The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-05
REASON FOR THE MARCH
To Remove the Convicts 10 a Less Be-
we're Climate.
NONE SUFFERED BY THIS REMOVAL
Cursing and abuse Ct Convic's by 0yerseers
furnished by the Railroad --Recommenda-
lion That State Alone Furnish
0varsnpys
0yerseers.

UverSeerS.
The special joint committee appointed
by the Legislature to investigate the
charges of cruelty in transporting the
conyicts from Mitchell county have made
their report. II Is as follows
ITO the General Assembly OF North Car
ol,na:
"In accordance with joint resolution OF
the Senate and House of Representatives,
February End. 1903, the Joint Committee
on Penal Institutions, composed as fol-
lows: Senators II. n. Pharr, of Neck
lenburg: Thomas ID. Warren, of Jones
county, and Representatives George l..
Morton. of New Hanover; T. w. Blount.
of Washington, and w. c. Newland, of
Caldwell county, met in the town CT
Marion. n. c., on Tuesday, February
10th. 1909
1--WE had subpoenaed and took the
testimony of various witnesses from the
counties of Mcdowell and Mitchell, aud
proceeded to take the testimony of the
same a copy of which is herewith filed
and asked to be taken as part of this
report
From the testimony so taken we beg
leave to submit the following as our
findings of the facts:
THAT the Goth day of January, 1898.
was cold sleety day: that prior to that
day the penitentiary authorities had ar
ranged for the removal of the convicts,
1853 in number, from the camp on Toe
River, near Bakersville, said removal to
take place on the 2lst of January; that
in accordance with their pre- arranged
plans on the 21st of January. 1903, the
authorities started said eonvlcts from
their camp, near Spruce Pine, distance
of twenty four miles TO Marion, a rail-
road station in McDowell; that the day
OF removal, to-wit. January Dist, was a
warm and comfortable day overhead !;
that the road from the camp TO Marion.
and especially from the foot of the noun
tain to Marion, a distance of about
twelve miles, is perhaps. the worst pub
JIG road in the State. the mud averaging
q depth OF from three to five inches.
I'VE find that most of the convicts
were shackled together, two by two. by
chains around the ankles. This was
made necessary by reason of the fact
that it was the opinion of the author-
ties that it was unsafe to march a large
number of men, many of whom were
same shacked together The chains
connecting the shackles were about five
feet long. and were about the size of an
ordinary trace chain and did not ma
terially interfere or impede the march
ing of the convicts.
THE LONG MARCH NECESSARY.
1--WE find that while the march of
twenty-four miles in one day was rather
severe upon the convicts it is the opin-
ion of the authorities and also the opin-
ion of this committee that it was pre-
ferable, considering the condition of the
ground and no suitable place being OBJ
tainable to house the convicts over
night with comfort or safety, to proceed
TO Marion that night.
I'VE find this removal at this time
had been ordered by the Directors of the
Penitentiary, who, at meeting held
about the first of January, had decided
it would be unsafe to have the convicts
remain on the other side of the noun
tains during the months of January
February and March, the directors hav-
ing found that the weather beyond the
mountains where the convicts were en-
gagged in work was much more severe
than on this side, and that it was in
order to avoid this severe climate that
the removal was ordered, there being at
the camp at this time a number of sick
convicts. the directors being of the opin-
ion that it would be unwise to detain
these sick convicts at this camp during
the winter.
ABLE TO MAKE THE TRIP.
I'VE find the evening before and the
of fha ATTENDING nh ySi-
clan having examined the convicts adj
vised Captain Lashley. supervisor of the
Toe River camp. that the men We're in
such condition as to be able to make the
trip, including the sick, who were brought
in wagons and on horse back.
we find while in camp the convicts
were supplied with sufficient amount of
good wholesome food. ample clothing
and all the necessaries that the circum-
stances required; that on the march they
were given sufficient food, including
warm coffee, being the same as given the
guards
We find that on the march from the
camp to Marion in the afternoon of that
day number of convicts became ex-
hausted and in fact gave out, were I'M
able 10 travel and that on one or two
occasions the guards were harsh. cursed
the convicts, but used no acts of violence,
but That in every instance where a con-
wet had given out a place was pro-
Vded either in a wagon or on horse
back Tor said convict to ride and rest
up, so that he might be able to resume
the march If il became necessary to give
his place to another exhausted convict.
While We condemn the ection of the
guards in cursing and abusing the sick