The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-07-08
SUPERINTENDENT LIPsCoMB's REPORT.
He Says. IL Have Never In my Life
Seen u Hannah Being Mere Brutal.
~ I:cntcn than Henry Por!rr"--
Extcnuatim@ FactS-.-HcfOrm Prom
SrrT.'TS OFFICE. s. G. pESTTEETIAEY,
Nh .MuIA = L. odd limo. nv

SrrT.'TS OFFICE. s. G.. P~EHITESTIAEY,
CoLrMniN,S e.. I'D June, l>l
TO HIS Err,hcncy U"yh S. Thompson, tiorcrhor
ri SpHM ChiTOii"u:
SIi;; have the honor To report that In
obedience to your ommunicatiUn of the lTtl
inst. | rrorrrtlcl with DR.. u. :. Pope, Ii,ysl-
clan to Icnitrntiary, OH thai day to visit The
convict camp Of Maj. \. j. ,Twlgss,. ON the
savannah Valley Railroad. in Abbcvillc
on rcaching .tbhcvilleC G. II. that cvcring.
/ had Il conversation with the gentleman
named by Col. j. G. Haskell In his
cation, and WAS shown Il note from Il gentle.
man In the ncighborllOua stating that the
cunvict reported 10 have been $" severely
whipped had died on sunday morning, the
nth instant. MI. VI. l.. Tnnhann, jr.. acting
f l. Solicitor Orr. ON this information, In
StrGrtrd the Coroner to go to the camp and
hold an inquest. The body WAS cNliuIncd
and the inquest held IN my presence on
copy OF the findings OF the jury. together
with the certificates OF the two physicians
who were sworn and testified.
A.. VIII DC seen by llrr certificates. 1t was
found on investigation That Samuel Daniels,
the man who had died III sunday. died from
natural cnuScs. DR.. Pope ricwcl the body
also. and cpncurrcL In the opinion OF tie
9th. r physicians.
! / Onni, however, that one man, "IIenry
iI'o.tcr' BY name, had been most cruelty
%,c,,cn, ami | requested the Coroner to take
the entire jury to the camp and make Il per-
S)lll cN:IllII1llOu ol UlS cast, WHICH Ic
kindly did; and for myself l must say that
| have never il: my life seen u human bring
more brutalIy beaten. BESIDES "llcniy Por-
ter "I'rank Smiling was the only man
or four others showed slight Scars. All OF
the cndvictS claimed that these %wl,ippingS
had been inflicted by one y. W Jackson,
| who had ice left In CHARGE of the camp In
the absence of Mr., [. II. Carroll, the regular
ovcrsccr; and | am crrdibly informed and be-
/ licvc that the said ~. W. Jackson Is rrSl,on.
sibic for all OF this cruel treatment. l have,
therefore, sworn out Il warrant Tor his arrest.
In Justice To Mr.. Carroll, who was In charge
Of the camp when we arrived, | would say.
that lie was anxious that the inquest should
be held, no; only on the body OF Daniels, but
Of any Of the others who had been recently
bun led, | would also state that DR.. Taggart
told me that Mr.. Carroll was uniformly Kind
To the cDnvictS and never sent them out tn
work until reported tit for duty by him, and
he OR. ~ lad visited the camp every day
since they had hccn there, except about fur
days. All Of the conriciS at Inc camp and
also those recently returned TO the p%enitenti.
AIRY regard Mr.. Carroll as their friend and
srral; in high terms Of his Kindness. AL
though Mr.. Carroll himself admitted that he
worked them more than The ten hours per
day alluwtd by law. These convicts are not
working under The recent Act of the LrSiSla.
turc. and therefore the guards are not OF my
appointment; but since my return l hive no
tilted Mr.. Carroll that he must comply with
Section 2,9U of the Revised statutes, govern
ing the h'tlrS OF labor, &c, ana have sent him
Il copy Of the Section. While there ! caution.
fur To their work (bctwcen two and onc-hall
md three milcs.) He explained by saying
that he could not get n sufficient supply OF
pure water for the cunvicts any nearer to the
work, and further said thai in about Il week s
time he would tiEiSli the work he was now on
AND OMIT move nearer to the >tnckadc.
l would cal. our attention 10 The report o!
tic Physician, DR.. Pope, for The statement OF
fI,n fll1SiI.pI EnNIItinn nj Tho lInEIrfs |
found that they had plenty Of food Dread,
meat and rcnsL but 4 scarcity nt fresh ycsc.
tables. They also had sufficient clothing,
shoes and blankets, although! The blankets
needed washing and there WAS II sc trci!y OF
straw, which Mr.. Carroll promised 10 have
corrected within n few dnys.
found nine graves ut this camp, tho deaths
having been reported at this office, as follows.
Tie inspection Arthur Campbell. 9th May,
1855; John 1Iolmcn, 18th May, 1855: Robert
Riley, 18th May. 1855; Swan Mcneil, 18th
May. 1885; sam. Flood, aotll My, Isl; lshnin
June, lSS5: John Davis 18th Jnic. 1850; sam.
ucl Daniels. 18th June, lSSj. AM nr. Tas.art
has promised to send Il ccrf! ic'ttc setting forth
the cause of death In each case, and have re-
Qurstrl tho Coroner to hold M inquest on the
body OF Henry Porter, in case OF his death. |
also found that there had been two escapes
lUr this y%cal-nne ON The 18th of May and one
on The oh Of June; the last reported with the
last four deaths
MIR. carroll Informed me that he had dis.
charged "Jacis0m Immediately OH his return
to the amp and while he should be given
credit for This rrOnIp: discharge. l told Lin
that instead Of discliar"ing lackSon. he
should have had him arrested for Ills cruelty
at once.
In conclusion, I am Informed that Major
TwIggs, the contractor, has not been ut me
ann in three months, but leaves the entire
infringement to Captain Carroll.
RrSlprI ful'y submitted.