The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-08-03
INVESTIGATING !. CONVICT CRAFT Georgia Legislature Is
 Still Probing. MANY TALES <f CRUELTY Former Chief 2 arden of Georgia
 Penit afy to Testify. Charges All Kinds Have Been Made AgS Him and He Has Pre-
 : pared an Elaborate
 Defense.
MANY TALES Fl CRUELTY

Atlanta, Ga. Aug. 2.-with tales of cruelty to convicts. stories of graft In convict camps throughout the State, and particularly in the vicinity of Att ianta, the special investigating com nittee of the Georgia Legislature will resume its session tomorrow to find, if 1t can. where and when cruelty and graft originated.
 The Georgia State Legislature. which appointed this committee, will adjourn in ten days. Before that time. 1t wants bill to relieve the convict lease sys- tenn in the State. but there is not the sligh htest indication that the special committee win have dug every snake from under rock before adjournment takes place. There have been tales of whippingS in convict camps, tales of the killing of convicts, or poor food. of no housing in winter. when men were forced to eat under trees without shelter during the hard months of year. but the stories are by no means complete, and 1t Is expected that many prominent citizens of the State, mem bers of this and former Legislatures, will be called upon to relate what they know of the "chain-gang and its treatment by lessees.
 One of the men most prominently mentioned in the evidence has been Jake c. Moore, formerly chief warden of the Georgia penitneitary system. He will appear before the investigat- ing committee tomorrow. Charges of all kinds have been made against him on the witness stand in the Investiga- ton, and he has prepared an elaborate defense. His counsel will declare he cannot be impeached as he has never been an officer of the State, never hav- ing been required to take an oath of office. and never working under an act making appropriation for his office
 His counseel will assert that in &l- lowing Moore to discharge duties which should have been discharged by the violating the law
 The evidence during the past week has been to the effect that Moore was the only man who visited the. convict camps regularly There has been tes- timony that the wardens have accepted money from the lessees of convicts. Moore was in the court room Saturday without the knowledge of the investi- gating committee until towarG the close. when he made a statement he was ready to take the stand.
 Other leading witnesses, including pr. W. B. Hamby. a partner of Moore in the brokerage business, and Colonel James W. English, Jr., will also be heard this week.
 Later the prison commission will be heard in it's own defense. In the mean State prison commission is progress ing.
 Mass Meeting Held.
 mass meeting of citizens was held today in this city to consider the con vict lease system. Governor Smith was among the listeners to speeches made condemning the law which per mite ha lpo NH A. contractors. Governor elect Joseph M. Brown sent a letter which was read at the meeting.
 The resolutions adopted urge each city and county in the State to protest against the "iniquitous lease system which has during it's forty years of existence been characterized by bar barous treatment of those under sent ence Of law Reciting that it has been established by evidence given un- der oath that the State has been sub Jected for many years to a monstrous system of corruption and graft and the good name of the State blackened by the reoountaI of horrors and crimes done by public officials and employees, and by testimony that these officials and employees were subsidized and bribed by those whose fortunes have been fattened by the barter of human beings" The resolutions continue:
 Resolved, That Tn the name or humanity. we denounce the present convict lease law of Georgia. It is a crime against God. a blot on the civili- zation of the South and its re-enact- ment in any form whatever would be A disgrace to the state.
 we are unaiterably opposed to any kind of bill whatever that will con tinue in any form the convict lease system a day beyond the legal termi- nat5on of fhe nresent lease, and we do earnestly urge the honorable Senate ana House of Representatives to take whatever steps may be necessary to acc conplish this end" !"