The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1885-06-24
The Returned Conyicts.

Tho Register yesterday placed the reading
public in possession OF The facts that there
were rumors of u repetition of ir humnn
treatment OF %convicts at the camp of Maj.
iwlx,gs, who is working them on The line of
the Savannah Valley Railroad, in Abbeville
County, and that seven of the cnnvicts from
that camp had been returned to the Peuitcn-
tiary in n disabled condition. Colonel John
y. Haskell, who had returned from Abbeville
on last Tuesday, informed the Governor Tint
report of cruel treatment inflicted upou the
chnvict3 employed on the Savannah Valley
hai'road were current there. These reports
stated that the %convicts were compelled to
work hiieen hours II day, and that The indica-
IONS strongly pointed to harsh treatment as
the cause Of two deaths which had occurred
recently. AT the Governors request, Colo
mel HASKELL submitted IL statement of these
reports in writing; whcreupon the Cover
nor immediately directed the Superintendent
Of the rcnitcntiary, accom-, anicd bv tbc
Surgeon, to make n personal inspection of
inc convicts, and, after a careful investira-
tlnn OF the charges Of maltrcatment to make
n full repor: Of their condition.. In accor-
dance ' it'll these instructions, Colonel Limp
scomb and DIR. Pope left on Wednesday for
the convict camp.
A reporter of the Register was at The Pen
i~fentiary Yesterday morning when DR.. Gau-
bert, who, In the absence Of the Physician
OF the Pcnitcntiary attends to his duties, cx-
ahmed these convicts. They we're ali ne
r.. "'bS Sib kVIl " IltHlIlS. John
Williams, Elias Williams, Massa Cameron,
JOE Armstrong, Nathan Mitchell and Pntcn
Wilson. Five nf them were in the hosuitni.
where they had been placed immediately on
their arrival. They were suffering from ya-
;inus Causes, but nothing in their cases noint-
ed tn any such brutal or severe treatment M
the camp as indicated by the above a!Iud.d
ia. Nome of them made any complaint of he
ing themselves subjected to treatment harsh
or Than being compelled to leave their cumn
before daylight in the morning iu order "a
rnach the work., which was five ar ak miles
away, working until dark and not getting
Dnck 20 camp until about 9 O'Clock at night.
hcv ali spoke of the brutality practiced ON
s"ino OF the other conyicts bYa white man
hamed jackson from Georgia, who was left
~ charge "f them during the absence of
MAJOR Twisgs and Captain Cahill. In ccn-
sequence OF tho fearful beating. inflicted by
!his man on itlQn tH" ~aoaricts had died with.
III q month past, one being sam. FIudd from
oranRepurg County and the 0thur John FAINT,
both ncgroes, Another convict, named Hen.
~ Porter, had been bound up with wires and
beaten until, as the Witnesses state. his hack
was left raw from bis neck down, and in that
condition he now lies at the can,p. When
captain Cahill returned to the camo after an
absence. OF about a week, during which. IL is
alleged, these atrocities were perpetrated nv
Jackson, the latter left, as the witnesses he.
ieiys, having been dismissed by Captain Ca
" will be seen that the. Governor has acted
promptly yon receipt Of the frat information.
and while Il 10 likely that the runored atrocf.
ttea have been greatly magniHed, there IL
nttls roon to doubt that the official ~iuyesti-