The Portland daily press., 1893-08-22
AaEoReIA CONVICT CAMP.
What the Women Work at and How They
Fare.


county ten days ago are still at large.
Two of them were caught in SCUM
Carolina and locked up over night IN
lettering sort of calaboose. The neXt
morning the building was found broken
all to pieces One of the women VINO
had been locked up was the Lea girl
from Rome. She is only II years old, and
is comedy yellow girl.
Captain Maddox, the lessee, wrote to
Col. Jones. the keeper of the peniten-
tiary, yesterday, that he hopes to cap
ture all the women. He is sure that
they have not got far out of the neigh
borhood, and believes that they are be-
ing 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 Savan-
nah river in Ebert county. About half
of the place is under cultivation.
Captain Maddox has been working con-
victs only eighteen months. He made
arrangements with the other lessees to
take all the female convlcts OH their
hands. He has to pay the States lease
price, which is $3.50 a year, and he
pays the other lessees bonus. No male
convicts are worked by Captain Maddox.
Women bring just as much as men, one
Of the few instances in which female "a
saue hind of work. These women get
To Id as exnert a. men. too. They pillow,
hoe and die and make a good days
work At ANYTHING thew are put at. Cap
tain MADDOX plants cotton, wheat, corn,
oats and GRASS. He has a fine grist mill
IN the river. and makes great deal Of
Aa,,,
The women 90 to work at sunrise and
ro haok to their quarters at sunset.
Bah woman has her mule and they take
o,.s.a+ ,,r;da in their mules. Free labor
stH", ~ 4ba stool and the women
attenos 70 une s'o o;.,' anu saJ Sno +hann
nave no1hinR " w WIN 90
IN the morning carry lno auiG. ., az
brought out and the women leau tnenI
up to rock or log and jump ON thelr
backs and ride to the field. The women
are not shackled nor are they fastened to
a chain as are the men at other camps.
There is guard for every ten women.
4 1ra,,,r of ,s,o,1, on will start off blowing
~, t"os 800, ~ viii follow Another Gang
Gnu q "I .assd +hore will he o
soeS peHaIu uooinS o." M, s.,saxds
guard Win lleso woh1n. L.. 80
carry pistols IN Inelr peils puo eo noo
carry guns as do the GUARDS VINO Ioiio"
the male convicts. Captain MADDOX mas
given the women a little more liberty
than some of them appreciated and five
have Gisappeared within the last month,
hiit two are hack in the stockade. When
~ .,,o,.,. 10 ,,asra, tho onarters fine con-
-. ..o W - :. 49,, +haro For dinner hrt
WIS aio Saaon III ~ ,,ore awav din
Wnen tney arg lniio VI inoio '"'S go
ner is carried TO tnem. -.
On returning from WORK at sunset, the
prisoners who wear striped gown all
day go to supper. Each one has her
seat at the table awaiting her. After
su inner the conyicts 90 to the building
where they sleep. They have an abund-
ance Of water and access to it, Each
prisoner has cot and change OF dress
beside The favorite headgear is soft,
round hat like mans.
This wear Captain Maddox has averaged
about 63 female convicts at his camp.
az these only two were white women
who have been in the penitentiary for
long time. These two are Pearl Fender
CAST and Alice White, both OF Savannah.
IleV were SEM up lUE .tuOlCluS q WhioO
girl from home for immoral purposes.
The Pendergast woman was noted
character in Yamacraw. She was leWd,
but had good traits On one occasion
when where there was riot started by
the negroes shegave assistanceto the po-
Iicmen. She has been on her good behav-
Jour since she was sent to the peniten-
tiary, Some time ago she professed re-
ligion at oneof their meetings held at the
camp. She was baptized by a white
preacher and entered on the mem bership
Of a white Baptist church. She is en-
pIoyed at sewing and never has to leave
fhe Quarters. She helps make the cloth
inc for The prisoners and keeps their linn
tied and questionable wardrobe in re-
nair. Pearl saws she is happy, and she
does NOT have had time Of it at ALL
She has grown fat and is in better health
than when she was a free woman. Alice
White Whit " was not SO much disposed to be
orderly. and She was put to work in the
field as a punishment. She watched her
chance and got away, but was captured
and taken back.
MANY Of the negro women are as atrong
as men. They can dig well or quarry
rocks and handle a fiatboat skillfully.