The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-05-09
BRUTAL BEATING
AND STARVATION
This is the Charge Made by
Convicts.
THE FEDERAL PRISONERS
MADE TO WORK OUTSIDE THE
PRISON WALLS
ONE WHIPPED I'LL hE COULDN'T STAND
Capt. Day Doesn't Deny the FIcggiug but he
Denies tina, it Was xcessiye and Says
it was Necessary.

Now comes the tug of war between
Captain Bill Day and the Department
of Justice at Washington.
The Captain is to be investigated.
His treatment of Federal prisoners is
the particular branch of his administra-
ton to be put under the official micro
scope
Crave charges have gone up to Wash
ington-sent by the Federal prisoners.
The prisoners say they were ordered TO
work at the brick yards eight miles
from the prison and refused to comply,
claiming immunity under the law from
labor outside the prison walls. where
upon they were fogged for insubordina-
ton.
They also allege that they have not
been properly fed and cared for. The
complaint has been submitted to the
Attorney General and an investigation
ordered
An Associated Press dispatch from
Washington last night said the Evening
Star Monday publishes a complaint from
n. {.
One of the communications received
by the Star is as follows:
we tit Undersigned, lHlifu %f't"tN7
prisoners. wish to call your attention to
the treatment and punishment we re-
ceived here on Tuesday. the 18th of tllis
month. We were formed in line and
told we were to be taken eights miles
outside of the walls to dig clay to be
used tn make brick. We told the officers
here that we were all willing to work.
but that the law did not require or per-
nit us to be taken outside of the walls.
The brick yard also here completes with
the outside labor and brickS yards i'll the
vicinity. Thirty or more United States
prisoners went; and are still gang
every. day, the eight miles 10 the clay
hole, for fear of the inhuman corporal
punishment we received. The author-
ties had us singled out, and calling Us
Yankees took us in cell block. We were
handcuffed and tied with Il rope from
over head and pulled up by our wrists
until our toes just touched. Our trous-
ers were pulled down, and we were
dashed on our bare backs, one man WAS
given twenty .lashes, and when taken
down was unable to stand. He was
taken up to the hospital. The others OF
us had from il lashes down to three.
Two other of the United States pris-
oners have been whipped since. The
authorities here claim they have permits
sion from Washington to whip, and do,
and take any of the United States
prisoners outside OF the walls and work
us anywhere they see fit. They say
they soon expect to get permission to
take us prisoners to work on farms
throughout the State. None of the Uni
ted States prisoners refuse 70 work in
side of the walls and God knows We
are fed improperly and bad enough. The
food causes weakly men and sickness,
and when sick, before God, they don't
furnish medicine, neither do they have
medicine on hand. Our working hours
here are from sunup to shutdown. We
get fresh meat once u week, boiled Will
you investigate this inhuman and out
rageous treatment? If this is law we are
the only United States prisoners in
this great free country that must sub
nit to this brutal abuse. We hope that
you will investigate this shameless and
slavery treatment, and we expect to get
redress.
The other communication is similar.
1t says that during the cold wave one of
the conyicts had the fingers of both
udUuS IIbLell OiI utiuc utdue I'd Wofk
in the cold. 1t goes on to say that one.
of the five men SO terribly dashed is in
a bad way.
Capt. Day makes no denial of the
fiogging, but he does claim that
it was not excessive. He says
the prisoners became obstreperous
and he could manage them in
no other way. He had five of them
whipped, some quite severely and others
lightly. he told the directors of the peni-
Tertiary at their recent meeting.
AT first thought the law prohibited
their being whipped; they thought so
TOO. and that's what made them so
troublesome. But looked into the mat
ter carefully and found that there was
a law allowing. it, and it has never been
repealed. Since | have had these men
logged they have given no trouble
During Superintendent Mewborne's
administration the Federal prisoners
gave the authorities much trouble More
than once they mutinied and refused to
work. But they were never logged.
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