The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-07-29
SERIOUS DISCLOSURES
Many Bad Conditions Shown
to Exist in Convict Camps,
SICK MEN ARE WORKED

poveIations of Abuses in Some of
the Road Camps of This Section.
Dirty and Woe BegOne Zebras in
sumter County. Spikes Are Put
on Legs i'll MuscOgee.
The prison commission investigat-
Ing committee have gotten down to
business in real earnest. That the
members intend to go quite to the
bottom and see through all the things
that should come within their pur-
view is proven.
Fifty-four legislators have been
requested to appear before the COM
mittee and give detailed statements
of what they saw and heard on tours
of inspection to the different convict
camps during last fall and spring,
and those that have been examined
have already thrown considerable
light on the situation.
Sick Men Worked.
J. W. Sumner, representative in
the house from Turner county, was
the first witness heard from. He was
one of a subcommittee that inspected
the county road camp of Sumter
county, and the camps of Muscogee
county. In Sumter he said conditions
I !,
need of medical treatment being
worked at hard labor, with bad camp
aud little hospital facilities.
Heavy Spikes to Legs.
S A. Wooten, representative from
Wilkes county, testified as to the
same inspections. He said that the
Sumter county camp was composed
mostly of dirty woe-begone" ne
sroeS; that several who wer suffering
from diseases were forced to work;
that the sleeping quarters were
filthy and crowded. He noted that
heavy spikes were fastened to the
legs of a few men at the camp of
the Muscogee Brick Company, caus-
ing scars upon their legs.
Crowded in Bunks.
W. w. Hamilton, representative
from Columbia county, who was also
al the Sumter county and the Mus
cogee Brick Company's camps, cor
foDorated what the others had said,
ADDING that at the former they were
9adIy crowded in their sleeping quar-
teIs, two men being compelled to
occupy a bunk not more than three
feet wide.
Bad Bed Clothing.
L. W. Massengale, representative
rom Warren, told Of painful discov-
eIIeS at the road camp in Floyd coun-
w. lie said the sheets between
winch the men were supposed to
sleep appeared to be laundered about
oAce every three months. He was
also told that the men were chained
III lnelr hunks. He saw two negro
women who were suffering from dis
vase chained to two healthy women.
mere was one man who was ap-
2"fehtly dying in the last stages Of
-oHSunptlon lying on the floor with
Az protection from the weather"
At the Cusseta county camp, said the
representative, Il was told that a
physician visited the camp about
every three days"
Aged Negro Whipped.
r., L. E. Cook, representative from
ggnIatJahoochee county, told of the
Io!u county road camp, confirming
t "I@C lhe others had said. He also
r0!u VI conditions at the Durham coal
-4lHe camp and the lookout Mount
N camp. He said that while at
.re IaJter camp an old negro came
T Lo began telling his tale of woe.
"e prisoner said he had been in pris-
VI LOT twenty-five years, and was fire.
9uenuy whipped for failure to dig
as much coal as was set as task
WI inc others. The witness stated
a +''@' w. y. Maxwell, a deputy war
sot. , was present during the CONVEX
r1 WI and that he cursed the old
ar %D' using blasphemous terms and
+r 1s'Ing the ID old rascal to re-
,b.n 10 camp Mr.. Cook also stated
gott: me committee had difficulty in
CHS Jhe conductor on the train
90 a' i. ing them out from Chickamau-
mor .o 'he camp to give them time to
saor ng much Of an inspection. at
IN ' 5Ieu 10 me that he didn't want us
CooI. much inspecting" he said. Mr.
linz INN stated that he thought the short
raa,, vi road was owned by the same
Cple who own the mine.
fl. s"%.or X. w. Taylor told of Wis
W argo which he pronounced a