Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-08-27
WORSE THAN SIBERIA.
Horrors of the Convict Camps of
Georgia.

Beaten 10 Death by the Guards Com
PEELED 10 Work 10 Hours. Eat Raw
Meat and Sleep on the Ground---Death
Rate One Ina Four.
The special commission which Gov. At
kinson appointed last spring TO investigate
the condition of the convict camps of
Georgia made a report Saturday which has
astounded not only the governor, but even
those members of the legislature who
thought that such an investigation was
needed.
1t declares that the convict camps of the
state are worse than Siberia, and its find
ings show a condition so horrible. revolt
ing and inhuman as to be almost beyond
belief 1t deliberately charges that the
convicts in the misdemeanor camps. most
OF whom are leased by the state to private
contractors, have been handled without
mercy by the keepers. The report accuses
the contractors of robbing the convicts OF
the time the state allows them for good be-
havior, of forcing them to work from Il TO
20 hours day, of failing to provide them
with clothes, shoes and beds, of giving
them no heat in winter, of forcing scores
Of them TO sleep shackled in single board
ed-up rooms, OF giving them rotten food
and OF failing to care tor the sick,
Instances are quoted showing the nor
rible treatment OF women, and exact
names, times and places are fixed at which
men were actually beaten TO death by the
brutal guards for failing to comply with
insignificant regulations. The report SAYS
that in most of the camps the men are
provided with but one suit of convict
clothes, which they are compelled to wear
the year round. On the return of the con-
victs from 10 hours continuous work they
are given chunks of raw beef and horse
which they have TO cook on little fires
while shackled together on the ground
In the Glynn county camp the commits
sion found 81 men sleeping in one room
Is feet square and seven feet from the
floor to ceiling, with no window in it and
absolutely no means of ventilation Most
Of the camps had neither hunks nor mat
tresses, and the convicts were compelled
TO sleep on the ground. The death rate in
one camp was one in four In the others
it averaged about one in seven.
Men and women of both colors were
forced to sleep together in outbouses. and
women were compelled to don mems
clothes and work in the bitches with the
men. The reports description of the
treatment of women is unprintable. In
enc camp the commission found Is colored
men and white woman quartered in a
barn with cows, and with a guano store
room above them. In the Pulaski county
camp the guards had beaten a convict to
death and buried him with his stripes and
shackles on. In another case the commits
sion tells of an lS-year- old negress named
Lizzie Boatwright with another young
woman being stripped naked in the pres
ence of the men and subjected to treat
ment that is indescribable,
The exact language of the report in
another case is as follows: "The facts
in the murder case against Guard Can
non as sworn TO before the coIoner's Jury
are these: Cannon whipped the aged ne
gro number of times and so numerically
that, almost unconscious and helpless. the
old man looked up from the ground where
he lay and asked. Boss, is you givin' TO
xii! me?' Cannon angrily replied. Yes.
you, | am. The negro then begged
to be shot and be spared further torture.
After the last whipping Cannon dragged
him 10 tree and chained him up so that
he could not lie down. Half an hour la
ter when the gang got back he was dead"