The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-03
COMMISSIONERS
 MAY BE IMPEACHED Wholesale Indictments May
 Follow Investigations GEORGIA STATE PRISONS MT. Glenn Wants Bill To Prevent Wo- men from Flirting with Innocent
 Men Who Might Be Besuiled
 Into Matrmony.
GEORGIA STATE PRISONS
BY LAUREN FOREMAN.

viet lessees by suit or direct order, ana indictments by grand juries of peniten- tiary employees in many sections of the state. are now discussed as the possible outcome of the legislative investigation of the convict situation which has been in progfress for the last two weeks. On the part of the members of the prison commission the investigating com mittee is expected to find at least gross neglect and inattention in the manage ment and government of the various con l yfct camps The members seldom or never visited the convict camps of the state. with the exception of the state prison farm, where they went occasion ! ally, and it is charged, therefore, that | they could have known nothing of the actual conditions which 1t was their duty to know about. It is also charged that 1 they have failed to investigate irregu- larities and violations of their own rules and regulations when they were reported l to them.
 Numerous violations of rules and regu- lations have been found against most of the convict Iessees. In majority of the camps, perhaps, there have been, ac- cording to the testimony, cruel practices 1 through which probably a dozen convicts | have lost their lives at various times within the last five years. There are | no doubt other instances which the eVi- | dence has not yet brought to light Such gross irregularities as the payment Of money by lessees to wardens in the en- ploy of the state, even after the practice had been ordered stopped by the prison commission. have been of the most com mon occurrence. There is not camp in the state where this has not been | done. The regulations as to food, cloth ing and sleeping quarters, have not, in many instances, been compiled with.
 Violations of regulations seem to have been the rule rather than the exception and the law provides a forfeiture Of lessees bond for such violation as we'll as for failure to pay the quarterly rental due the state. AS much as 2So per cent l of these bonds may be declared for- | feited by the prison commission without l the intervention of the courts; any more | than that must be sued for. The state holds bonds from convict lessees aggre- gating S473,000, an amount equal to one years rental of the 1900 convicts which | were let out by private contract at the beginning of the fve-year lease period. l There Is little doubt that the lessees would strenuously resist any such step on the part of the state, and there would be a pretty fight in the courts if 1t is attempted.
 It as said that individual cases of cruelty and inhumanity on the part of penitentiary wardens in the employ of the state will be brought to the atten- ton of grand juries in the various coun- ties. The testimony has disclosed many instances of the same sort in various misdemeanor camps which come more directly under the county control than under that of the state.
 In addition to this there has been
 some talk of attempting to require les
 sees, wardens and others to restore to
 the state all moneys claimed to have been unlawfully acquired by them. This
 is viewed by many as doubtful project. | In the case of lessees who have made
 money by sub-leasing the convicts which | they got from the state, there has never
 been any legal prohibition against suo-
 leasing, and it would seem on the face
 of it that they are well within their
 rights.
 If may possibly be that the money
 paid to former State Warden Jake Moore
 and the deputy wardens by the lessees
 is on a different footing, though there
 was never any direct inhibition against
 this until the prison commission issued
 an order a few months ago prohibiting
 all wardens, guards and other empioyes of the state from receiving such money Whether such cases could be reached un
 der the laws against bribery or other
 statutes, is a question that would have
 to be determined.
 The investigation has only just begun
 The end of 1t is not anything like SC near in sight as the end of the presen
 session of the general assembly whicf . must terminate by law on August 12 unless prolonged by impeachment pro ceedings or called in extra session Prac tically all of the defense Is yet to b.
 heard. There remain to testify som , of the wardens, many of the lessees ant
 the members of the prison commission There remains to be done the auditing of the books of the prison commission 3 the state reformatory and the state farm 3 Numerous details are yet to be gon'
 into, and unless the committee cuts thes'
 out and proceeds to hear the witnesse , of the defense, two weeks more witl sessions both afternoon and night wil 9 not complete the work. That will carr, , the committees work beyond the presen
 legislative session.
 The committee may possibly conclud ] its labors earlier In order to compl, 7 with the resolution, which requires tha a report shall be made to the presen
 legislative session. But even if 1t does | it will leave the legislature no time tt ) act upon 1t.
 , In the meantime necessary Legislation
 disposing of the convict question, mus
 be gotten through at this session, fo
 the present contracts expire on April l
 1909, some three months before anothe | legislative session will be held
 The matter has progressed far enougl 5 to warrant the statement that the Hold
 CT bill which passed the house this weel and which provides for continuance
 of the lease system for a period of thre'
 wears. in one year installment will no he the new convict law. While it wen through by 1OS to 5s. that is not a vot which cannot be overcome. The 5S wh
 voted against it are determined, if pos . i sible to rid the state of the convlc : lease system at once and for all time
 There were IT members who. did no
 vote. If the opposition to the lease sys , tenn can get these and can get Just tha
 many more-17 votes-from the Holde |