The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-25
MAKING AN INVESTIGATION.
REPORTS ABOUT THE CHANGING
BEING LOOKED INTO.

Some of the Commissioners Work.
ing Quietly In the Matter, But
They still Refuse to TaIk-One of
the Commissioners Heard Dora
Freemun's story, Which Is About
the Same as That of the Young
GIrI-The story About Their Trans
fer From One Camp to the Other.
Some of the CoIored Preachers In
terested in the Matter-The Com
missiOners Generally Think There
should BE an investigation.
The county commissioners are beyond
all question interesting themselves very
deeply in the matter of the reported out
RACES at the county convict camps. though
as yet they persist in silence as to what
course they are pursuing.
One of the commissioners, who was
quoted in yesterdays Morning News upon
the subject, went yesterday, in company
with several men to see Dora Freeman,
another of the negro women who makes
the same sort of charges as the girl Lula
Floyd.
The Freeman woman was sentenced TO
ceny, but her husband raised the money
and paid her fine after she had served
about one month. To this commissioner
and those with him the Freeman woman
told pretty much the same story that
was told by the girl, except she went
more into details. She said that she and
the Floyd girl were transferred from
camp No. / to camp No. 2, on a Friday
night, the date not given, and that they
were taken from one camp to another
by two white men connected with the
chain-gang, who assaulted them between
four women were to be transferred from
the camp that night, but the men who
took them left two behind.
This is, in brief, what was related to
the commissioner, though he refused to
say anything with regard to it. He was
not willing, either, to admit or deny that
he made this investigation, but only stat
ed that the commissioners were not ready
yet to give out anything with regard
to it,
DR.. t. ]. Charlton, the chairman of the
chain-gang committee of the board, was
seen about the matter. DR.. Charlton
however, has been absent about three
months, having just returned day or two
ago. He was unable, therefore, to make
any statement with regard to the matter
he said. He has heard of the reports,
but his evidence is only hearsay, and for
that reason, he said he was not prepared
to say anything about them. 1t is likely
however, that he will give the matter an
investigation himself.
Another of the commissioners said he
had not gone as far into the matter as he
would like but would do so at once, And, 3"
he continued, 'if the facts are as they
are reported to me the matter is one, not
only for investigation by the commits
sioners, but by the grand jury"
There is new feature of the case. 1t
is said that some of the colored preachers
of the city, especially Rev. E. K. Love,
are very much stirred up over the mat
ter, and are going to endeavor to force an
investigation, if they can do so. Rev.
Love, it is understood, has been making
some inquiries into the matter, and it is
said he may be heard from with regard
to it before it is dropped.
The trouble with the commissioners,
one of them said was that the only direct
evidence they had was from these two
negro women, who have been on the
chain-gang, the only other evidence be-
ing circumStantial. There was no doubt,
however, he said, that the matter would
be investigated, and such action as SEEM
ed necessary, taken. No charges had
been filed against any Individual he said,
but the reports had gained such wide cir
culation even before they were mentioned
in the newspapers, that the commission
ers felt 1t necessary to take the matter
up on their own account.
An effort was made to secure warrants
at one Justice court, as the Morning
News stated, but the justice gave, as his
reason for not issuing it, that he consid-
cred the matter a political one, and did
not place much credence in the state
ments He said, however, he would issue
the warrants if they should be demanded.
Another justice was informed that appli-
cation for warrants would be made to
him, but up to the time he closed his Of
flee last night no one came for them.