The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-22
ONE OF THE GUARDS DID IT
SOME GRAVE CHARGES AGAINST
WARDEN RUSSELL.
CORPORAL REPORTED HIM FOR DRINKING
Cruelty TO The Convicts al Caledonia Farm No.
2--Badly Fed and Clothed and Unmerci-
Fully Whipped Drunkenness
There Also.

Recently four long-term convicts es-
capped from the Halifax farm.
TO be exact, they took Their departure
on the night Of January 18th, and two
of them were in for so years each, ami
two for II years each. Their name are;
Joe Martin, thirty years.
Sam Daniels, thirty years.
Tom Davis, fifteen years.
Jesse Cox, fifteen years.
They were allowed to escape, it is
said, by one of the guards, named Cope
or Coke. He told them to come to his
post at n certain time and he would turn
them out. They went and he did as he
had promised.
Martin is from this county-New
Light township. lie came home, but re-
manned only one night and went away.
Officers have been searching for him
since, but neither he nor any of the other
three have been caught.
Another report says that Warden Tom
Russell, in the penitentiary here, has
been several times reported, during
Smiths superintendemcy, for drinking
whskey Corporal of the Guard Low
ry. was asked about this yesterday, and
said it was true; that he had often re-
ported Russell himself: that he had
drawn half pint of whiskey every night
for him, and that every time he rus
selD had gone away he had always
taken a supply of the penitentiary
whiskey along with him.
He says further that Russell is wear
ing gold watch that belongs to one of
the conyicts: and that once he took a
suit of clothes worn there by a convict.
had it cleanel up and sent it to a friend
in Robson county.
From these things it would seem that
Babb and Hughes are not the only in
competents serving the State in its pen
itentiary department.
4 guard at the camp on Caledonia
farm. NO. ,, writes as follows:
The prisoners mere are almost stary-
ing and they are brutally and inhuman-
~ whipped. They are also suffering
from exposure to tire cold.
Then there are a number OF hfe4men
here, q place where such prisoners do
not belong.
On Christmas day the supervisor and
one of the prisoners was on a drunk
and the supervisor knocked the prisoner
dead with a stick: then he sent for a
doctor. The prisoner came near dying.
Nv. r. Dixon and ID. s. Russell have
put up whipping post. They have had
the stock made TO whip conyicts on.
Dixon also goes to the field and whips
the men with a buggy trace, from 80 to
40 lashes.
Dixon is often half drunk and the
steward. ID. S. Russell, is half drunk all
the time.
I'VE, the guaras, are not treated
properly and | never do intend to vote
another Republican ticket as long as
i've. We hope the hour will come when
the Democratic banner VIII wave over
the land.
'.Scne of the prisoners fingers and
feet are 80 frost-bitten that they can
hardly get along picking cotton.
They have been feeding US on pease
that are rotten.
write this to benefit the poor prison
ers and to show to you that | am done
vita the Republican party.
II hope you will please find space in
your paper for this letter for | want
everybody to know it.
For obvious reasons the name of the
writer of this letter is not here given.
through he requested that it be done.
The letter Is on file in this office.