The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-04
CAUSE OF BANKSTON'S DEATH.
GRAND JURY SATISFIED 1T WAS
DUE TO WHIPPING.

Recomm ends That the Sugar HUI
Camp he Abolished Whipping
Boss TomIinson Indicted-W hip
ping of Bankston Was Inrenson-
abIe-Foreman Curses and Abuses
the COnvicts-TOmIinsO Says Phy-
stefan Stated Bankston Was AhIe
to work, and He Whipped Him.
Atlanta, Aug. S.-Folowing close upon
the Indictment of Whipping Boss A. j.
Ton1linson. of the Sugar Hin convict
camp for the homicide Of George Banks
ton, comes "a rec1mmendation of the grand
jury of Barlow county that the misde-
meanor camp at Sugar Hill which is IN
der the same manage ment, be abolished,
unless abuses, said to exist are remedied.
In the FRESHMEN made at Carriers
willie this afternoon, the grand jury said
In reference TO the misdemeauor camp:
I'VE find the rules and regulations are
not being complied with. They provide
that one pound Of fresh meat must be
given TO eech convict twice week. Our
information is that they have never been
furnished with single pound Of fresh
meat since the camp was s ablished. We
deem it proper to say they have been fur
nished with plenty Of other foods.
1--WE are advised that the foreman. John
Brown. in charge Of this camp abuses
and curses the convicts and calls them
by names forbidden by the rules
Wnnt Ii Abolished.
1--WE recommend that the Board of
Commissioners of Roads and Revenues
abolish the camp unless thee abuses are
corrected"
Referring 10 the death of Bankston the
grand jury said:
SIN enc case the punishment inflicted
by Warden Tomlnson on a convict
George Bankston. was unreasonable. The
records show this man was given during
the last week in March of his year, thr e
whippings. first twelve lashes by Warden
Tomlinson. then fifteen lashes by Assist
ant Warden Blevins, and afterwards sixty
lashes by Warden Tomlinson, and that
very shortly after this last whipping he
died.
This convict Rankston had been con-
fined in jail for some length of time be-
fore reaching the camp which, in the
opinion OF the physician in charge, rem
dered him wholly unfit for anything APP
preaching hard labor until his muscles
were hardened ana his system toned up
TO convict life; yet in about two weeks
efter reaching the camp he was a corpse
al hough he had not at any time previous
20 his death been reported sick.
What TomIinson Says.
Mr.. Tomlinson, the whipping boss, is
said to stand we'll in his section. He was
postmaster at Cedartown under Cleve-
land He makes the following statement
in reply TO the charges;
physician, resident az the camp, was
called In, examined Bankston and pro-
nounced him well and able to work
then whipped Bankston, giving him seven
light blows with a leather strap
"A day or two after, still refusing TO
work. he was again examined by the ply
sician pronounced able 40 work, and I
gave him twenty-five or thirty blows with
the strap A day or two after this second
whipping he was again examined by the
doctor and by him reported able for duty
and sens out to work. Bankston still re-
fusing to work I gave him sixty blows
with the strap. He was sent out next
morning by the doctor as able for duty.
but still refusing to work. I refused TO
whip him any more and sent him back
into camp. The third day after this he
died.
Several respectable and worthy citi-
Gems of this county were present at each
one of the whippings received by Banks
ton and they will testify that neither of
the whippings were severe"