The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-15
EIGHT MEN 1 ARE PARDONED Governor JelkS Visits COalburg Mines. CAREFUL INVESTIGATION COnvicts Were in a Dying
 Condition. It is Understood That the Prisoners are to be Removed from the
 Unhealthy Place as Soon
 as Possible

Unknown to the clerks in his office and other members of his official family. Gov ernor W. D. Jelks went to Coalburg quietly Sunday morning. made a careful investigation of the conditions under which State convicts are kept there by the Sloss-Sheffield Iron and Steel Com- pany. and in a measure confirmed the re- ports heretofore made by Dr. Shirley Bragg, Physician Convict Inspector, by pardoning eight of the convicts before he left the place. '%
 It will be remembered that Dr. Bragg, in a report to the Convict Bureau. .dc- clared that Coalburg was disease-breed- ing place and an unfit place for convicts to be worked Five hundred State and county convicts uhder lease to the Sloss- Sheffield Iron and Steel Company arc at work in these mines, and Dr. Bragg urged that they be transferred to some other point. s
 Recently Judge J. M. Carmichael. Presi- dent of the State Convict Bureau, sub mitted to Governor JeIks a report to the effect that the mortality rate among con- victs at Coalburg for three months end ing March 31st was 25 per cent greater than the mortality rate of all other con victs in the State combined. Upon the receipt of this report. the Governor ex- pressed himself as mortified at the con dition apparently prevailing at Coalburg. He said that the. situation would be speedily relieved, but gave no indication that he intended to make a personal in- vestigation of the mines at Coalburg.
 Saturday evening Governor Jelks went to Birmingham. Clerks in the Governors office knew that he was leaving the city, but they thought that according to his usual custom he was going to Eufaula to sperd Sunday with his family.
 Sunday morning. in company with his personal friend, State Senator J. G. Moo:e, Governor Je,ks went from Bir- mingham to Coalburg. He remained there about three hours and saw enough to convince him that CoaIburg is an in- proper place for the working of convicts.
 In an interview yesterday. the Gov ernor said he chose to go to Coalburg on Sunday because he knew that 1t was the only day of the week when he couad see all of the convicts outside of the mines, make notes of their physical condition and question them. He went through the hospital and found several men in ad- vanced stages of disease. He took their names and as he was leaving the place informed the officers in charge that he had decided to pardon eight of the men whose physical condition was such as to make if necessary for them to leave Coal burg as soon as possible.
 Governor Jelks returned to Montgomery Sunday evening. As soon as he reached his office yesterday morning he sent for the members of the State Convict Bureau and held d lengthy conference with them. What transpired at this conference was not made public but it Is understood that the convicts are to be removed from Coalburg without further delay.
 The Governor declined to discuss the conditions at, Coalhurg. but he indicated that there would be no further parleying with the Sloss-Sheffield Iron and Steel Company over the removal of the con- victs from Coalburg.
 The list of convicts pardoned by the Governor includes one white man and seven negroes. Three of the negroes Will Manning. Louis King and Jim Miller. were sent to the mines from Montgomery County.
 The convicts pardoned were as follows:
 Porter Hughes. white man. convicted of grand larceny. Sept Is. 1900. in the Circuit Court of Laueerdale County and sentenced to three years.
 Will Manning. negro. convicted of grand larceny. Aug. IS, 1900 in the City Court of Montgomery and sentenced to three years
 Louis King. ns gro, convicted of grand larceny. Aug. IS. 1900. i1 the City Court of Montgomery and sentenced to three years.
 Jim Miller. negro, convicted of bur glary and grand larceny, Aug. IS, 1900, In the C ty Court of Montgomery and sentenced to three years.
 General Washington. negro, convicted of grand larceny. May 15. 1901, in the City Court of Jefferson County. and sen tenced to two years and fine of $l0S.
 Frank King, a negro. convicted of bur gary. Oct %, 1S9s in the Circuit Court of Colbert County, and sentenced to five years.
 Walter Lee. a negro. convicted of petit larceny Dec. To- 1901. in the Circuit Court CT Barbour County. and sentenc q to 197 days.
 King Beecham. negro. convicted of gaming, Jan. 20.' 1902. in the City Court of Jefferson County. and sentenced to ten days and a fine of s52 10