The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-07-16
ANDERSON. S. C. MORNING. JULY l6 1885
THE CONyICrs.

IA1NIGAO0
THE CONy1CTs.
An Official Report at Last on Major
Twiggs's Camp.
Columbia Correspondence NeWs and Courier.
The following statement and cores.
pondence comprise the official record of
the Savannah Valley Railroad convict
investigation:
On the 10th of June Col. J. G. Has.
kell informed the Governor of reports
which he had heard in Abbeyille Of
cruelty to the convicts employed on the
Savannah Valley Railroad. These re.
ports were to the effect III that at least
one convict had died in consequence of
brutal whippings by the guards; e. that
the convicts were overworked in viola.
ton of law, and (S) that there was ex-
cessive mortality among the convlcts,
showing that great wrong was being
done. Governor Thompson directed the
Superintendent of the Peniteutiary to
investigate the charges, to examine per:
sonally into the general condition of
the conyicts, and to report fully the
result of such investigation and exami.
nation. -
As soonas the report of the Superin-
tendentswas submitted Governor Thomp.
son sent an agent to Georgia with a re-.
ouisition for the arrest jackson, the
guard who was charged with cruelty.
beating the convict, Henry Porter, mem
toned in Col. Lipscomb's report. The
Governor was informed that Jackson had
returned to his homo in Georgia. The
affidavit Of Col. Lipsccmb upon which
the .reqhisition was based charged Jack
son with assault and battery with intent
to kill. The agent left Columbia on the
22d of June, the day on which Col.
Lipscomb's report was submitted to the
Governor.
he returned on the Ist of July with
out having arrested Jackson, but with
information which induced the Governor
to believe that a second effort would re.
( suit in his capture. By direction of the
Governor the agent returned to Georgia
on the I'd instant. The publication of
the reports of the Superintendent and
Surgeon of the Penitentiary has been
withheld until this time, lest the making
known of their contents might delay if
not prevent the arrest of jackson. AS
the publication Of these reports cannot
now affect the result Of the efforts which
the agent of the Governor is still making
for the capture of Jackson the Governor
permits them to be published.
The report of Col. T. j. Lipscomb,
Superintendent of the South Carolina
Penitentiary, as submitted to Governor
Thompson, has been given to the public
to-day, and is as follows:
To His Excellency Hugh S. Thomp:
son, Governor Of. South Carolina-Sir: |
have the honor to report that in obedi.
ence to your communication of the 18th
inst. proceeded with DR.. Pope, physi-
clan of the Peniteptiary, on that day to
visit the convict camp of Major A. j..
,Twiggs, on the Savannah Valley Rail-
road, in Abbeyille County. On reaching
Abbeville G. n. that evening, l had 3
conversation with the gentlemen named
by Col. @. j. Haskell in his communi-
cation, and was shown note from g
gentleman in the neighborhood stating
that the convict reported to have been
so severely whipped had died on Sunday
morning, the 18th inst. Mr. M. L. Bon.
ham, Jr., acting for Solicitor Orr, on
this information instructed the coroner
to 20 to the camp and hold an inquest.
The body was exhumed and the inquest
held in my presence on Thursday morn
ing, and I attach hereto copy of the
finding of the jury, together with the
certificates of the two physicians who
were sworn and testified. AS will be seen
by the certificates, it was found on inves
tigation that Simon Daniels, the man
who had died on Sunday, died from
natural causes. DR.. Pope viewed the
body also and concurred in the opinion
of the other physicians. l found, how
ever, that one man, Henry Porter by
name, had been most cruelty beaten, and
/ requested the coroner to take the entire
jury to the camp and make personal
examination of his case, which he kindly
did, and for myself must say that /
have never in my life seen q human
being more brutally beaten. Besides
Henry Porter, Frank Smiley was the
only man who had been severely beaten,
although four others showed slight scars.
ALI convicts claimed that their whip.
pings had been inflicted by one A. W..
jackson, who had been left in charge Of
the camp in the absence of Mr.. @. NJ.
Carroll, the regular overseer, and | am
credibly informed and believe that the
said A. w. Jackson is responsible for
all of this cruel treatment. l have,
therefore, sworn out a warrant for his
arrest. In justice to Mr.. Carroll, who
was in charge of the camp when we
arrived, would soy that he was anxious
that that the inquest should be held, not
only on the body of Daniels, but on all
of the others who had been recently
buried. / would also state that DR..
Taggart told me that Mr.. Carroll was
uniformly kind to the convicts, and never
sent them out to work until reported fit
for duty by him, and he (Dr. Taggart)
had visited the camp every day since
they had been there except about four
days. AL of the convicts at the camp
and also those recently returned to the
Penitentiary regard Mr.. Carroll as their
friend, and speak in high terms of bis
kindness, although Mr.. Carroll, himself,
admits that he worked them more than
the ten hours per day allowed by law.
These convicts are not working under
the recent Act of the Legislature, and
therefore the guards are not of my ap.
pointment, but since my return have
notified Mr.. Carroll that he must comply
with Section 1880 of the Revised Stat.
utes, governing the hours of labor, &C.,
and have sent him copy of the section.
While there I cautioned him that he was
marching his hands too far to their work,
(between two and one.half and three
miles.) He explained by saying that he
could not get sufficient supply of pure
water for the conyicts any nearer to the
work, and further said that in about a
weeks time he would finish the work he
was now on and would move nearer to