The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-14
COLE cITYS CONVICT CAMPS.
TWO DOCTORS DISAGREE As To
THE CHARGES OF CRUELTY.

Ex-PrincipaI Physician Mcintosh
Looks Upon Ducking as More HUI
name Than FIOgEing - julius
Brown Resents Orders Issued by
DR.. Bush-Dr. bush Supposed TO
Have Seriously Reflected on the
Mental CaIiber of the Legislative
Committee.
Atlanta. Ca. Feb. 13-The state conclud-
ed the examination Of witnesses against
the lessees in the convict camp investi-
cation to-day. and the defense is now IN
progress. with a string Of witnesses on
hand which promises to consume the bal
ance Of the week.
In the investigation to-day the most
important testimony was that given by
ex-Prncipal Physician Mcintosh and
Principal Bush Of the penitentiary depart
ment This testimony was unusually in
teresting from the fact that the two ply
sicians took Numerically different views
of the treatment and condition Of the con-
victs, as well as the punishment inflicted
at the Cole City camp.
DR.. Bush, the present principal physI-
clan, took the ground that the ducking
punishment was brutal and dangerous and
that the convicts generally are in the con-
dition described by the legislative COM
mittee, while Dr. Mcintosh declared that
the ducking pracuced upon obstreperous
prisoners at Cole City was not only more
humane than fiOgging. but that, it was not
dangerous and should be continued in use.
while he never found anything at any OF
the camps that deserved censure the men
being well fed and well clothed. DR. Nc
Intosh was principal physician for four
months only, having resigned the office TO
which he was appointed by Gov. Atkin-
son after serving that length of time He
Is one of the most prominent physicians
OF ThOmaSNllles and preferred his regu-
lar practice to the official position.
DR.. Bush, who was appointed to sue
coed him, has been in office since last
August, and since taking charge has de-
voted a good deal of attention to reforms
in the department. 1t is said that when
he went into office he remarked to a
friend that he would soon hear something
drop. On account of this, an effort was
made while he was on the stand to-day
10 show that he was naturally prejudiced
against the lessees and was, therefore,
unduly severe upon them.
DR.. Bush was kept on the stand for
nearly three hours. He was also on the
stand Yesterday The whole tenor of his
of both cruelty, lack of food and lack of
clothing, as well as proper accOmmOda-
lions IOr the comfort OF the COnNlclS. lie
went into detail on these matters in
way that showed that he is entirely ia
miliar with the entire system.
A number of letters written by Dir.
Bush to Julius l.. Brown president of
Company No l. played an important part
in the proceedings. There was another
letter written by him to Capt Cox, boss
of the Cole City camp, which also created
a stir in the court, but which Gov. Atkin-
son would not allow to be read or put in
evidence. The letters to Mr. Brown and
. wwe.I1 .w~T
reference to orders that the principal ply
sicians had given for improvements at
Cole City. In some parts the letters were
Mr. Brown took the position that such
orders should have been given by the
principal physician to him as president
at the camp. He told DR.. Bush that or
ders given in that way would not be car
ried out, but on the contrary If any of
the employees of the company at the
he would at once discharge them. Fur
Their than this, Mr. Brown wrote the prin-
cipal physician that he himself would
make the improvements at the camp, If
recommended, or ordered by him, If he
should see fit to do So If he didn't see
1T to obey these orders. he would not do
IL. He took the same position with re-
gard to any instructions that might en-
anate from the principal keeper or the
governor himself. one of these letters
was written last Tuesday after the inves-
tigation had begun.
Regardless of the outcome of the inves-
tigation, IL is quite probable that there
viii be some very interesting develop
ments in regard to these letters as Mr.
Browns position is construed to mean a
defiance of the authority of the state In
the control of the convicts
The other letter, which Gov. Atkinson
refused to allow to be read, after having
looked through IL privately himself, upon
ahe plea of DR.. Bush that the attorneys
had no right to use 1t as il was a private
communication, was addressed to Capt
Ed Cox, superintendent of the Cole CITY
camp 1t lis understood that in this let
ter, DR.. Bush ridiculed the work of the
legislative investigation committee, de-
claring to Capt. Cox that he considered
1t farce and that in his opinion, many
of the legislators did not have sense
enough to Investigate anything. In the
light of DR.. Bush's testimony
It is uncomfortable how he could have writ
ten letter such as it is represented to be,
but II is understood that it was in ac-
Acknowledgement of a favor which Capt
Cox had done for the principal physician
In sending him a pair of billy goats for his
little boy. The attorneys of the lesseeS
wanted to use the letter to show Dr.
Bush's Inconsistency
At the close of the states side of the in
yest1gation this afternoon, Col Hammond,
M introducing a lot of papers and records,
threw a bomb into the camp of the les
sees. Throughout the case the camps of
Company No. l. the Dade county mines
nave been under the hottest fire. Com