The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-11
CONNECTS DIE AT COALBURG Thirty-tWO Deaths in Three
 Months. FIVE HUNDRED IN CAMP Larger Percentage Than from
 All Other Camps. Governor Orders Physician Convict Inspector to Mines to Ascertain When Prisoners Will Be Re-
 moved from Infected District.
FIVE HUNDRED IN CAMP

In his quarterly report submitted yes terday to Governor Jelks, President J. M Carmichael of the State Board of Con- vict Inspectors. makes the startling state ment that within the past three months thirty-two out of 800 convicts leased to the Sloss-Sheffeld Steel and Iron Com pany for work in the mines at Coalburg have died and that the death rate Of convicts at Coaiburg for these three months has been 25 per cent greater than the death rate of convicts at all other prisons combined.
 Judge Carmichael says he has notified the steel and iron company that unless something is done at once to relieve the terrible situation at Coalburg he will take steps to preserve the lives of the wards of the State.
 When Governor Jelks received the re- port of Judge Carmichael he expressed his horror at the condition revealed at Coalburg. He declared that it was. d instructed Dr. Shirley Bragg, Physician Convict Inspector to go to Coalburg and make him special report as to what arrangement had been made by the com pany for removing the convicts from the mines which seem to be infected with germs of disease.
 The report of Judge Carmichael for the past three months shows that the Department is in most satisfactory financial condition and that many inn provements are making.
 Judge Carmichaeps Report
 The full text of the report IS as fol- lows: '"ro Hon. William D. Jelks. Governor of
 Dear Sir-In pursuance of the duty imposed upon me by law l respectfully beg leave to submit my report for the quarter ending March S1. 1902.
 Since my .last report. December 3l, 1901, a large per centage of men have died at Coalburg. the principal trouble being pneumonia. Some, however, are reported to have died of tuberculosis. Not quite half of those who have died at Coalburg were State convicts, the others being county convicts.
 The reason why the percentage of county convicts dying is this: They are made up largely of negroes from about the towns and cities. who are usually idle a large part of the time and consequently half fed and as a result go to the mines without physical force. are put to work at hard labor to which they arc unac- customed and soon fall victims to the in- fluence of their former idleness and the hard labor to which they are subjected in the mines. In addition to this many county convicts go to the mines from badly kept jails and are so debilitated when they get there that they are un- a ble to work.
 When county convicts are leased to the mines every one thereafter convicted without reference to age or physical condition goes there. When State con victs are delivered to the State the Presi- dent of the Board of Inspectors en- deavors to place them in such place as is best suited to their age and physical conditions. Men of good physical condi- tion go to the mines. saw mills and tur- pentine orchards at the discretion of the President; those less able go to the farms of contractors or the State and those of very little ability to work go to the walls at Wctumpka where hospital treatment is convenient
 Mortality Among Convicts.
 "Rcturning to the question Of mortality among the convicts. beg to say that with about 300 convicts out of 2,700, the death rate at Coalburg is about 9 per cent greater than at all or the other prisons aggregated. am informed that the late Dr. Jerome Cochran condemned the prison at Coalburg as place unfit to keep convicts. Dr. Shirley Bragg says the same thing now. In consequence of Dr. Cochran's report no convicts were let to the company having charge of the mine operations at that point until three years ago. However that may be, the death rate at that point for the last three months has been alarming-so much so as to demand the most stringent investiga- tion Of the conduct of the Sloss Company In this connection l may say that the Hon. Shirley Bragg, the Physician h. spector has. at different times. ordered removal from Coalburg d number of con victs and few from Pratt Mines and so doubtless saved number of lives. All those shown to have died at We went there sick from other points. mostly Coalburg. Dr. Bragg's quarterly report to me is hereto attached as an eX- hibit in which he treats the matter eX- and shows the pniy prospect Of reform we have at that point.
 At all other points where convicts are kept they are doing welfare well treat ed well fed. well clothed and healthy
 "I append hereto d list of the con tractors, number of men with each and the mortality at each point.
 The Sloss Sheffield Steel and Iron Company have been promising to better conditions with reference to the convicts held by them by establishing new prison These promises have been made for months past and yet nothing has been l wrote the company d letter q day or two since a copy of which is hereto appended as an exhibit.
 Telephone Line.
 since my report of December last, We have succeeded in completing a telephone line from the Convict Department in the capitol to No. on the Tallapoosa River farm, to Wetumpka and to Speigners at 2 cost. leaving out the labor done by the State forces of $iio.i2. This amount Was cxpended almost entirely for material. The cost of the line estimating every thing is about S7oo.
 ''The department has been heretofore