The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1903-02-12
ANOTHER PESIrKSTIARY SCAN
DIAL
Mr.. J. G. L. Bird Makes Grave Charges
Of Cruelty By Penitentiary Omcials.

Mr.. ,. G.. L. Bird Makes Grave Charges
Of Cruelty By Penitentiary oficials.
Col. Odds may disclaim response
bility for the article copied In your
paper from The Atlanta Constitution
and The News and Observer may
declare 1t q big fake story" but 1t
was the naked, unvarnished truth.
In fact, the author Of that article
did not do the subject justice. He
told only q part Of the truth, for
the conduct Of the penitentiary au.
thorities In removing those convicts
at the time, and In the manner 1t
was done, Is a shame AMI disgrace
to a civilized people. The camp
where they had been quartered is
Twenty-six miles from Marion.
The road Is the worst road
In North Carolina Superintendent
Mann had driven over it only day
or two before In the best rig the
livery could furnish, and he was
loud in his denuciation of the con-
dition Of the road. The weather
was intensely cold. The streams on
the Mitchell side Of the mountain
were frozen over and the convicts
walked across on the ice. Shackled
together, two and two they marched
over the frozen mud to the top of
the mountain. On the Mcdowell
side, it was not frozen hard enough
to bear up the weight Of a man SO
the men were forced to march in
mud, in the middle Of the road,
from six inches to two feet deep
and wade the streams. AS the men
dragged one foot after another, a
shoe would come off in the mud
the convict would falter to get it
but the guard, as 1 am reliably in
formed, would jab him with a gun,
curse him, and order him to move
on. When they arrived in Marion,
just before nightfall, after marching
26 miles that day, they were wet
and literally bedraggled with mud
to above their knees. The shackies
that bound them together were cav.
cred with frozen mud, and in many
instances were large as the arm Of a
man The mud was so deep tha
the shackle could not be held above
it, and was dragged through it
They were wet. muddy, tired, worn
completely out aud almost dying
The guards would not allow them
to march on the store sidewalks O.
the town, but kept them in TIT
middle of the muddy streets. TIVE
poor fel ows, who had faiLted o;
the way, came in behind the others
one of them faltered in the street
and said he could 60 no further
He was ordered to move on. 4
citizen John Yancey, Jr, begge,
the guard to march the men on tn
sidewalk. and thus, they were par
TALLY relieved. They were march
ed to the cars, fed on nothing bu
cold bread and cold fat back. The.
were given very small portion
corn whiskey, about gallon for Is
men. Fifteen to twenty of tn
men were unable to walk, and wer
hauled in wagons. In one wago
were five men unable to hold u
their heads, 80 driver informs me
One of the drivers of the WACO
told me that they were given waite
about twice on the way. Final.
the guard became tired of listening
to the groans and requests for waite
and told them, "YOu need a dam
good whipping shut your dam
mouths These men were remove
from the wagon at the door of tt
car. One of them had every a.
pearance of being dead he was sta,
and stiff, and his face was covere
with a cloth. Mr.. John A. McDo1
aid, who saw this says he locke
like dead man.
About month ago, lot of sic
men were brought from the cam
y and shipped to Raleigh when the
arrived at the depot, they were o
/ dered to get out Of the wagons. /
| they did so, from sheer weakne:
some of them fell and their fac
were buried in mud. They we
unable to extaricate the meSelVe
r After a time, a guard ordered Il
stronger ones to pull those who hi
fallen out of the mud, and the
were laid on the platform of Il
f depot. Mr.. Geo. I. White, cashi
! of the First National Bank saw til
sickening sight.
When the convicts were first Sc
q to the road in Mitchell county abo
year ago, it was a very cold tin
d When they reached Tar river, ne
q Spruce Pine, the river was runnil
with mush ice. The convicts we
% ordered to wade the river, and thu
u did. / am informed by men who s
+" they were present and saw it, th
the guards rode ACROSS the river
on the backs of the convicts.
d There can be no excuse offer
o why it was necessary to reno
!. those men in such weather. The
Is no human reason why numt
u Cr ,,,ov x,bn oro too cioE RI hold