The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-10
GEORGIA CONVICT
 INVESTIGATION Demands Extra Session of the
 Legislature MUCH INHUMAN CRUELTY Interim of Ten Days Will Probably Be Taken After Close of Regular Ses- sion Wednesday-some
 of the Testimony.
MUCH lNHUMAN CRUELTY

of the Testimony.
 Atlanta, August 9.-The convict in vestigation now being made by a spe cial committee of the Georgia legisla ture will be responsible for an extre session of that body. The committed has been daily engaged since July 2. in probing the convict system of tht state. They have inquired into tht administration of the law by the state prison commission. Fifty or SO wit nesses have been examined, including legislators, who are members of tht penitentiary committees of the two houses, convict wardens, convict les sees, camp physicians and finally mem bers of the prison commission. The, have not completed their work, and ar extra session will be called to enable them to do so.
 The witnesses already heard hay, told of dozens of cases of inhumar cruelty, excessive tasks and crimina neglect. In addition to felony con victs, misdemeanor convicts guilty of dinances have been sold into convict camps, worked under conditions that constantly threatened their lives, denied proper food, clothing and shelter, and given tasks beyond their physical en- durance.
 Convict Wardens.
 The committee has had upon tho stand convict wardens appointed bs the state to defend convicted criminals and see that they were given proper fessed that in many instances they were given extra compensation by les sees in whose camps they worked, and in many instances this compensation was greater than the salary they re. ceived from the state. Still they in- sisted this extra salary did not blind them to their duty to the state and their charges
 Jake" c. Moore, the former chief warden of the penitentiary system, has been upon the stand and told the com mittee he has accumulated s40,000 of property on his salary of $40 a month He stated he has acted as agent in the transfer of convicts, but declared that his total returns from this service dur ing the time he served the state as chief warden was $2700.
 The two inspectors of the system
 
 checking up convict camps and over. looking deputy wardens, have been or the stand. They testified that theii inspection of books and records wa. inadequate and desultory. They hat never been down into the coal mines where convicts were employed anu where the number of accidents were very great. These places were too for bidding and too dangerous for the states inspectors to penetrate. Tho chief inspector is a man of 73.
 Chief Inspector.
 The chief inspector insisted to the committee that he had never thought oi the practical side of leasing convict; lO lu6 llSHcSl DludCls WilO WdS lAuiL ferent, rather than to the lowest bid. der who was eager to get them in or der to sub-lease to a higher bidder He said the fact that his son was fol nine years bookkeeper for the larges convict lessee in Georgia, did not in fluence his action in the slightest.
 Finally the three members of the prison commission were called ana heard in their own defense. They re ferred to the various cases of cruelt, cited, stating that some of them were overdrawn and that in others whic1 were substantiated the commission ha, urged prosecution in the courts. The commission said the system was tr blame; that they had not violated ths law.
 The chairman of the prison commi1. sion submitted to the committee a lis of 200 names, whom he asked be sub poenaed to appear to contradict the testimony of ex-convicts and others In view of the short time whi ich re- mained before the present Legislative 
 barra ssing one for the committee.
 However, Governor Hoke Smith has in special message to the legislature stated his willingness to call an extr5 session to complete certain specific. work. In addition to the convict bill upon the anti-lobbying bill, a primary election law, a registration bill, ant the measure to provide for Georgia district agricultural schools.
 Session Closes Wednesday.
 It is probable that an interim of 1l days will elapse between the close o the regular session next Wednesda, and the convening of the extra sessior During this time the Investigating com mittee will hear additional witnesse, in defense of the prison commission will hear reports of auditors now en. gagged in going over the prison commits sion books. reports and accounts ane formulating it's report. Upon that re port will, 1t is said, depend in a larg, measure the action taken by the legis lature. Vice Chairman Candler has an, nounced a determination to look care fully into the law governing the con tracts of lessees, with the view of sea ing if contractors bonds may be for feited, where violations have beer proven. Such a course will return {. the treasury of the state large par of the money which was diverte' through the operation of convic