The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-27


keep him from cutting me. undertook
to whip him and he pulled out knife.
j had hold of the strop and turned and
hit him with the handle
Where was Joe Macon when you
struck him?"
In the yard
did you whip him that morning.
Eyes"
ibid any one else whip him?''
Yes, Safer"
did you whip him so he could not
work.
NO he went right along with his
work. A few days after he complained
of his head
Ibid the Doctor see him?"
Il don't think so.''
did you ever whip a convict SO
as TO disable him?"
mo sir
did any of the overseers?"
eff so, / never heard of it,
What do you think a reasonable
mode of punishment
1T depends ON the man."
Take a man like Mazon?"
..You Just got to wear Joe out. He has
not given any trouble since | whip
ped him. Bill Day said he wanted to
come back to me"
"Was George Dixon transferred from
Castle Hayne?"
Il don't know where he come from
but | recollect old Skeet mighty WE'LL
Here the witness chuckled immoderate-
ly.
when did the convicts arrive from
Castle Hayne?"
about January "a, 1890"
FROST BITTEN.
sWhat was their condition.
'TThe worst | ever saw. They were
poor and lousy. i put them to knock
inc cotton stalks. If you can find
any hotter work ] don't know it. After
wards four or five of them come 20 me
and said their hands Were frost bit
ten and they were not able to work. |
looked at their hands and their fingers
nails were black but not broken out.
when did you first hear of these
men being frozen?V
-Four or FIVE days after | got back
from Raleigh
"Now | ask your opinion as to who
was responsible for the freezing?'
II am not responsible If they all
froze These Saters have been State
men ever since the penitentiary was
established. The cause of all this trou-
BILE was some men / discharged.
discharged Dave Russell and Tom Rus
sell got mad Everytime an old negro
went to Raleigh Tom Russell put it on
me-
..What is your opinion as to where
these men frozeY'
well I'll tell it as near right as |
know let the drop go where she will.
Some of them might have been frost
bitten at my farm, but most of them
before they come.
ADMITS HIS GUILT.
"How many were frost-bitten at
your far1n?''
-Four or five, | think
How many had fingers amputated?'
1.-Two, / think Their fingers got SO
bad | suggested to DIR. Ferguson that
he cut them off. He said some of them
might need it but they would not be
bothered yet. There was report from
conyicts that they had been grabbing
peanuts from the frozen ground.
+ "Has there been too much politics
in the penitentiaryg
ssYes. / know there has
.'How was it about Gabe Elliott!'
"He had consumption"
"Whom did he work under?'
.sHe only worked TWO pieces OF
days"
! Don't you think it wrong and de-
cidedly cruel to send out conyicts in
such condition in bitter cold weather.
''They are sent there and i have
no right to let them lie up. If they are
not put to work, / am held re-
suaucihla for thair idlpnaSS ,,
would you not rather take the re-
sponsibility than to put men out in
such weather.
1T was worse than | thought. I
should be more careful"
WEATHER. TOO SEVERE.
"Was the weather too severe to work
menu"
Yes, sir, for eight days did not
take them OUT
'Ishen you admit the weather was
too severe for work.
''Yes but | could not keep men in
and the sun shining. | am held re-
sponsible.''
Who holds you responsible"
''The superintendent, / reckon
Would you send them out in such
weather if YOU had it to go over
again?" ".
mo sir"
You admit you did wrong in send
ing them to the field?''
Eyes, / think So"
IF the superintendent has such arbi-
trary rules for working conyicts in
such weather he should be changed
HE HAD NO ORDERS.
ssThe superintendent never gave me
such orders, but he sent them here
to work"
'.Is it not an act of cruelty to put
man with consumption like Gabe Elliott
to work in such severe weather."
Il did not know he had consump-
ton"
"Was it not your duty to know
s'You can't tell all in a minute
WAS it not the farm physicians duty
to know
"He could only see they were run
down"
Should he not have examined
themT'
Il reckon it would have been better
but all men make mistakes"
WAS DR.. Ferguson not derelict in
l.. L ELL I'll sfxy 4l,,a