The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-14
An open Letter 10 the Governor of
Arkansas


Arkansas.
To the Governor of Arkansas;
SIR have Just been made &C.
quainted with fact concerning the
treatment of prisoners, hired from
your penitentisry 10 work on the Bay
Ferry road, 80 shameful in all its de-
tails that feel sure it will be pleas
uIe to you, as the guardian of all your
citiz ,ne, bad as we'll as good, to see to
its instant correction as soon as your
attention is called to it.
The source of my information is per-
fectly Trustworthy, and comes from
an eye witness just returned from the
camp OF MessTs. Sc3tt & Harvey, con-
tractors for the building OF the Bay
Ferry road.
This road is dirt road now being
built through the bottom, and their
camp is in dense swamp forest about
tEenty-four miles from Mound City.
On Wednesday morning of this
week there arrived at this camp
gang OF sixty-eight prisoners fifty
four OF them negroes and fourteen of
them white men. They had been
marched through the swamp, in mud
and water much of the time, all
night, with nothing to eat and no time
to rest, under care of only such guards
rs can be found sometimes among
mankind to do that kind of work.
They were armed with muskets and
had as their assistants three blood
hounds for service II needed. Up to
noon of Wednesday, when my infor-
mant left there, no provision had yet
been made to give these unfortunate
men even a convict's breakfast. Toe
only apparent provision for future
sleeping was dirty blanket strapped
on the back of each man.
The negroes had been allowed to
travel in open order under the ssluta-
~ fear OF the bloodhounds and musk
cts, but the white men were chained
in couples with common trace chains
around their naked necke, secured by
padlOcks, and had been driven in this
brutal manner on loot the entire is
lance from Little Rock to this camp of
the infernaIs. Imagine the CALLED con-
dition of their necks.
One of these white men was Patrick
Gleason, a f,ihful and competent
man. who was for long time foreman
for Mesers. Bethune & Smith in build
ing the Kansas City railroad. Under
high provocation and greatly extenuat.
ing circumstances, as bis friends
think, he afterwards killed a man and
this is his happy r9ward-under
twelve years sentence to theArkansas
pc litenIisry.
Does the Arkansas penitentiary
mean an Arkansas swamp, with swamp
water to drink and a blanket on the
mud for bed, and chained in couples
with naked chains around their Mt cks
ia tened with barn padlocks?
Citizens of Arkansas Are you sstis-
fed with this narration of facts? Are
you pleased with such an administra-
ton of justice? What is the true end
of puni hment, let me ask? Certsinly
there ought to be but one object in
view either in the family or the State,
and that is simply and solely the
reformation OF the offender. But are
trace chains and bloodhounds and
bullets likely to make worthy Cilizeos
of our criminals? Not much. Under
such sys EN- of abuse and brutality
how many OF these poor fellows are
likely ever again to see the inside OF
the penilentiary at Little Rex? Hid
den from pubic gaze in the midst of
an Arkansas swamp forest, who is
ever to unearih the infernal secret of
their abuse snd maltreatment?
Are the humane instincts of the
citizens Of Arkansas too dull to de-
mand the instant correction of this
damnable abuse? Let us see!
Shameful Shameful! B.