The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-28
BEFORE THE GRAND JURY.
Nearly Five Hours Taken Up in In
VeStiSatilS the Bunse Case.

HNgNAcNNAAAN NAS SN-+~CN NNNNt
Fourteen Witnesses Summoned to
Give Their Testimony as to How
Bunge Was Treated at the Camp.
BunEe Said to Have Made a Mistake
In Wearing His shaokles on His
Legs One of the Grand Jurors
Thinks He Was Badly Treated-Sev-
eraI of the Germans Urging the Case
Before the Grand Jury.
The grand jury of the city court had
nothing before it yesterday afternoon but
the investigation of the case of the young
German George Bunge, who it will be re-
membered was sent to the chain-gang
sometime ago as a vagrant, and who
claims to have been brutally and out
rageously treated while at the convict
camp.
The investigation was a long one. The
examination of witnesses began at I
o'clock, and it was just $3.50 when the
grand jury came down. 1t had come to
no determination, however, and made no
presentments in the case. The jury has
been called together again next Friday
to take up the investigation where it was
left off yesterday. There are several
other witnesses to be examined before a
discussion of the case is entered into, and
they have been summoned to appear Fri
day afternoon.
THE WITNESSES EXAMINED.
Fourteen or fifteen witnesses were ex-
amined yesterday afternoon. They were
w. L. Granger, John Hunter, Mr.. Suits,
Guards Heath and Lodge, Capt. Hughes,
Quartermaster Hughes, DR.. T. B. CHS
ohm, Mai r. A. Blandford, Mr.. Chas. G.
Anderson, DIR. j. G. Keller, and the three
ex-convicts S. McNarry, Henry Johnson,
and Monroe Gordon.
AS the case was not concluded none of
the proceedings before the grand jury
have been made public The guards
from the camp, of course, presented their
side of the case, and the eX-convicts were
probably called to testify as to the gen
eral treatment at the camps,
DR.. Chisholm, who has the treatment
of sick prisoners under his charge, has
examined Bunge since his discharge from
the camp. 1t is understood that his tes-
timony was to the effect that there was
no abrasion of the skin whatever where
Bunge says he was so badly whipped.
With regard to the sores on his feet and
ankles, it is stated that any prisoner is
liable to experience the same results who
insists on wearing his shackles next to
his skin, instead OF putting them outside
his pantaloons, as he is given the privi-
lege of doing.
MAI. BLANDFoRD's VIEW.
Maj. r. A. Blandford stated that since
he have been in charge OF the camps there
has been remarkably few cases in which
brutal treatment was ever claimed by any
of the convicts. He says in every case
where it has been charged he has made
thorough investigation and acted as
seemed best to suit the situation.
Maj. Blandford says he visits all the
camps on an average of three times each
week, and that all the convicts have the
right to approach him and make whatever
complaints about their treatment they
find necessary. He says it is seldom a case
of this kind is ever presented.
The German citizens who have taken
charge of the case, however, feel outraged
and several of them were with Bunge
yesterday afternoon when he was before
the grand jury.
WHAT A GRAND JUROR SAYS.
In speaking of the case one of the
grand jurors said he entertained a SINH
lar opinion to some Of those who had es-
poused Bunges cause. He said the evil
dence all tended TO show that Buuge had
been badly treated, and that it was out
rageous for man to leave the convict
camp with such sores on his legs as this
man had. He was determined he said TO
go to the bottom of the case. He had no
criticism to make against the courts, but
he did think there should be a change in
the methods of treatment at the camps,
If it produced such results as were shown
in this case.
The statement made however, that
Bunge did not have an interpreter on his
trial is in error. The records of the court
show that he had an interpreter there
through whom he presented his case
There has never been a trial of a for
eigner who cannot speak English, in the
city court without an interpreter being
secured for him, at least this is the case
since the present officials have been in
charge.
In the meantime the result of the in
vestigation will be awaited with interest.
The grand jury will take it up again next
Friday afternoon at 4 o'clock