The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-09-09
MEN DRIVEN BY THE WHIP
TO THE UNDERGROUND
TASKS THAT MAKE 100000
A YEAR PIN MONEY FOR AN
AMERICAN STATE.
BY gibson GARDNER.

ing cruelties, it is necessary only
to visit one of the convict operated
coal mines. The Pratt City mine,
near this city, is one of these.
1t was with an air of pride they
showed me through. The system
had been somewhat changed, and
was to see how we'll it worked. l
saw the men, their quarters, what
they ate, where they worked and
slept; the four foot leather trace
strap with which they wdre whipped
when their armed, keen eyed task
masters said they shirked; the rifle
carrying, square jawed guards with
their packs of bloodhounds kept al
ways ready to track men down.
saw it all, and still was not pre-
pared to break forth in praise.
That leather bludgeon keeps
coming to my mind. Each man is
assigned his daily task; and If he
fails he is strung up and whipped.
But" explained my guide, "a
state law has limited the strokes
to 81"
Cant they kill a man with that
many blows?"
mo. I should judge not. But
they can cut him up pretty bad"
Four tons day is the task re-
quired of an able-bodied man. The
men are rated by their size, expert
ence and health. A man rated in
the second class must mine three
tons, and third rate man mines
two. Those who can mine more
than four tons day are supposed
to get paid for any excess over this
amount at the rate of rs cents a
ton.
Do the men get all they earn this
way? The wardens say they do,
and there is no one to dispute their
word. Surely naked man with
ing under the blows of that muir.
derous strap will not give evidence
of much value on this point. So we
will assume they get their dues.
There were at the Pratt City
camp about thousand men. About
half were convicts of the state
long term men; the others were
the county's men sent here for mis-
demeanors. The latter class are
leased to private mining companies
at an average of SIS per head a
month. The state convicts are
worked by the state, and the COM
panies pay the state so much
ton for the coal delivered. The
present rate is Al cents paid by
the Sloss concern for coal deliver
ed at the heading, while the Ten
nessee Coal & Iron Co. pays "A
cents a ton delivered above ground.
The great reform of which Ala
bama boasts is change of the law
which does away with the lease
system as applied to the states
long term convicts. Most of the
atrocities of convict camps have re-
suited from turning the men over
to private parties-brutal contract
ors intent on money profit, and
willing to get that profit at the cost
of blood or even human life. Under
the new law the state feeds and
whips and works the men, and sells
the product of their labor.
The present system is much
more profitable to the state Under
the last year of the lease system
the state received 100000 for her
convicts; under the present plan
the books showed a profit of $400,.
900.
A large proportion of Alabama's
criminals are negroes, and this fact
is usually cited as an excuse for
the lash. The southern man will
say that the only way to get along
with the colored man, and make
him work, is to whip him. But
there are some whites among the
blacks, and they get theirs, too.
And occasionally there are women
white as well as black-although
they are not sent into the mine
and there is nothing to prevent the
use of the lash on them.
Compared with northern peni-
Tertiary, the barracks and stockade
Of convict mine seem quite flimsy
things. And there is an absence
Of the rigid discipline of the north.
ern jail. The men all live together
in one large barn like room, the
negroes in one and the whites in
another. There are no cells. When
not in the mines they may talk,
loaf and gamble or spend the time
as they feel disposed.
The food, boiled pork, samp, corn
bread and corn on the cob, looked
and tasted palatable, though not
exactly tempting. For men with
money to their credit. the prison
store afforded delicacies like can
ned peaches, cake, candy and a
certain summer drink very popular
in the south and said to contain a
drug.
On the day of my visit two me-
groes made break for liberty. A
guard fired at but missed them. and