The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-22
HEARD NOTHING OF IT.
County Officials Give No CTedGnC0 to
Convict Camp Outrage Story.

No One Believes Albert Thompson
Was Murdered Evidence What
ever to Corroborate the Assertion
and the Facts Do Not Bear it Out.
Maj Blandford and DR.. Chisholm
Were Surprised to Hear the State
ment.
The authorities who have control Of
county convict camp No. 1, where AL
bert Thompson, the sailor stealer, died
suddenly on Thursday state positively
that there is no truth whatever in the
rumor that the negro was beaten by
guard in such manner as to cause his
death, and the evidence in the case very
strongly sustains their statement.
In fact the only statement upon which
such report was based came from out
siders, who knew little of the facts and
who perhaps cared less about the nature
of the reports they circulated.
Il have an idea said Mai. Blandforl
yesterday, that the report was
started by a man who has been loafing
around the camp for sometime and who
has been applying for work as a guard.
He was tried on one occasion
and found incompetent TO do the work
and was refused employment. I don't
know positively, but l am of the opinion
that the report might be traced to him.
KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT AT THE CAMP.
"Quartermaster Hughes reported the
matter to me yesterday morning, and told
me the circumstances which evidently
showed that the negro had either sue
cumbed TO heat or to some disease which
generally causes sudden death am con
tident that if there had been any truth in
such statement, he would have said
something about il to me at that time. La
ter in the day the man was examined by
DIR. Chisholm, who gave a certificate of
burial according TO the evidence in the
case. The county commissioners too,
were out there yesterday af-
ternOOn, and it Is unreasonable to think
some of the negroes or other men around
the camp would not have reported the
case if any violence had been used.
''Ihen, too, I have an engineer out there,
q rOdman and a chairman. and if any
such thing had happened l am confident
that they would have informed me of it,
| will state also that there is no such
thing as a club used at the camp The
guards use nothing but switches to whip
the men who are disobedient, and such as
they are no serious or violent injury
could be INFLICTED with them | am at
loss TO understand how any such report
NOAlu IANS Af-t5ii ttlltl SAY dEIll. IL
IS unreasonable TO suppose that in the
face of the facts, such a report, if true,
would not have reached the ears of the
officials in charge"
DIR. CHIsHOLMs EXAMINATION.
DR.. Chisholm, thecounty physician, was
seen yesterday afternoon
If that man has been murdered. -" he
said, this Is the first l know Of it. and l
think | should have learned something
about the case as quick, if not quicker,
than anybody else.
Quartermaster Hughes reported to
me that he died Of heat and I made out a
report that his death resulted from Their
mic fever, which is in accordance with
the circumstances surrounding his death
If the man died from anything like vin-
lence l don't know anything about it, and
from the casual external examination
that [ made no signs of violence were ap-
parent. and no such conclusions could be
drawn.
There was another case at the camp on
the same day, that of a negro who was
dangerously i'll from tho same cause, ex-
ccssive heat, and it was only by hard
work that his life was saved
Then Thompson had been at the camp
only two weeks, having been transferred
there from the Jail. He has lived around
sailor boarding houses most of his time,
was employed only as a cook, and it is a
reasonable suppositiOn that he was over
come by heat, being unused to such work
as that in which ne was employed. | am
at loss to understand where such
story could have originated"
MAY BE AN INVESTIGATION ANYHOW.
Commissioner Carson said Yesterday
that the commissioners would confer
about the matter and would decide
whether an investigation would be held
He did not take much stock in the re-
Port, but thought that it demanded an
Investigation whether it was true or not.
1t was due to the authorities and to the
court, he said, that no 81 oicion of such
an occurrence should be allowed to stand
and it should be determined fully whether
or not there is any truth in the statement.
If there was, it should be fcrretcd out and
the punishment put where it belonged
Mr.. Carson said there would probably
be special meeting of the board called
TO lo,k into the matter az once so as to
settle it as early as possible.