The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-11
THE CONVICT MATTER.
Talbert Says the Charges Of Cruelty are
False-And the Penitentiary Directors
Are of the Same Opinion.
Evening Record, 4th.]

Al tnelT meeting yesterday dlIelHooi
the directors of the penitentiary made
reference to the article in yesterdays
State from its Sumter correspondent
alleging that the squad of convicts at
the camp there were in a pitiable con-
dition. The article stated that the squad
of sixty-seven convicts wc-e in tatters
and were barefooted; that one Of them
had died of fever and had been buried
in a blanket on the roadside; that they
had had no breakfast, supper or dinner
except what was given them in charity
by citizens; that one dollars worth Of
bread formed their midday meal.
In answer to the inquiry of the board
to these statements, Superintendent
Talbert said:
"As far as I am concerned, from
what you say of said correspondent, his
statements are positively false, but
would ask that you investigate the
matter fully and satisfy yourselves as
to the truth of it,"
C. E. Wheeler. manager of the con-
vict camps, made statement in which
be sale:
"In regard to the convict that
died on the road from Pee Dee to
Darlington I wish To say that, under tbe
circumstances, being unable to stop to
attend to it myself turned him over
to an old reliable colored man to be
buried. He agreed to make coffin, or
box, in which to bury him, of course
receiving just compensation for the
same. I therefore, pronounce the state
ment that be was buried in blanket
false, according to the agreement made
for his burial, and can truthfully say
that it was not from a lack of attention
that be died, for he had been IL the
hospital under physician for about
five weeks, receiving good attention all
the while, and the paralytic has been
in the hospital for about two months"
Manager Wheeler said that the con-
victs "were clad very comfortable,
about as well as could be expected Of a
parcel of hands who had been at work
on railroad. The majority of them
were barefooted, but thought it best
to wait until l got them to the peniten-
tiary to give them shoes, as it was such
short time before we expected to be
| there"
"When I left the camp with them I
had a sufficient quantity of rations
cooked to last them without any un-
necessary delay till they could get to
Columbia; but, owing to failure to
make connection at Sumter, as we
fully expected to do, according to the
arrangements previously made with
the railroad authorities to that effect,
we were left without anything to eat,
the Atlantic Coast Line train having
pulled out just as the Charleston, Sum-
ter and Northern rolled up, it being
about seven or eight hundred yards
from the crossing Of the Charleston,
Sumter and Northern, thus delaying
our arrival at Columbia from Sumter
till 10 o'clock.
II can vouch for their treatment at
the camps, that they have all the while
been well, we'll fed and well treated ln
general, and that they have received
no unnecessary abuse, and also that
we have worked no sick hands, all oi
them having been during their sickness
in the hospital wherethey have received
all necessary attention."
| Five of the guards certified to the
correctness of Manager Wheeler's re-
port.
Capt. W. H. Sigh certified that it i:
his business to note the personal ap
pearance of convicts returned from
lease, and that he had "never seen ar
equal number (sixty-seven) returned
from any work in an apparently more
healthy condition, and no complaint
has been made as to bad treatment
A statement was then drawn up by
the directors to the effect that they hae
investigated the matter, examined the
convicts themselves, and found th'
charges "altogether unfounded," tn
convicts showing "to their having hat
good treatment and have been vel
fed." The board expressed themselve
as being "perfectly satisfied with tn
management of the superintendent 81
far"
AS SEEN IN SUMTER.
The Sumter Watchman, of yesterday
says:
"Having for some time past heard re
ports from the highest authorities tha
the convicts under the present manage
ment were being ill-treated and care'
for we went down to the depot with
view of seeing ourselves the condition
of those returning to Columbia. w
found them huddled together unde
the shed at the depot, some lying OF
the rough floor, some upon sacks o
guano and some leaning against tn
: posts of the shed, dirty, detected, dis
NAL, wretched looking, apparently hal
starved creatures. One of them. we wer
told by those in charge, named William
Gray, died yesterday afternoon 81:
miles the other side Of Darlington nea
Pee Dee. He had been sick for severa
days preceding his death with wha
was supposed to be typhoid fever. Th
body was left with a colored man
whom was paid 81 burial expenses
We are told that the wretched condl
ton of these convicts is due to tn
miserable and meagre fare that is dole
Il u FrF FJ