The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-25

I'M Whipping Had Nothing TO do
Vrr Nh.rt ThOmpSOR'S Death.

.:... and Raport-All Convinced That
med Of Sunstroke.
NV. .--.- alton by the county com
..r. into the senatorial reports
....-r. 10 the death of convict AL
I.... thompson was continued at O'Clock
....H,. uYruing, Commissioners Dale,
....r., Chaplin and kehoe being pres
~.r5er of the camp officials had
,..o summoned to appear before the com
,.:..a.r.rs 10 give testimony in regard to
ease which the commits
'..,er- were determined TO probe to the
I...-,m Chairman Dale called attention
..ssarti,le which was the cause of the
,...+frr and read both it and the article
a.,ranfng the former one. He referred
l.I..,.. times to the "young man of good
..,,r. o and called attention to the erro-
,,s,I, statement with regard to the CON
-f,r having been hit on the neck with
q club
can't Hughes. who is in charge of the
,.,nD was the first witness on the stand.
w. knew very little about the whipping
of the convict, or the circumstances sur
ra,Indirg his death He testified that
-na man was to all appearances well and
hearty that morning, and that when he
Ind fallen while at his work, he was re-
moved 10 a shade tree, where he died.
GUARD PEAS STORY.
Guard Pea. the guard who admins
tered the punishment to Thompson, was
next nut on the stand The negro, he
said. was perfectly well in the morning
when he came out, at least, to all appear
anres.
Thompson. he said had rolled his bar
row for awhile and then attempted to
sbirs his work He was then reprimand-
ed. when he took it up again and rolled it
off TO one side saying: II won't roll it
any farther.
Guard Pea said they had away to make
people work at the camp, and when
THOMPSON became surly and acted
i'm that manner, he struck him
six LIGHT strokes across the
legs with the leather whip which is used
blythe guards for that purpose. Thomp-
son. he said, then went in the direction
OF Guard Granger and after going some
distance left his barrow. = He was ordered
back and when he returned sat down be-
side it. He then lay down, and when one
of the guards went up he found him
frothng at the mouth and apparently
very ILL., He was ordered to be removed
10
some minutes afterward.
Guard Pea was asked how long it was
between the time of the whipping and
ThOmpsOn's death and replied that it was
about an hour. The whipping was ad-
minstcred about 10 o'clock and
the negro died about II. He
was apparently in good health in the
morning and it was thought when he was
whipped that he was playing off and en-
doavoring to shirk his work
A map was introduced by Mai. Bland
ford showing the relative positions of the
guards and Thompson and the place
where he fell and where his death oc-
Cured.
Guard Granger was also introduced
he saw Guard Pea strike Thompson only
two ticks, but thought that he struck
him two or three times more. The negro
then came down the run by his barrow
towards him, and he Guard Granger.
stopped him and ordered him back Then
the negro's death occurred, as stated
TIE CORONER SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUM
MONED.
Some information was asked for with
regard TO the duty of the coroner in such
cases and County Attorney Saussy said
that it was the law that the coroner
should be summoned and should hold an
Investigation in all cases of death in
prisons whore a physician was not in atten-
dance Hewas Of the opinion that under
tue law the coroner should have been
summoned and an inquest held on Thomp-
sons body,
Some little discussion was stirred up by
the reference to the law upon the duty of
the coroner to investigate such cases.
Elr. NdusSy thought it was the corOner's
uuJN to hold an inquest in such cases
Whether the doctor had given certificate
OF death or not. The convict had never
been attended by DR.. Chisholm, and under
Inc circumstances it was thought that
there should have been an investigation
Mr.. Saussy quoted the law on the subject
OF inc cor0ner's duty, especially with re-
gard to cases of sudden death in prisons.
The commissioners took no definite ac-
uou with regard to the matter but
all concurrcd in the opinion that the cor
oNar must IN future be notified in all such
cases SO that an Investigation can be
held
MAJ. LANDLORDS INVESTIGATION.
Maj. Blandford had taken the matter in
mana and had thoroughly investigated the
matter He submitted a report upon the
case stating that he had gone out to the
camp The afternoon before and mad sifted
Vug matter quite thoroughly.
?, thompson was sentenced to the gang on
""I w as llOJ SGub Oub ulLll seven
G"tS before his dea tn. He was apparent
~ SIoug, healthy negro and was put to
work o4 the canal the day after his ar
1'Eal ne soon began to shirk his work,
t.oupalning Of being unwell The cap
.'Iu ana guards We're lenient with him
lor several days and he was required to
10 only half work.
Inc uegro's condition, however, was APP
tt"IeHiJlN very good and it was thought
'" "a. ne was trying the dodge racket
, VII the morning of his death he left the
o",1p' making no complaints and appar-
e"It Wen. lie began Sinking his work
S et,'. ,'4ard Pea, after admonishing him
~ ''i"l tmes, called him between 10 and
n.y. CLOCK, and making him lie down ad-
Jefed six light strokes across his |
nj after which he ordered him TO get up
T, ~ To- work, which the negro did |
aLl statement that he was whipped
M 'o., o. clock was made by the quarter
--l'yeH OF the camp
THE YOUNG MAN OF GOOD REPUTE."
pf.r.5WEl - be seen from what follows, Mai |
ba5' 'uIo continues, that the whipping |
IN, lo.Alng to do with his death"
f,5 Tt negro boy Chestnut's statements |
th#rt W DE- wholly unreliable. He says
yards e was on the bridge within thirty |
Tho Ut Guard Pea when he whipped |
hsrl9oA and that about twenty-five |
Cra,j " ere administered. Now where |
teart. ga was stationed was fully 500 |
d.. t'i- the bridge over six times the |