The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-08
STATE DOES GOOD
 PART BY CONVCTS No CrueIties Says Board Presi-
 dent Smith ARE NOT OVERW0RKED Charles Ford Was County Man Un- der System Condemned By Those
 Investigating It, and Not
 In Control of State.
ARE NOT 0VERWORKED

Montgomery, May 7.-(Special.) .)-The death of Charles Ford, a Jefferson coun- ty convict, having called forth criticism on the part of some, of the management of the wards of the state and counties, it may not be amiss to say that the prisoner was not In the custody of the state nor had the inspectors of the state authority to control him. He was a coun- ty convict, worked under the county con vict system, which has been generally condemned.
 J. Craig Smith, president of the state convict board, said today that the Ala bama state convict is treated better and more humanely than those of possibly any other state.
 For several years the state has been trying to bring about the best treatment of convicts and has succeeded in a great measure" said MT. Smith. There are no complaints along this line the rules be- ing plain and the punishments for vio- lation of them quick and ample. However thu county convict system is inhuman, NJ. Smith and most others who know about it agree, and the legislature should, they ilSlSl, uO something dC once 10 bring about better conditions.
 "All oonvicts with terms of less than one year are sent to the county con tractors and are not worked under the supervision of the state. Here they are handled by the contractors direct and no one is charged to see that they are given the best treatment as is the case with the state prisoners Often complaints have been made of bad treatment at theoe camps and 1t is not infrequently the case that man who is to be sent up asks that he be given year or more, that he may get ender the control of th- state. State men have many privi- leges that county men do not have. They are given four holidays a year and can- not be worked on them without they are paid the same wages as would be given free labor.
 Treated Humanely.
 The state convicts are treated hu- namely. They are worked under the direct control of state officers and are not overworked or abused in any way. No convict of the state can be whipped in an inhuman way. The wardens are allowed to administer maximum of only fifteen lashes at one time, no convict can be whipped on the same day his offense is committed nor Tore than once a day Tn extraordinary cases, .- many as twentyone lashes may be laid on the bare skin, but this must be at the in- stance of one of the three inspectors and in the presence of an inspector. All others must whip over the clothing.
 All state conyicts are inspected as to thei. treatment and 1t Is seen to by the board of inspectors that no cruelties are inflicted. There Is no incentive for such action. The prisoners are worked by state appointed wardens and guards, who do not have to look to the contractors for their places and the contractors have nothing in tho world to do with them The reports show that the death rate for the state conyicts is much less than per cent far better than in free life for men and women of the kind who are convicted of crime"