The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-26
GEORIGA SENSATION
UGLY CHARGES AGAINST TWO
 PROMINENT MEN.
The investigation of Georgin's Convict Lease System Brings Out The In- human Treatment of The
 C0nvicts.

Atlanta. Ga. July 25--At the legisia- tive investigation before the Fielder Committee. which is engaged in in- vestigating the convicts on the state prison farm and in the hands of con- vict lessees. sensational charges were made today against Colonel William English. Jr., one of the richest and most prominent social figures in Geor- gia and also against Senator Brock, a member of the State Senate
 Colonel English was accused of hay ing attempted to secure by unfair
 means. inside information from an em- ploye of the prison commission as to bids made by other convict lessees for ! convictsA He Is said to have used this information as the basis for making President of the Chattahoochee Brick Company and a son of Captain James ". English. President of the Fourth National Bank, of Atlanta
 Senator ]. R Suspicion, q member of 1 the State Senate produced on the stand copy Of 2 report made by sub fcommittes Of the Legislative Investi- gatine Cemnittee In November. 1907. Senator Brock. to whom the original was sent and who is member of the present legislative Investigating com mittee. was not present at today's hearing
 The missing report contained severe indictment of conditions at the Chattahoochee Brick Company as they affected eonvicts. It declared that the men were cruelty treated, were worked inhumanly and punished excessively. It recited that the States rules for the government of convict 1essees were be- ing absolutely ignored. The commit tee in this report also demanded the removal of Captain Casey, the whip ping boss at the camp. declaring him unfit for the position. Senator Brock in whose hands, the original report was placed, represents the senatorial dis- trict in which are located the Durham Coal and Coke Company's mines and the Lookout Mountain Coal and Coke Com panys mines. Tn the former mines. Captain James w. English is a half owner. Senator Brock was formerly physician at the mines
 Laura Overton. divorced wife of liar " Overton, both of whom are negroes, charged on the stand that her husband had secured for Colonel English memorandum of the bidders for con viets and the amounts they bid, this being used as the basis for the lat ter's bid for convicts. She said her husband on a salary of $40 a month had in few years secured property worth $7,0o0. She said the members of the prison commission were very good to him and that they and also Colonel English frequently gave him
 material help. She saw q check one time for S25 received by him in addi- tion to his salary.
 L. D. Yancey. a son of the Secretary or the Georgia Prison Commission. told on the stand of his connection with pr. Fl. W B. Hamby. During the time young Yancey worked for him as bookkeeper. pr. Hamby was one of the largest convict brokers in Georgia: securing convicts from the prison com mission and sub-letting them at a profit to other lessees. Yancey at one time worked some misdemeanor con victs, which was against the law, upon some railroad construction work. He had secured the men from Dr. Hamby.
 Instances of cruelty and inhuman treatment were recorded by ex x-convtcts and wardens employed by the State. They told of men being strung up and whipped until they tainted under the lash Several men died. The men were given tasks in coal mines and brick yards beyond their physical en- dursnce and when they failed, they were whipped.