The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-01
That Charge is Made by Mr..
Bird of Marion.
SUPT. MANN DENIES IT
Detailed Statement of Mansg ment OF Convicts
---llyites the Fullest Inyes,iga ion of
livery &c! Of the
Officers.

vestigation into the charges that come
fl en- Marion. Certain charges of cruelty
to convicts at Marion were published
few days ago. They were copied into
the News and Observer, and the pcni-
tertiary management promptly denounced
them as false. Governor Aycock sen'
the News and Observer clipping to Su-
perintendent Mann with request for
full statement as to the reports.
Yesterday Mr.. J. c. l.. Byrd. a lawyer
at Marion, sent the following letter to
the Charlotte Observer:
To the Charlotte Observer:
Col Odds may disclaim responsibility
for the article copied in your paper from
The Atlanta Constitution and The News
and Observer may declare it "a big fake
story; but it was the naked, unvarnish-
ed truth. In fact, the author Of that ar
tcle did not do the subject justice He
told only part of the truth, for the
conduct of the penitentiary authorities in
removing those conVicts at the time, and
in the manner it was done. is a shame
and a disgrace to a civilized people.
The camp where they had been quar-
tered is 26 miles from Marion. The road
is the worst in North Carolina. Super
intendent Mann had driven over it only
a day or two before in the best rig the
livery could furnish. and he was loud in
his denunciation of the condition of the
road. The weather was intensely cold.
The streams on the Mitchell side of the
mountain were frozen over, and the con-
victs walked across on the ice. Shackled
together, two and two, they marched over
the frozen mud to the top of the noun
tain. 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, shoe would come
off in the mud, the convict would falter
to get it, but the guard, as l am re-
liably informed, would jab him with
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 be-
draggled with mud to above their knees.
The shackles that bound them together
We're covered with frozen mud, and in
many instances were large as the arm of
a man. The mud was so deep that the
shackle could not be held above it, and
was dragged through it. They were wet,
muddy, tired, worn completely out, and
almost dying. The guards would not al
low them to march on the stone side
walks of the town, but kept them in the
middle of the muddy streets. Two poor
fellows who had tainted on the way,
came in behind the others. One of them
faltered in the mud in the street, and
said he could go no further. He was or
dered to move on. A citizen, John Yam
cey, Jr., begged the gard to march the
men on the sidewalk, and thus, they were
partially relieved.
They were marched to the cars, fed on
nothing but cold bread and cold fat
back. They were given very small por-
ton of corn whiskey, about gallon for
100 men.
Fifteen to twenty of the men wefe un-
able to walk, and were hauled in wagons.
In one wagon were five men unable to
hold up their heads, SO a driver informs
me. One of the drivers of the wagon
told me that they would groan and beg
for water. They were given water about
twice on the way. Finally the guard be-
came tired of listening to the groans and
requests for water. and told them, "You
need a damn good whipping; shut your
damn mouths" These men were removed
from the wagon at the door of the car.
One of them had ever appearance of be-
ing dead-he was stark and stiff, and
his face was covered with a cloth. Mr..
John a. Mcdonald, who saw this, says he
looked like a dead man.
About a month ago lot of sick men
were brought from the camps and shipped
to Raleigh. When they arrived at the
depot, they were ordered to get out Of the
wagons. AS they did so, from sheer
weakness, some of them fell and their
faces were bruised in the mud. They
were unable to eXtricate themselves. At
ter time, a guard ordered the stronger
ones to pull those who had fallen out of
the mud, and they were laid on the plat
form of the depot. Mr.. George I. White,
cashier of the First National Bank. saw
this sickening sight.
When the convicts were first sent to
the road in Mitchell county about year
ago, it was a very cold time. When they
reached Toe river, near Spruce Pine, the
river was running WITH muSH ICE Inc
convicts were ordered to wade the river,
and they did. I am informed by men who
say they were present and saw it, that
THE GUARDS RODE ACROSS THE
RIVER ON THE BACKS OF THE
CONVICTS.
There can be no excuse offered why IL
was necessary to remove those men IN
such weather. There is no human reason
why a number of men who are too SICK
to hold up their heads should be dumped
into wagon and hauled in such weather.
and over such roads, &c miles in one day.
Superintendent Mann was conVersant' vi
ought to have been, with the conololon
of the men under him; he knew What tne
weather was, and he knew the conollion
of the roads. The physician in charge, II
seems, might have prevented lor INC
sake of humanity. the removal OF tnese
sick men.
If it was necessary to remove then'
certainly any reasonable man knows tna'