Richmond planet., 1908-08-08

I
were burned. The men working in
this position stood on barrel heads
and pitched brick. The heat was so
great and the work so arduous that
the men perspired excessively. The
sweat from the laborers drenched the
barrels and the ground for some dis
tance around.
DEAD NEGRO DRANK TOO MUCH
WATER"
The Negro in question could not
stand the heat and fell short I'm his
work. He was told by Captain ]. A.
casey he would be whipped IL he did
not do better. The Negro was whip
ped IL did not improve his work
and he was put over n barrel and
whipped again. The Negro when re-
leased. walked TO a lumber pile and
Tell down. Then he was carried to
the hospital. The next day witness
saw his body in the cooling vat.
Coroner Stamps visited the camp
and held an inquest. The jury was
composed OF the guards around the
camp. Their verdict was that the
deceased came TO his death from
drinking too much water
{. D. Watkins, who was present
and witnessed the whole performance
reported the facts TO the prison com
mission. This was I'm the summer
or 1903. Watkins was later dis
charged. Witness gave the names of
Joe Jett and Bud Downing as having
also witnessed the whipping. Down
ing is now at the camp, and witness
Tears there may be difficulty in get
tlnS his testimony unless he is guar
anteed protection.
The convicts fear to talk. as It
means almost certain DEATH" said
Cochran.
He told OF a white bov who suf-
Tered with lOckjaw for three davs
1t was Christmas eve when he was
first seized and no doctor was sum
moned. In reply to a request for a
physician the guard said, He's en-
Joying Christmas, and amt got time
TO fool with convicts."
The witness testified that the hos
pltal was In bad shape. that vermsn
were In the beds, and ne preferred to
De SICK out in the brick yard rather
than In the hospital He said he did
not complain, as il would have meant
not less than fifty licks. Men were
whipped just as quickly for telling
about these things as they were for
not working enough" !" ne explained
lie said the side meat furnished
the convicts was good, that they had
couee and cornbread every morning
and wheatbread once a week. But
ne said the fresh meat had crawling
'hlngs IN 1t and was offensive to the
smell.
Asked about the visits of mem
Ders OF the prison commission. he
repiled that he had never seen any
OF them during his confinement. That
one day Jake Moore came to in
Vestgate the case of the Negro who
was whipped to death. Cantain
casey was present while the former
prison warden interrogated the pris-
oners. They were afraid of nunisb-
ment, and denied any knowledge OF
the affair. Captain Casey said to
them when he heard Jake Moore was
coming:
You boys can go ahead, Cd
you, and tell all you know. 7 would
just as soon Kill you in the presence
OF Jake Moore"
PREPARED FOR GRAND JURY's
COMING.
witness testified that the visits of
the grand jury were known for davs
N advance and elaborate prepara-
tlons were made for their coming
New sheets were put on the beds and
even the yards were swept up. For
TWO or three days the preparations
continued until 1t looked, said the
ex-convict as though a crowd of wo~
men had visited the camp.
In testifying as TO conditions in the
boiler rooms, he said there were
) boilers of from 800 to 400 horse
power and that they consumed a
car load OF coal per day. He said
three nremen had been whipped for
not aoing work that no free men
eouid De hired TO do at any price.
The prisoner said he had nevar
been whipped. but thought one sav
IL would be attempted. He had re-
solved that he would rava~ ~ -