The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-12


| deem. tho conyicts marched in the mldole
Of the muddy road, while the guards
walked on the bank. Some OF the con-
victs were put in wagons, being SICK.
There is no other road to Marion than the
ono oyer which the convicts were
marched The convicts shoes were drip
nine mud. The convict who was groan-
ine seemed to be seriously sick; saw one
man that went barefoot; the mud came
IN to the tops of the shoes and some
times higher, and it was shoe-moutn
deep nearly all the way.
A. D. Wiseman, of Spruce Pine, who
drove team along with the conVlcts on
the road to Marion, testified that in some
places the mud was from six to eight
! inches and the average was about shoe
| mouth deep. Two convicts seemed very
| sick and were in great pain, but when
one asked for something that would give
him relief, guard by the name of Sand
lin told him to shut up his damn mouth.
Exhausted convicts were put on mules
two at time, because they were shackled
together. When convicts would give out
the guards would curse them. One guard
by the name of Busbee, told convict
who fell on his face in the mud: Oh
you, get up. l am not going to carry
YOU" When near Marion he saw four
or five couples of men fall by the way
side One had a fit and was put in a
wagon In some places mud came above
the convicts knees. He had never seen
a worse day in his life to move convicts
In one place the men waded a bitter
cold stream shoe deep. Sick men were
ho
milk or medicine. One convict begged
for water and the guard said: Oh you,
shut up" One negro fell; while on his
knees in an humble way said: BOSS,
can't go no further" and guard Busbee
said to him. "D-n you, get up. I am
not going to carry you. We are in
smelling distance of the town" Another
convict started to cross a fence. brushing
against a guard, who said: Cd d-n
YOU, stay off me. I'll shoot HI out of
you," and pointed his gun at him. One
man was put in a car at Marion and wit.
ness heard some one say: Our little
| niger is dead" Some convicts, after
entering the car, cut off their muddy pant
! legs and threw them out of the window.
The road was so bad from Spruce Pine
| to Marion that a man walking can keep
up with a loaded wagon On the march
convicts were given coffee, some cold
bread and cold meat. There was COM
| plaint that the bread and meat were
frozen. The stream waded was six feet
wide in the Toe River in 100 yards wide.
S. b. Biggerstaff, of Spruce Pine, testi-
fed that he saw one convict wadlng
through much ice in the river, carrying
a guard; he saw the convicts when they
first crossed in October, 1901, and in
January he saw six convicts fall into
the river.
| Charles NJ Corpening, who lives near
Marion, testified that when the convicts
passed in January, when one convict said
he had pain in the side, the guard said
| he had one also, and told him to move
on; that if the convict had beer shacklod
on the arms instead of the legs they
could have marched more comfortably.
Some of the guards were walking and
some riding.
Wood Huskins, of Woodlawn testified
that he saw the convicts being urged or,
and that the baggage wagons were far
| behind, and when one man gave out,
guard said 'Go on but the man fell.
The guard then called to another officer,
there's a d-n negro down, hold up.
The man was lifted up, but fell again,
! for the chains dragged the ground and
were clogged with mud. A convict forct
man named Hamilton, said that the weak
men had been picked to be moved in
stead of the strong ones, and that he
had rather pay his way home than to
make the trip.
! NJ c. Shuping who lives two miles
from Marion, testified that if the men
had been allowed to walk in the fields
they would have avoided the mud, which
is even now knee deep to horse. He
saw two men give out and fall off
mule. He heard guard curse and
| threaten to shoot
W. H. Garrison, corroborated Mr..
! Shupings testimony
John T. Mcdonald, of Marion, testified
! that the men were pretty muddy;
they marched through the middle of the
street in Marion; one convict had his
! head covered in the train, he may have
been dead or alive, another was being
carried, but his eyes were open. AL
though he looked very i'll.
John A. Mcdonald, of Marion, testified
| that he also saw a men with face COW
cred and heard that he and another con-
NiSt were uedus lIdI llley were HON0u
from the cars because the authorities
were paying $50 day for the cars. He
heard of no physician being summoned to
| see the sick
D. F. Kirby, of Marion, who was at the
depot saw one convict wrapped in
blanket, he looked like he was dead. He
saw no food given the convicts.
AT the afternoon session A. D. Wise
man testified again, and when asked
about the convicts clothes, said they
seemed to be comfortably dressed "for
convicts.'
DR.. Morphew, of Marion, testified that
he saw the convicts on the streets of
Marion, and they seemed very tired;
they were muddy above the knees; that
the trip must have been a hard one,
even for an able bodied man; that the
| sick men should have been moved by
rail. When questioned by Superinten-
dent Mann's counsel, he testified that the
convicts could be safer shackled by the
| leg than by the arm; that Supernten-
dent Lashley's character and reputation
as an officer were good. When ques-
| toned, Haven't you heard that a con-
vict from Henrietta, in Lashleys camp,
was ordered whipped and two negro con-