The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-01
THE GRAND IURYS REPORT.
ITS INVESTIGATION INTO THE CON-
VICT CAMP NATTER.

Twenty-One of the COnvIcts Found
to Have Suffered From Frost Bites
as the Result OF Exposure During
the Cold SpeII-The Condition
Due, IL Says, Either to n Serious
Misunderstanding or l. Lack OF
Authority.
The grand jury Of the city court made
its general presentments TO the court yes
terday and adjourned for the term. The
reports Of the committees from the grand
jury. with the exception of that appointed
to visit convict camp No. /, are of the
usual order. but that one is interesting
in the extreme, and will no doubt stir
up considerable comment in Official quar-
tiers.
The committee consisted Of Messrs. G.
A. Whitehead. chairman; Nat Harrison,
H. NJ. Branch and P A. stovan. The
committee calls attention in a general way
to the fact that the quarters Of the con-
victs at this camp are in a fairly good
condition, and that the food is very good,
with the exception Of one box of meats,
to which attention is called, and which,
the committee says, is not up to the
usual standard Of sound healthy food.
The feature of the report, however, Is
what is said about the convicts who are
suffering with frost bitten limbs. Four
OF these men, as has already been stated
in the Morning News, are laid up at the
Georgia infrmary where, il is said, they
VIII lose parts OF their anatomy as the re-
suit OF exposure du@s-7 -a5 spells OF Sc
we're weather. In the hospital at the
camp are seventeen more of these men
in pitiable, helpless and disabled condi-
ton. They are suffering as the result of
their exposure on Friday Dec. Is. They
can neither walk nor stand, but are lying
on boards chained and huddled together
and suffering from what in this climate.
is most unusual affection. 1t appeared
to the grand jury that either through a
lack Of authority or a serious misunder-
standing the convicts were on that cold
day required to break the ice on the
water in the canal and work there during
the day. The guard in command of the
squad Of eleven convicts who stood ankle
deep in the water of the old Casey canal on
that day was officer Morehead, and the
chief in charge of the convict guard is
Capt. Hughes. The latter claims he order
ed the men to work in the water on that
day in accordance with Instructions from
Maj Blandford, the county engineer,
while Maj. Blandford states that when ne
found il growing colder he sent word to
the guards to withdraw the men from the
water. The painful effect of the frost
bites began to be felt week later, though
it is possible that the malady was aggra-
waited by the men putting their cold and
benumbed limbs near the fire after they
were taken to the barracks.
In view of these facts the grand jury
recommends that the guards be given
discretion in such emergencies to ato
cruel exposure of the men, and that OFF,
GERS Of intelligence, humanity and pru-
dence be employed, to whom such au-
thority may be lntrusted 1t recommends
also that the county engineer be author
the canal during the wet seasons Of the
spring and fail, and during the severe
spells of the winter when the lives of
the men are endangered. 1t is believed
that during such times they can be used
to advantage on the county roads or on
the county farm.
The grand jury concludes with a. list
of the twenty-one men who are now laid
up, or who have been laid up, from FROST
bites as a result of their exposure.
Judge MacDonell thanked the grand
Jurors for their faithful and efficient work,
and referred especially to their investi-
cation of the convict camp matter. He
said that he was glad the grand jury
had taken this matter up. He was fire.
quently worried, he said in sentencing
a prisoner to the chain-gang, though the
punishment was required in many in
stances under the laws, for there was
a fear that the person so sentenced might
receive seVerer punishment than the laws
contemplated. He thought this matter
should be gone into thoroughly and
changes made wherever they are needed.
THE CITY OF MACON IN PORT.