The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-03-10

bill passed second and third reading.
and was sent to the house.
Report on Treatment Of Conviets.
The Joint legislative committee ap-
pointed to investigate the charges Of
cruelty to ~convicts on the march from
Spruce Pin Mitchell unity. to Mar
ion, January goth, last, made its report
n the legislature last night. 1t fads
that the road is the worst in the state,
the mud being on an average three to
hre inches deep; that most o. the con-
Nicts were shackled togeth=r two and
TWO, by chains around the ankles; that
there were $50 convicts. many desperate
lie prisoners. whom il was IN afe TO
march unshaCk.ed; that the chains were
about 5 feet long, and did not materi-
ally impede their marching; that while
the march of a miles in one DIV was
rather severe upon the convicts. it was
preferable considering that he o was
no suitable place to house the corvicts
over night in comfort or safety: that the
movement OF convicts was made because
the pe~nitentiary directors had decided
it would be unsafe to have the ~convicts
remain on the other side Of tn Blue
Ridge Mountains during the moths of
January, february and March, the
weather being much more sever than
on this side. and the removal was in Or
der to avoid severe climate: that there
were at the camp a numbe Of sick
convicts. whom it was thought unwise
to detain there during the winter; that
the attending physician examined he
%convicts before they left and stated
they were ready to make the trip, IN
GLIDING the sick who were brought In
| wagons and on horseback: they were
given on the march sufficient food. in
gliding warm coffee: that n the march
in the afternoon a number of ~convicts
became exhausted and gave ont, were
unable to travel, and that on one or
two occasions the guards were harsh,
cursed the convicts. but used no acts
! Of violence. but all exhausted ~cnnvicts
were given places in a wagon or ON
horseback; that the cursing and abuse
of sick convicts by guards i Condemn
ed. yet was without the hearing or the
knowledge Cf Supervisor LaslleV. end
all came from overseers employed by
the railway or temporarily acting as
| guards in bringing the convicts to RAJ
leigh.
The committee recommends that in
future no outside overseers be permit
ted to have any authority over c0nvicts,
and the penitentiary superintendent bs
instructed in all contracts for convict
work, to specify that the state is to fur
nish its own overseers. and have aDso-
lutte control Of convicts. The committee
find that on arrival at Marion three
gallons of whiskey were divided among
the convicts, but no coffee or warm
food was issued tt them. that night or
next morning. which committee thinks
could and should have been furnished:
that convicts reached Marion about Q
p. m. and were Immediately put IN cars.
but that because of a railway accident
the cars were not moved that night and
~rnnvicts We're kept therein from the
evening of the 21st to the morning
Of the 23rd, Sc hours. before they were
taken out. a length of time too great TO
keep the convicts confined in the cars,
n the authorities should have seen
that at intervals they were AXE out
and given fresh air and exercise None
Of the convicts d:ed on the march or aE
Marion, and according to the testimony
Of the physician who examined them
or arrival at Raleigh none suffered by
reason Of their removal /.
The committee find that on one occa~
sion a guard was seen riding a convict
across Toe River; that on another &C.
caSIOn supervisor LaShiey saw q guard
riding a convict across Tee River; made
the guard get down in the water, and
ascertained afterward it was voluntary
on The cOnvct's p r., and tn 1t thu guard
had paid him so to do. The committee
failing TO find any acts of cruelty ON
the part Of the pe%nitentiary superinten-
dent or any of the state employees, but
that the superintendent has always
been on the side of humanity, justice,
and mercy, and that the same is true
as to Supervisor Lashley; that the pen
ttent.ary authorities could have avoid
ed the march by bringing the convicts
by rail through Tennessee. but that au-
thority over the convicts in another
state was rather questionable. and af-
ter conference with the governo~ and
penitentiary directors. the superinten-
dent had been advised it would b. un-
safe to carry the cCnvicts out of the
state; that this being so. the march
from Spruce Pine to Marion, was the
only possible route under the circum-
stances.