Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-07-24
GOD HAVE MERCY.

] Have We a Teukesberry Amongst
Us2 A Horrible Recital Of Brutal
Treatment at the Convict Camps
at Crew Lake.
Mr.. James J. Riley, Of New Orleans,
arrived In this city on Monday last, en-
route to the convict camp at Crew
Lake, La, on the line of The ", Sap.
railroad. Mr.. Riley's mission was a
sad one, he having heard only Satur-
day last, that his brother, a convict
there, had been dead about three
weeks. On his arrival here Mr..
Riley secured the services Of
Mr.. Frank ]. Fisher, assistant
sexton of this city, to 60 with
him to the point where his brother
had been buried and take the body
up, and put the remains in a casket so
that they could be taken back to New
Orleans for interment. A casket was
secured and a large box was lined
with zinc in which it was to be
shipped. Mr.. Riley and Mr.. Fisher
left on Tuesday mornings train for
the place that many poor unfortunates
had found relief from a punishment
worse than death by his body being
placed beneath the sod out of reach of
those lost to all mercy and feeling for
a fellow man. Phillip Riley, whose
death ended his sufferingS, was but a
boy, being only eighteen years and six
months old. He was sentenced to i'm
prisonment for one year for stealing a
box of tea, of which crime he proclaim
ed his innocence to the day of his death.
His brother had assurance that the
unfortunate boy would have been
~pardoned soon. Mr.. James J. Riley
and Mr.. Fisher related to a reporter OF
this paper last night a most heart
rendering statement of the condition
of the camps and the manner in which
the convictS are treated. There are
about 375 convicts in the camps who
are employed working on the railroad,
wheeling dirt, raising the road bed.
The entire camps are under the control
of Capt. G. T. Hustled. One of his
lieutenants, a man whose heart
is said to be as cold
and callous as stone, is one
Joe Nc. McQuarsers, who is known
among the prisoners as "Joe the
Butcher" He, Mr.. Riley said beat and
whipped his brother Phillip, after he
had fell at work sick and faint from
weakness, being ill with hux. The
boy plead to McQuarters in vain for
mercy, as he piled the lash while four
negro convicts were holding him down.
Young Riley was carried from the
pillory to what is called a hospital, he
soon became speechless and death, a
welcome visitor, took him beyond the
reach of the inhuman at Crew Lake.
Mr.. Riley said he received frequent
letters purporting to come from his
prisoner brother, in which it was
stated that he was we'll and kindly
treated, but soon another came which
revealed the actual situation. The
next letter told him of his death. Mr.
Riley said he ascertained that the let
tiers he had received first were never
written by his brother but by others
for a purpose. Mr.. Fisher said that he
neutrality-suspicious. newImade graves
in one place. Much other informa-
ton was received which for the pres.
ent is withheld. The public and espec-
tally the authorities Of Louisiana should
give this matter a searching ~investiga-
ton and bring the perpetrators of these
inhuman acts to justice. Our attention
has been called to this matter several
times and every charge has been cor
federated by the two gentlemen who
are just from the camps. For the
good name of Louisiana, for humanity
sake let no stone be left unturned
which will bring to the light Of day thu
true facts of this and other cases re
ported, and let justice be done and thu
guilty suffer. The authorities Of
Louisiana cannot fail to take cogni
zalce Of this case.