The National tribune., 1888-09-06


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TRADING IN THE PRISON.
It was no doubt a symptom of seurvy, caused
by want Of nourshing food and comfortable
shelter, and was called by the prisoners the
very appropriate name of breakbone fever" |
To those who never experienced the pain OF
this bone-t0rturlng disease it would be useless
to attempt to describe its effect 1t would first
make itself felt and known by attacking its
victim in the shin-bone and would commence
shortly after the noon hour and increase in in
tensity for about two hours, after which it
would gradually die away, leaving the sufferer
perfectly exhausted. The disease was new TO
the men II would return at about the same
hour each day and torture the prisoners for
about four hours, and appeared to move up and
down the shin-bOne, penetrating into the very
marrow. The disease affected each person DIFF
ferently. Some would sit down and moan,
huggng their knees close to their bodies, while
others would Cry out in their agony, and others
/ again would rave and curse, while some could
/ be heard praying to be relieved Of their tor
| tured and miserable lives by death, which
seemed to be mockingIy near, but not disposed
/ to answer their prayers. The disease seemed
! to be contagious aud rapidly spread through
/ the prison, until almost everyone had tested its
4 quality, and from which groans, curses and
/ prayers were mingled together and went out
9
/ if calling upon God to visit his wrath upon the
/ heads Of those VINO were the cause of this in
/ human and barbaric treatment to defenseless
/ human beings. This tOrturing disease caused
/ the death-rate to increase fearfully, so much so
1 that despite the continual and frequent trips
| of the two dead-wagons they were unable to
keep the dead-bouse clear, and the bodies in
! consequence were left lying sometimes two or
three days before removal
KILLED By A FALLING CHIMNEY.
All the buildings had by this time been
/ turned into hospitals, and they were filed to
Overlooking. As none of these buildings had
places where fire sufficient to keep the chilled
/ sufferers warm could be built, permission was
given by the cOmmandant Of the prison TO build
q chimney from the first floor up through the
center of the large building or factory, he to
furnish the brick and other material and the
prisoners to furnish the labor TO build it. There
happened to be plenty Of masOns, who, when
the material was furnished, commenced work
on the chimney, leaving on each floor large
fireplace. The brick furnished was of the
softest and poorest kind, as was the mortar in
which they were laid, but it was all they would
or could give. As soon as the work was com
pleted the sick prisoners on the first floor
/ selected places 10 lie close up against the chin
ney, because il was away from the windows,
which had no sash or glass in them, and which
pierced tie walls at regular intervals along the
sides in each Of the stories Of the building. The
/ prisoners were concentrating themselves that
at least some comfort was about TO be enjoyed
by them, when all their auticipations were
dashed 10 the earth, for with a loud crash the
chimney crumbled with its own weight aud
r0ttenness, covering with its worthless material
all those poor prisoners who had sought shelter
and safety at the base Of the rotten structure.
The noise aud dust Of the falling chimney at
: tracted the attention Of the entire prison. The
prisoners rushed to the rescue Of those who
4 were buried in the debris and with unnatural
strength worked to rescue their sick aud un-
8 fortunate comrades What a sight was pre-
(. scented as the bricks were cleared away, dis
G ! closing the dead and maugied, covered with
q / the ycioWish dust Of the rotten brick and
4 mortar, unacceptable even by their own COM
r | Eades How many were killed / never heard
y bat it was quite number, and amongst them,
e ! believe, was member Of the ID Ohio Cav,
Il although l am not positive. If the commander
3 Of the prison took any notice Of this criminal
and negligent accident, never heard OF it. The
holes through the floors and roofs Of the build
ing were never covered over, but were lef
open for poor dcirious prisoners in their agony
: and suffering to walk into during the night aut
\ DASH THEIR MISERABLE BRAINS OUT
? on the floor below, as was the case in seyera
instances 1t does seem that if hell itself wa
called upon 10 invent and furnish means Of tor
ture on the body Of mortal man it could no
: have eqnalled the devilish and brutal ways tina
were adopted by the leaders Of the Southern
!, / Confedcracy in slowly starving and tOrturini
, these helpless and brave men the chances of wa
had thrown into their hands although the.
: and their sympathizers may strive to hide from
the world their barbarous treatment of prison
ers Of war while confined in their death pens
= Truth, backed by the knowledge Of their in
humauities will Tend their limsy vail Of hy
pOcrisy in twain, and leave them exposed il
IS history as the relentless monsters Of the grea
G rebellion. Beside the physical suffering tn
es poor prisoners were also tortured mentally
ID which, ia connection with their bodily aiiiiC
le tons helped swell the cup of misery to over
he flowing Many prisoners died when thei
ia spirits were raised with the announcement
de from the top Of the fence by Maj Gee 9TH
a / commaudant of the PRISON. who would stan
ay on the guard walk of the prison and attract tn
it. attention of some of the prisoners, and impair
MT to them the Joyful news that they were all (
n be exchanged CO is;zO.ad In y few days Ihi
il good news would fly through the prison Xix
1g wildlire and there would be great rejoicin!
NJ | You could then hear them COngratulatin
a each other in anticipation Of regaining the
We freedom but as the days came and wer
nd and heightened out into weeks and month
ey the reaction caused by the knowledge that til
he stories were all false caused many to di
on Whether Maj. Gee so intended TO mental
ed punish the prisoners by these uufulflled prom
ng ises, or whether he thought or had informatio
en- to that effect, it is impossible to tell. Certai
tn it is that it
I'D cATsED MANY TO GIVE UP
and finally succumb TO the unbearable strai
that was put on both body and mind in a
d pearance Maj. Gee was kindly and proposes
ug ing man, of medium hight, and broad aero
sep the shoulders. his complexion was as fair
ire a woman's, and his hair, being light sand
aeI gave him an appearance rather clerical the