Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-07-26
Indict the COnyict-Murderers
atlanta Journal

In the course of the hearing by the
joint committee from the house and
| senate on the subject of abuses in the
convict camps of the state, testimony
was delivered under oath to the eff
feet that negro convicts had been bea-
ten to death by brutal whipping bos-
i SEES and convict guards.
If it should be established by fur
Their investigation that this testi-
mony is correct, and the facts as
detailed to the committee are sub
stantiated, it will be the urgent and
I imperative duty of the grand juries
of those counties in which the crimes
were committed to find true bills
aginst the guilty parties for murder
| in the first degree and the murderers
| should receive the full penalty OF
| the law.
There have been many abuses of a
minor character disclosed in the
course of this legislative investiga-
/ ton 1t is evident, if the testimony
! is we'll founded, that the convicts
have been inhumanly treated, chiefly
because they were required ii do
work which was beyond their physical
strength.
These are matters which. demand
| correction.
But if the revolving testimony as
! to the actual killing of conyicts by
| inhuman whipping bosses is substan-
| tiated the whole weight and influence
of the state should be thrown into
the scale to visit prompt and extreme
punishment upon the brutal tash
masters who are responsible for the
death of these victims.
The testimony seems to have gone
far enough to justify the grand Jur-
les in the respective counties where
these official murders are alleged to
have occurred to take up the matter
at once. The grand juries themsel-
yes, on the prima facie showing al
ready made, can summon the desig-
mated witnesses and call for the
| necessary papers.
They owe it to their counties and to
| the state to ferret out the truth, il
they believe the witnesses who have
already testified are in any degree
worthy of belief and it is hoped that
they will take up the matter prompt
ly.
1 There is no disposition on the part
of the best thought of the state to
look upon the penal system of GeOr-
gia as a resort of idleness and ease
| to which prospective criminals would
look with reckless Indifference In
/ the very nature of things, a sentence
of hard labor should mean hard lab
or and every measure which disci-
pline and security suggests should
be faithfully carried out.
But this is a world away from the
conditions of affairs alleged by many
witnesses to exist in a number of
the convict camps of the state and
when we are told that men who are
under the protection of the state
have been literally beaten to death
by inhuman whipping bosses, a con-
dition of affairs is revealed which
calls for the most searching inyesti-
CATION on the part of the proper au-
thorities whose duty it is to follow
UP the matter, if the facts are estab-
lished, until those who are guilty if
they are guilty, have paid the penalty
of the law.
The duty of the grand juries of those
counties in which these atrocities are
alleged to have occurred is clear
and conclusive. There should be no
hesitation or delay.
The murder, even of conyicts, must
be avenged.