged, these atrocities were perpe
trated by Jackson, tho latter left, as tn
witnesses believe, having been dismissed
by Captain CahilI.
II will be seen that tho Governor hn
acted promptly on receipt of the first in
formation, and while it IL likely that tn
rumored atrocities have been greatl,
magnified, there Is little room to doub
that the official investigation which Col
Lipscomb and DR.. Pope are now maxim,
on the spot, will show that sufficient caus
exists to justify the demand which wa
mado 30 emphatic during the last year
on the report of similar brutalities. tha
these exhibitions of inhumanity to these
defenseless creatures shall honceforth b.
made impossible by abolishing the sys
tenn OF leasing convicts outside the Peni
tentiary. Meanwhile eawait the deyel
opments which may be made on thu
return Of Col. Lipscomb and DR.. Pope
Columbia Register.