The Forrest City times., 1892-12-23
POISONED.
worisinfmen Protest Against the Employ
ment Of Convicts at Helena.


worieinrmen Prosesa gaInss tho Employ
ment Of Convicts at Helena.
HELENA. December 19.-There Is
great deal OF excitement here today
over the sudden and unexplained death
OF -four convicts, and the fatal sickness
of dozen more, all in the camp OF 3.
VI. Apperson. a contractor, who Is do
ing some work here for the st. Louis,
Iron Mountain and Southern Rail.
road.
A batch Of about 110 convicts were
brought here on the 18th inst. The
men, Under the escort of "A dozen armed
guards, have been at work all the
week throwing up the roadbed for the
tracks Of the railroad.
There are large number Of unems
ployed laborers in and around this city,
and they protested very strongly
against the introduction of convicts to
do this work when they were all idle.
The Daily World was impOrtuned very
strongly to protest against their pres
ence aud numerously signed petition
was presented to one OF the county
officers. but of course he could do MOTH
ing. The matter WAS thought to have
about died out. when no less than
eighteen Of the convicts
WE'RE SUDDENLY STRICKEN
yesterday morning with disease
which Is said to present strong evil
dence Of arsenical poisoning. Four Of
them are now dead and and three 9TH
ers will be dead before morning. Doc
tors were summoned and administered
tn the wants Of the sick, but without
avail. Mr.. Apperson was wired for
and arrived today. He at once had
the stomach Of the first man who died
removed and will subject 1t to cbemi-
Cal analysis to determine whether
death was produced by poison, Two
theories are entertained by the con-
victs. The first Is that the kettles in
which their daily food Is cooked and
which are just outside the guard line
and near a public road, have had arse
mic thrown into them by some dissat-
-isfied negro laborer Of the city or by
confederate in the convict camp. The
second is that impure water. improper
food, miserable sanitation and the bad
weather Of the past few days has
brought on contagious disease.
ALL OF THE CoNvrCTs
are colored except three or four, and
they are terribly excited over the trou-
ble. The men have been working
ankle deep IN mud for the past week
and are housed mt night In four or five
box cars fitted up with hunks and pro-
vided with stoves. Another box car
serves rs a store-room and still another
as a kitchen. Meals are served on an
improvised table Of boards which
stands on the ground In the..mud along
side the cars. The food Is course, but
plentiful, and Is said to be very poorly
cooked. So far as the means provided
90 Capt. Dudley who has charge, ap-
pears to have made his men as COM
Portable as possible. But the surround
ings as they presented themselves this
afternoon in fearful downpour of
rain, were snch as to appeal to the
sympathies Of the most callous hearted.
The names Of the dead convicts are
Robert Lane, sent up from Monroe
county for nine years, on 4 charge OF
rape; Riley Hays, Louis Lawrence and
Henry Wicks, all negroes. The Cor
0ner went down to Investigate th0
cause of the deaths, and impanDelled
n jury, but adjourned to await the in
vestigation Of the chemist, who is an.
alyzing the contents OF the stomach OF
Robert Lane, the first man wh1 died.
The city authorities are also at work
endeavOring to ascertain whether any
Of the dissatisfied laborers Of the city
have purchased arsenic or been seen
in the vicinity Of The camps. In the
meantime three negroes are doubled
up in all the ago,iies Of death, while
others are expecting to be stricken
down. The remainder are in !: terrible
state Of excitement, and unless q
double guard is on duty tonight will
no doubt endeavor TO escape.
Later-Two more Of the convicts
have died and Capt Dudley and one
Of the guards are sick. The c0nvicts
passed through Forrest City Tuesday,
and are now in the penitentiary vt
Little Rock.