The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-08-19
A PRISON HORROR.
4 White Woman Tells How She Was
Rrutally Whipped.
SHE SAYS SHE WAS PUNISHED
Because She Spurned Improper
Proposals from the Warden
of the Prison Where She
Was Confined.
Of the Prison

The whipping Of Miss Marie De-
Crises in one Of the Georgia State
prisons is creating great deal Of talk
and Indignation in that State. The
matter was recently investigated at
Milledgevillee where the prison is 10
Gated. Miss DeCris' statement sub
stantially, was that she was treated
kindly at first. Warden Alagood
made improper advances to me in his
room when did clerical work. He
attempted to caress me. l jerked
away. He went in the other room
and sat on a bed. He told me to
come in there. / refused. He told
me not to tell or he would make it
hot for me, and he has surely kept his
word. l saw him kiss white con-
vict in the hospital.
Il talked with Mrs. Alagood the
day before the whipping. | used no
disrespectful language. l did not
stop talking when ordered. told
another white prisoner about Mr..
.Alagood's advances. She said if was
a lewd woman to submit, ii not to
protest: that l would have an easy
time if l would submit as that was
The only way to get along with him. :"
The other woman denies being
kissed. She denied the conversation
at first, but afterward she admitted
it in substance. The evidence Of i'm
proper proposals was not held up by
the other witnesses who say that Ala
good never approached them. At the
whipping on the bed, it was ordered
to draw the clothes tight and this
was done.
Miss DeCris continued: A physi-
clan was present. I was severely and
brutally beaten and cried. I was
put in the field, under guard, with
negro women next day. l was kept
there off and on for four weeks. l
was terribly blistered. They allowed
me no rest. l nearly tainted and fell
in the field once. / never wrote im-
proper notes to any one.
Il was so terribly bruised by the
whipping that l could not sit down.
There were welts as big as my finger
and the bruises were dark and blueand
deep for two weeks.
This was substantiated by one other
witness, but was denied by woman
who slept in the same room, but not
in the salue bed,
She said she had to pnt greasy
cloth IN her wounds.
Other witnesses who heard the lIcks
and cries, say the whipping was severe.
They heard her ''hollering."
Miss DeCris says she overheard Mrs.
Alagood telling the house woman this
morning that the committee was COM
ing, and ''you all must stick to me
and the captain" Witness and Mrs.
Alagood all deny this.
The DeCris woman says she was
tantalized by negro women as lazy, no
good, a diamond queen, no better
than they, etc.
She says that Mr.. Foster saw her in
the field and protested against the
same; be had to order Alagood to send
her to the house two different times,
and at lust he did 50, but put her to
work in the potato patch back OF the
house afterwards. She says her re-
fusal to see reporter was dictated by
Alagood and through fear. Alagood
says she refused Of her own accord to
see correspondents.
DR.. Adams evidence was only in
his official capacity as physician. He
did not consider the whipping unusu-
ally severe. Warden Moore left for
Atlanta tonight.
There is a rumor that the legisla-
tive committee is coming tonight.
Mrs. Alagood says she asked her
husband to whip Miss DeCris for in
subordination and for impudence.
The leather strap was exhibited.
1t is an awful instrument Of punish
ment-about 3 inches wide, and 80
inches long, weight, say pounds,
solid leather, no holes.
Warden Moore instructed every
witness to talk freely and without
fear as he would protect them.
The general impression is that Ala
good will be discharged as the IN
mediate circumstances did not at all
Justify whipping and the punishment
was entirely too severe in any event;
the woman should not have been
worked in the field continuously in the
hot sun.
The affair is at fever heat and is
the entire topic Of the town. The
telegraph offices IS crowded with
messages on the subject from every
where.
Father and Son Convicted.