The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-09
SAY THEY WERE ILL-TREATED.
UNITED STATES PRISONERS AT
RALEIGH ALLEGE ABUSE.

They Refused to work Eight Miles
From the Prison, Claiming That
the Law Did Not Require It-ThOse
Who Refused Were Strung Up by
the Wrists and Whipped-Other
Abuses on the Part of the Author
fties Charged.
Washington, May S.-The Evening Star
to-day publishes a complaint from num-
Der of federal prisoners incarcerated in the
state penitentiary at Raleigh. n. C. The
prisoners were ordered to work al some
brick yards eight miles from the prison
and refused to comply, claiming immunity
under the law from labor outside the pris-
for insubordinatlon.
The complaint was submitted to the At
torney General and an Investigate ton has
been ordered.
How They Were Treated.
One of the communications received by
the Star is as follows:
I'VE, the undersigned, United States
prisoners, wish to call your attention 10
the treatment and punishment we recelv-
ed here on Tuesday, the 18th of this month.
We were formed in line and told we were
TO be taken eight miles outside of the
walls to dig clay to be used to make
bricks. We told the officers here that we
were Gil willing to work. but that the law
did not require or permit us to be taken
outside of the walls. The brickyard also
here competes with outside labor and
brickyards in the vicinity
Thirty or more United States prison.
ers Wet and are still going every day,
the eight miles to the clay hoie for fear
of the inhuman and corporal punishment
we received. The authorities had us sim
gled out, and calling us Yankees, took us
in cell block. We were handcufed and
tied with a rope from overhead and pull
ed up by our wrists until our toes just
touched. Our trousers were pulled down,
and we were lashed 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 eleven lashes down
to three. Two other United States pris-
oners have been whipped since.
Claimed They Had the Right.
1.-THE authorities here claim that they
have permission 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 10 get PERMISSION 10 take
United States prisoners to work on farms
throughout the state.
None of the United States prisoners
refuse to work inside 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 do not furnish medicine, neither do
they have the medicine on hand. Our
working hours here are from sun up to
sun down. We get fresh meat once a
week. boiled.
win you investigate this inhuman and
outrageous treatment? If this is law we
are the only United States prisoners I'm
this great free country that must sub
init 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. II
says that during the cold wave one Of
the convicts had the fingers of both hands
frozen off by being made to work In the
cold. 1t goes on t. say that one of the
tive men so terribly lashed is in bad way.