The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-18


fourths Of the convicJs suffer from syphi-
| letic diseases. Harris was apparently
whipped more than ne should have
! been whipped DR.. Charlton said he was
doing everything he could 10 prevent oc-
cuTrences Or this kind. as he had been
greatly annoyed and harassed by the
newspaper reports and the discussions
about them.
An ola half-witted and deaf negro then
tried 20 tell how he was treated al the con-
Nict camp. He said that he was stretched
OUT ana beaten four times q day because
he was deaf. lie was barefooted and had
a sock on one foot He pulled on the sock
and exhibited foot in very bad condition
he said one Of the guards. who had a
I spike 90 his shoe. made him put out his
. loot and then Jumped on il. There was a
] mole 90 the foot evidently made In some
such manner. The jury was of the opinion
I that IL was "a shame that an old man In
7 SUCH condition should be sent 10 the gang.
AS he knew nothing Of the case, his testi-
mouy was not taken.
! John Lee. "a ''trusty'' from camp No 1,
I SAID that he knew nothing of Harris mis-
/ treatment on the works lie was brought
Z into the hospital two or three days before
+ DE died. Monday me thought Mr.. Dewbcrry
{ the yard boss, gave him dose Of medicine
/ and asked him why NE did not eat. Harris
I replied that he Gld not want anything. He
/ asked for water and Lee gave him some.
] Harris said he wanted nothing TO eat; he
I only wanted TO be ia the door and catch
I the breeze. The captain sent Lee 20 town
I for the doctor. When he got back he was
I sent 90 the farm and when he returned
/ from the farm Harris was brought into
1 The hospital Monday and died Tuesday. He
/ was not whipped while in the hospital, Lee
/ said, and did not complain about being
I whipped. Lee said that Harris had been IN
/ the hospital a week before He complained
/ Of being sick then and said he was taken
/ sick and fell on the road He continued
/ 10 complain OF being 81 up to the time of
| his death. C0nvicts We're some times whip
I ped in the yard, Lee said. for offenses com
mitted the night before. They were always
/ whipped 10y the captain and a strap was
| always used.
Il. S. Morgan, Jr.. Esq. who had been
! engaged by Rachel Harris, the mother of
the dead convict, to represent her at the
inquest, began questioning the Witnesses
in the usual legal style. Mr.. Morgan ac-
knowledged that he knew this was irreg-
ular, but asked the permission Of the
coroner TO question the witnesses. The
jury was at first inclined TO grant the re-
quest, but as Mr. Morgan's style Of in
terrogating showed that ne intended to
| range over a wide field of inquiry objec-
lions were mad by the jurors.
Foreman Theus objeu,ed to Mr.. Nor
CAMS being allowed any privileges at all.
Mr.. Okeefe and some of the other Jurors,
desired that Mr. Morgan should be al
lowed to put questions through the cor
oner or the jury. Coroner Goette put an
end TO the discussion by prohibiting Mr..
Morgan from taking any part in the in
vestig2tion. Mr.. Morgan was so much in
terested. however, that he occasionally
interjectcd questions which brought on a
tilt between himself and Mr.. Theus later
on. Coroner Goette was able to preserve
the peace, however.
loo
camp gave his testimony. All he knew
he said, was thar Harris was whipped
three times, once on Monday and twice
on a Tuesday just after he came to the
gang several days, before he died. Monday
he would not do his work right and got
about Is lashes. Tuesday he said he was
not going to work and that they would
have to beat him to death or shoot him.
His pantaloons were taken off when he
was whipped Monday, but were not taken
off Tuesday The guard, Hillman, called
boy to hold him, but Harris told the
boy that he would chop him in the head
with hoe and stand another trial for IT,
and struck at the boy two or three times
After he got out on the works he was
whipped again. because he refused to
work. The whipping was done by Guard
Hillman. The witness said he never heard
Harris complain of being sick. He was
given ten ticks in the morning and ten
in the afternoon. Brown said that Harris
was put TO work hoeing corn on the
farm. He did no work on the bitches
He worked well for awhile Tuesday morn
ing, and then Stacked down. Brown was
sent to the gang for stealing railroad
brasses. He was whipped when he first
went out, he said, fpE not working right,
but the whip made ilq9narks on him.
Edward Lewis, a tohgh-looling colored
boy from the camp, was sworn. He saw
Harris whipped three times. once on Mon
day and twice on Tuesday. The next day
Harris was sent out on the canal, where
he stayed for two days. Lewis and Har>
rls went together. Harris fell on the
way. He said it. was the heat of
the sun. He complained in the
camp Sunday of being sick
Lewis said Harris did not eat anything
while he was in camp from Saturday up
to the time he was sent to the hospital
the following Monday.
The convict witnesses were all asked
if they had been given any instructions
by the guards in their testimony and all
said they had not received such instruc-
tons.
William J. Nutal white convict. was
sworn and said that on Monday, June s.
Harris was sent out on the farm Dur
ing the forenoon he was corrected about
his work and was given about ten ticks
Tuesday he was corrected again in the
morning. In the afternoon he refused
from the guard. The guard called a boy
to assist him and Harris tried to cut the
boy with "A hoe. After that he lay down
and would not work.
when knocking Off time came" Nutarl
said, 1--WE tried 20 persuade him to walk
and he would not, and we had to hitch
UP a cart and take him to camp. We
brought him out Wednesday morning and
he wouldn't work and we had to send
him in at noon. He was sent out on the
canal the next morning. After this |
know nothing of what happened. The
whippings he got on the farm were not
sufficient to prevent his walking. His
! clothes were taken down when he was
whipped on Monday, but not on Tuesday.
l never heard him complain Of being
sick. l saw him eat at dinner time when
meals We're sent to the convicts."
Nut2ll said he had been whipped twice
| for not doing his work right, receiving
| ten licks one time and five another. He
never considered that he was unjustly
/ whipped.
John Williams, another convict, said that
1 Harris was taken out to the farm on Mon
day, where he worked until Wednesday.
when he was sent to the canal. lie claimed
/ that he could NOT work eo tho e,,,ar1 .a1,l