The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-03
MANNED FOR LIFE,
CONV|CTS co HOME
Tell a PitifuI Tale of Their
Suferings.
FINGERS AND TOES OFF
FROZEN on THE NORTHAMPTON
STATE FARM.
SAY THEY WERE BEATEN UNMsRClfULLY
A White Man and Negro from Nash County
Complete Their Terms in The Peni-
Tertiary and Tel Tales Out
OF School.

That was a pitiful sight yesterday At
the Union depot: Two convicts who had
Just finished their terms in the peniten-
tiary-one without fingers and both
with only the remnants of feet.
They were on the Northampton State
farm hast winter, under Supervisor Il.
l.. Sunmerell- hence their manned con-
dition. One was Il white man, Patrick
Greedy, and one a negro, Willis Rich
ardson Both were sent up from Nash
county for year each, and both for
burglary.
The white man is twenty-five years
old dull and half-witted. The negro IS
twenty -one, gingercake colored, quick
and bright. He told his story only IN
reply to questions. but Ire talked inteili-
gently and was positive in all MS state
lneIts, most of which We're coIToborated
hy his white companion.
The negro richardson has only one
finger-a thunib-the others having been
cut off on account Of their being frost
bitten. ALSO the side of one OF his feet
had sioughed off, and even now ne wears
a cloth shoe with much discomfort The
white man, Greedy, WAS not so seriously
frost hitten The flesh on his heels rot
fed and came off down TO the bone. He
lost no fingers. though his health was
permanently affected by exposure ON this
farm.
When semt do the penitenffary these
men were first taken TO Castle Hayna
farm. they said. About tine middle Of
January they were transferred to the
Northampton farm where they remained
until April 22nd, when they We're
brought here to the central prison, being
unable to work more On account or
their injuries.
But / interrupted, lit has been as
serted by Summe1elI and his friends THAT
you were frost-E1tten at Castle Hayme
and not on his farm at all?'
..Ihere is no truth in that claim,
quickly declared Richardson. There
was 10 more the matter with me-or
any of MS when VIE left Castle Hayne
TRAN when we left Jail. We Were all
well and hearty and we We're treated
WELL
Were you not treated well on the
Northampton farm:'
I'VE were not. We were beaten, half
fed and made to work in all sorts of
weather The day we We're frost bitten
we were knocking Down cotton stalks.
did you complain TO Summerell of
the cold?'
I'VE complained to Mr.. Sam Howell
the overseer He told us to go ahead
and do the best we eould.'
-
had fire in the field
we did moi not spark of fire.
The claim is false
Greedy, the white man, corToborafed
all these statements. He said he was
in the field at the time working and
had his heels frozen off; That there
was no fire in the field and no provision
made for the conviots warming them
selves.
Continuing, the negro Richardson
said:
There We're some eight or ten of us
that got frost bitten in the field that
day. Those hurt tire worst were Gabe
Elliott, Henry Cowan, Warren Amber
son and myself.
..All my fingers were frozen off--or
rather frozen SO THAT the flesh rotted
off and the bare bones stuck ont. Then
DR.. Ferguson, the physician on the
Northampton farm, cut the bones off
Part of my left foot, .on the side, and
portion of the heel also came off
could not put on my shoe until few
days ago and it hurts me now.
Warren Anderson hard one finger
taken off, but two others were so badly
frozen that the doctor says they Twin
have to come off. He is serving n
three years sentence.
Henry Cowan, who is serving a five
years sentence, has had only one finger
taken off, but all the fingers of that
hand will have to be cut off. The meat
has all come off and the bare bones are
now sticking out.
.Gabe Elliott was 50 badly frozen
that he was taken back to his cell and
put 70 led. He never did recover and
died abGtt fifteen days afterwards from
the exposure. They tried TO make him
get up and 20 out to work again but
lie couldn't, 50 Mr.. Summerell had the
cell-block man take him one day and