The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-27
DIED WHILE SERVING TIME.
TWO RUNAWAY BOYS TAKE SICK
IN A CONVICT CAMP.

Lewis and Henderson Run Away
From Their Homes in Durham
and Land in "a Chain-Gang for "a
Minor OGense-TaI<en Suddenly Ill
and One Dies Before Reaching
Medical Attention, and the other
shortly Afterward.
Waycross, Ga. Oct. 26-Two young
white men. who were i'll of some form
of malarial fever at c. W Deem & Co. 8
convict camp, in Appling county, four
miles north of Beach, We're put in wagon
yesterday morning and sent to Waycross
for medical treatment.
one of them, named Lewis, died on the
railroad platform at Beach while waiting
for the air line train. The other, Tom
Henderson, was brought to Waycross and
put under the care OF DR. J. II Lattimer,
but lived only till o'clock this morning.
Both were peculiarly sad deaths. They
had served fifteen days in the chain-gang,
having only fifteen more days to serve.
1t seems that they ran away from their
homes at Durham, N. c., beating their
way to Blackshear on a freight train.
They were arrested several weeks ago
at Blackshear for stealing passage on the
train. Their trials occurred in the Coun-
ty Court, and thirty-day sentences were
imposed by the judge. They had violated
a town ordinance, prohibiting stealing
passage on a train within the incorporate
limits.
The authorities turned them over to c.
w Deem & Co., turpentne operators.
charging the usual price for such serv-
ice. Lewis and Henderson were about IS
or 20 years of age, and of delicate phys
ique. They were put to work gathering
"scrape' from the turpentlne trees, and
last Friday both of them complained of
being i'll and were not required to work
any more. 1t was thought best to send
them to Waycross. so they could get prop
er medical attention. The man in charge
Of the camp did not know of their serious
illness. When Lewis died, a report was
circulated that he was whipped while sick
{. w. Deem of Waycross went to the
camp to-day to investigate the report He
SAID he found that neither one of the bows
had been whipped He said they were re-
CURED to do light work while they were
well and were allowed to wear their own
SlOtlleS ana Steep IN the same house with
the overseer. He said he did not know
whether physician had attended them at
the camp or not. Some one at Beach
wanted an inquest held over Lewis and
the body was allowed to remain on the
platform since yesterday morning, pend
ing the arrival of the coroner. A tele-
phone message was sent to Coroner
Grimes, and his residence being outside
OF Waycross, he did not get it till this
morning, after the departure of the Air
Line train. It is not known whether the
inquest has been held or not.
c. w. Deem & Co. had a coffin made and
sent 1t to Beach for the purpose of bury
ing Lewis. They learned that the conn
~ would hold an inquest and did not
interfere.
Henderson was son of Dr. L. B. Hen
derson, a prominent dentist of Durham
y. Z. His father ordered the body ship
ped home this afternoon by express.
me circumstances surrounding the
death of the young man are being investt-
gated by c. w. Deem & Co., and by to-
morrow all the particulars will be gath
cred. They say they want all the facts
made public, because they are satisfied
the young men were humanely treated ana
well cared for while at the camp.
DIR. Parker examined Lewis body to-
day and said no signs of whipping were
visible.