The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1904-09-23
PRISON REFORMS In florida.
Present Lease System Big Improve
ment Over the olo-SickneSs and
Death Rate Reduced.

more active in its efforts for reform
in the prison camps of Florida than
was the Ocala Banner.
The harsh treatment TO which the
prisoners were subjected reached the
ears of the editor from every quar-
ter. In order to arouse the public
conscience to a better state of things
the columns of the Banner were open
for the publication of articles the
purpose of which was to call the at.
tention of the state authorities to
their condition and effect a reform of
the system.
The republication of the following
letter, handed TO Us at the time by Mr..
W. A. Hooker, then Judge of the fifth
judicial circuit, will show the trend
of these articles. The publication of
them in their entirety would fill
many pages.)
The letter reads as follows:
"Oxford, Fla, Feb. 5. 1896.
Judge VIM. a. Hooker,
Ocala, Florida.
Dear Sir:
Some of our neighbors have re-
quested US to write to you in regard
to the treatment of the convicts near
Summerfeld and what steps are
necessary to stop the cruel and in
human treatment. Those who have
been about the camp, say they have
never heard of such cruel and in
human treatment in any civilized
country. The people feel perfectly
outraged and say if the county or
state officers do not do something to
prevent it they will rise en- masse and
release every convict in the camp.
We can give you the names of relia-
BILE witnesses, who have been work
ing there for some time and have
seen and heard a great deal"
About the time this letter was
written, eight prisoners, who were
committed to these camps, as tramps
were taken before Judge Hooker on
r-,;+ - 6 I, - loo- ~,,,,,,,0 o,,J ,,-L,;Io ov,o;+
ing the judicial proceedings were
placed in the county jail and were
visited by number of our citizens.
Their backs were black and blue
with stripes and their hands sore and
lacerated.
One of them told his troubles to the
editor of this paper which were given
to the public under the signature of
Hobo" in several articles, which
attracted attention at the time. We
make the following quotations:
d" Arriving II the camp, we were
put 10 work without introduction or
diplomatic forlnaiiGies. We were
told by those, under whose charge we
were placed, that task would not be
required of us the first day, for the
managers Of the turpentine farm
wanted the number of boxes we cut,
cut well, but the 'hogging MASTER
had a different understanding, so
each OF us in turn were stripped and
fiogged for not cutting the required
number. AS the days wore on the
nearer we approached our appointed
task, the more they were put out of
our reach. They were jumped from
twenty-five to forty-five, so we were
regularly stripped and logged. The
hands of some of us were so swollen
that they burst. If there be any
doubling Thomases" among your
Christian readers as to the truth of
these statements, ask your jailor and
others, who visited the jail and
saw our lacerated backs, black and
blue, and stiffened limbs, and your
doubts will be removed. RatiOns, a
piece of cold corn bread and bacon.
Same for breakfast, same for dinner,
same for supper. Beds, the soft and
yielding floor. Covering, one blanket
for two, sometimes for three men.
Day and night, limbs shackled."
The same cry that went up from
Florida went up from all the other
southern prison camps.
But the bread ?astu upon the waters
by the few devoted and untiring
prison reformers, had its effect.
Legislative actioi vas taken and the
condition of the camps and the treat
ment of the prisoners, laid bare.
If liberty shrieked when Kosci-
usko FELL" humanity rejoiced when
the convicts of Florida were taken in
c.