Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1902-12-05
The Penitsntissy Management

like the celebrated Banqlq ! ghost.
scandal in the peniscntiary manage
ment will nai down. No sooner is
one investigated and reported a
myth. than another hobs up worse
than its predecessor.
The latest IA this line is the indict-
ments returned against DR.. J. e.
Backstrnn and Sergeant W, IL. Cgr-
ry. of the Suniower state farm, by
the grand jury of that county, for
the death of q convict.
From member of the board of con-
troll it was learned that last August
there was negro on the new state
farm who had refused to work. The
sergeant requested the physician to
examine him; and after making a
thorough investigation of the man,
and having him under observation
for some time. L.. Rackstrom re-
ported that, in his opinion, there was
nothing the matter with him, that
he was not strong, but that he was
not suffering from any particular all
mont at the time. Not long after
wards sound whipping was admin
istered, and in little while the con-
Wet died.
The board of control, having its
attention called 10 the matter, made
an Investigation. kept what bad been
learned sclr,pulously quiet, bat dis
charged both the sergeant and driver.
At the hearing above mentioned, the
physician stated that the whipping
was the cause of the death, producing
Inflammation which resulted ia
tally.
While we OF course have no person
al knowledge of the facts in the case,
we were informed by one ION the in
side, a high penitentiary Official
who should know whereof he speaks,
that the whipping was prescribed by
DR.. Backstrom as being just about
what the negro needed. Whether
this be correct. we do not pretend to
say. It does seem, however, that
Q physician should have been able to
tell man in a dying condition from
a well one; and it further appears
that the whipping was not admins
tered till after DR., Backstrom ex-
pressed thu opinion that nothing all
ed the man. when, in the language OF
the report, sound flogging was
layed on, and the victim died.
Whether the punishment was adj
viscd by the doctor OF hot, ii is evil
dent he was tine cause Of its being
given. From press reports one would
eoaolnde that the sergeant suspected
the negro was Ill, and would not whip
him until assured by the physician he
was ''possulning, when the good
sound flogging found its way EGme.
The beard of control has requested
DR.. Backstrom to resign. His friends
say he has made himself persona non
grata to the officials, and therefore
the request. But however much feel
ing these gentlemen may have had
ssss,s....-. 4ha1r surely
had just and ample cause for making
the reuuest;-when a prison doctor
gets SO he cannot distinguish between
prisoners fit to do manual labor, and
subjects for the undertaken, then the
state can very well get along without
his services, ana the board was
strictly within its duty when request
ing this gentleman to step down and
out. Even though a man bca negro,
a convict, and n declared enemy Of
sacicts. he should not be Required to
work when Ill; neither should he be
whipped at all, much less to the
death. The state does not need the
labor of sick convicts. neither does
the law require it, and the prison
official who abuses his authority by
imposing upon them, should be put in
stripes and given medicine of his own
prescribing For even the convicts
have some rights under our laws and
and the grand iuries should see that
those rights are respected. Men are
.elt 70 the penitentiary not to be
murdered, put punished within the
bounds of humanity, and if posi-
bic, rei fsalr; ;nIle
In the case against Bn. Baolsstrom,
however, it would seem that the
cosrls are powerless and the Sun
flower grand jury wasting time If
lit should appear that he gave it as
his opinion that the negro was well.
or that lac advised the whipping.
mankind is net ssllIpo-ed to be infal-
lible, nor does the law require it; so
when he says yes, it is true that I
did al ssau accuse me OF; | was hon
est in il but now find it was an er-
ror of Judgment, it seems to US She
court viii be mp against the PROPOSE
Itie.a pronaandod BY that rich and
wicked man of whom all have heard
so much: Now, what are you going
70 do about it, And the answer
viii BE- a.aathisg!