The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-08-02
WOMEN IN STEIPES.
GeorgIa's Female Convicts Work In the
Fields Like Free Labor.
Atlanta Constitution.

Atlanta Constitution.
Three Of the five female convicts WHO
escaped from Maddox's camp in Elbert
County, Ca, ten days ago are still at
large.
Two of them were caught In South
Carolina and locked up over night in a
tottering sort Of calaboose. The nest
morningrhe building was found broken
all to pieces. One Of the women who had
been locked up was the Lea girl from
Rome. She is only seventeen years Old
and Is comely yellow girl.
Captain Maddox, the lessee, wrote 10
Colonel Jones, the keeper of the peniten-
tiary yesterday that he hopes to capture
all the women. He is sure that they
have not got far out Of the neighborhooSl,
and believes that they are being secreted.
He has always recaptured all who have
escaped until these last three broke away.
Maddox's plantation is one Of the most
beautiful in the State. 1t comprises six
thousand acres, lying along the Savannah
river in Elbert county. About half of
the place is under cultivation.
Captain Maddox, has been working con-
victs only eighteen months. He mace
arrangements with the other lessees 10
take all the female convicts off their
hands. He has TO pay the States lease
price, which is $3.50 a year, and he pays
the other lessees a bonus. No male coz
victs are worked by Captain Maddox.
Women bring just as much as men-one
of the few instances in which female la-
hor brings as m uch. as male labor, for tie
same kind of work. These women get te
be as expert as mon, too. They plow,
hoe and dig and make good days work
at anything they are put at. Captain
Maddox plants cotton, wheat, corn, oats
and grass. He has fine grist mill on
tho river and makes a great deal Of -four.
The women 60 to work at sunrise and go
back to Gheir quarters at sunset. Each
woman has her mule and they take grsat
pride in their mules. Free labor attenGs
to the stock and the women have nothin 8
to do with feeding them. In the morning
early the mules are brought out and the
women lead them up to rock or log and
jump on their backs and ride to the fielC.
The women are not shackled, nor are
they fastened to chain as the men are ct
other camps. There is guard for every
ten women. A gang of women will start
off plowing and a guard will follow.
Another gang goes behind hoeing and
there will be guard with these women.
The guards carry pistols in their belts
but do not carry guns as do the guards
who follow the male convicts. Captain
Maddox has given the women little
more liberty than some Of them apprecia-
ted and five have disappeared within the
last month, but two are back in ths
stockade. When the work is near tina
quarters the convicts are taken there for
dinner, but when they are mile or moro
away, dinner is carried to them.
On returning from work at sunset, the
prisoners who wear striped gown all
day go to supper. Each one has her seat
at table and the meal is before the plate
awaiting her. After supper the convicts
They have an abundance of water AMI
access to it. Each prisoner has cot and
q change Of dress beside it. The favorite
headgear is soft round hat, much like .
mans.
This year Captain Maddox has averaged
about si1ty-three female convicts at his
camp. OF these only two were white
women and they are the only white VIC
men who have been in the penitentiar.Y
for. q long time. These two are Pearl
Pendergast and Alice White, both Of
Savannah. They were sent up for entic-
ing white girl from home for immoral
purposes. The Pendergast woman was
noted character in Yamacraw. On ons
occasion when there was a riot started By
the negroes she gave assistance to thu
policemen. She has been on her good
behavior since she was sent to the peni-
teptiary. Some time ago she professel
religion at one of the meetings held st
the camp. She was baptized by whito
preacher and entered on the membership,
Of white Baptist church. She is en-
ployed at sewing and never has to leave
the quarters. She helps make the cloth
ing for the prisoners and keeps their
limited and questionable wardrobe in
repair. Pearl says that she is happy, anil
she does not have hard time of it at al.
She has grown fat and is in better health
than when she was free woman. Alics
White was not so much disposed to b5
orderly, and she was put to work in tho
field as punishment. She watched her
chance and got away but was captured
and taken back.
Many of the negro women are ss strong
as men. They can dig we'll or quarry
rocks and handle fiatboat skillfully.
Last Spring canal had to be repaired
That knowledge Of the flatboats is useful
river and there throw the dogs off their
trail. They 60 up or down the river OH
boat and the dogs cannot tell which
course they have taken.
Speaking OF escapes, tough negro
woman from Rome broke away one day
when she was about to be whipped and
ran under q house. She disappeared
very suddenly and the guards knew that
she could not be far away. They search.
ed closely for her and she seeing that sh1
would be caught, called TO woman who
was washing near to tell her what shs
must do. She was advised to run and
jump in the well. Ths fugitive slipped
out and unobserved ran to the we'll anti
jumped down. Directly the dogs wert,
put on the trail and they went straight to
the wen and would not leave. A man
was sent down. The woman was nearly
covered with water. She would not give
up and fought like tiger. She was
strong and whipped the guard and almost
drowned him. He cried for help and
another man was sent down. The woman
turned on him and the two men had all
they could do to keep her from drowning
them. Finally they got rope around
her body and she was hauled up with tho
water raining from her clothes in streams.
Captain Maddox pays as much 10r all
escape as the other lessees pay for man
$500 if they are not captured in sixty
days.
Sunday is rest day. The women ges
break fast and this time of year so down
to the canal for dip. They have preach
ing later but do not have to 60. However,
they like to attend service but they are
not so demonstrative about their re-
ligion as the men are. Male convicts are
often very religious and many convict
is "zorter." The women do not say 30
much about religion. Most of the women
are in for bad crimes and have long
terms. They are usually in for murder
or arson or some serious ofense. Tho
terms of the women are longer, as rule,
than those of the men.
Captain Maddox has beautiful home.
It is an old mansion with broad, double
piazzss, white columns and green blinds,
The grounds are picturesque. Tall trees
shade the residence and arches Of ever
greens cover the walks from the house to
the road. The lessee is a kindly, hospi-
table gentleman and his guests are alwayn
charmingly entertained.
His Ready wit Came in Handy.
There was little incident not dowl.
in the regular programme mapped out