The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-14
Condition at Escarnbia
County Convict Camp
lcon.Inued from First Pace

| if TO strike, when Guard O'Neal had
struck him lightly across the back
/ mot the head) with his gun. O'Neal
testified that he did this in defense
OF Hammac, and the testimony of the
| two guards was identical. The negro
| had charged that O'Neal had cursed
| him and threatened to Hblow his
brains out" but both guards denied
| this. They also denied cuEsing or
threatening the prisoner, but said that
| this negro was q very troublesome
one. This testimony was all cofroh-
GRATED by Guards G. G. Clopton and
R. L. Brateher.
Commissioner Steward said he was
there within thirty minutes of the
time of the alleged assault, but saw
no evidence of it.
VIM. Houston, another prisoner, tes-
| tilted that he had been worked when
he was sick, but that he had got med
ical attention when he called for it
Charlie Lewis, another prisoner, SAID
| that he had no complaint, always got
| food enough and slept warm at night
| Bob Lucky, another negro, testified
that he frequently did not have enough
60 eat, that he could not get more
food when he called for 1t the day pre-
| vious. He also said that Guard
O'NeaI had cursed him.
Another Complaint.
Mansfield Fair, a negro convict.
complained that Guard Hammac had
struck him twelve times, once on the
arm and the other times over the
back, with a ten-foot pole, saying at
the same time that Il would have to
20 TO work or he would kill me-" Wit
ness said he had counted the twelve
strokes, but later said that a fellow
prisoner had counted them and told
him the number This the fellow
prisoner denied when he was called
to the stand Witness said that some
times he did not get enough to eat. He
exhibited sore hand which had a
crack in it, caused, the witness said,
by a blister from the use OF the
shovel.
Il Guard Hanrmac said he had only
brushed" the negro over the back
three or four times with light meas
uring pole. The strokes. he said,
would not hurt baby" The pole was
exhibited It was about the size Of
the lower ten feet OF a fish pole.
though a little heavier than fish
/ pole. The guards testimony was cor
roborated by w E. Ward, q citizen,
who witnessed the alleged assault,
and also by Guard Bratcher.
Joe Thornton, negro prisoner,
said he did not always get enough to
eat and that he had heard other pris-
oners ask for more, but they did not
get it.
Nebsi's Complaint.
Il C. A. Nobel, white prisoner, COM
planned that he had fallen from the
shack which he was helping to build
/ right after his arrival at the camp,
and had fractured rib, but had been
compelled to continue his work. Had
complained, he said, to Guard Godfrey.
Superintendent Baggett, and Guard
Halnmac, but had got no relief As
result of his inability to do heavy
work in the road ditch, he said Guard
Hammac had cursed him, told him to
keep his mouth shut, and the next
morning had put the shackles on him
as punishment for not turning out OF
bed as quickly as the others He had
never received any medical treatment.
Nebei's testimony was not corrobora at
ed by any Of the other prisoners, and
no evidence could be secured to show
that he was telling the truth. The
county physician, who was present,
examined him, but could see no eV1-
dence of a fractured rib Or other IN
jury.
Harry Burns. white prisoner, said
he always had enough to eat, had no
complaint himself, and had heard no
complaint from anyone else.
Henry Jones, white prisoner, said
Guard Hammac had always treated
him all right. He did not always get
enough to eat, and had sometimes
asked for more without getting 1t. The
fare, however, he considered far better
than what he got in the county jail.
Stunt Bzouett's Testimony.
Superintendent NJ 0. Baggett was
called. and he testified that no guard
was authorized to strike a convict,
1 that where punishment was admins
4 tered 1t was usually done at the camp
with the regular strap, and that his
positive instructions were that there
should always be enough food cooked
Guard Hammac, he said. Was III charge
when the witness was away, as he
had been obliged to be recently dur
| ing the moving of the camp, and the
camp, owing to the move, had not
Z heen thoroughly organized when this
4 trouble came up. Superintendent Bag
8 gett said he had no recollection of ever
4 having received a request from Nebel
3 for medicai attention.
. No Complaint of Baggett.
Throughout the investigation there
8 was no complaint with the one excep
B ton of NebeD about any mistreat
> ment at the hands of Superintendent
= Basgett.
Cook Wallace, who is hired TO pre-
q pare the food, said that the guards
!, and prisoners all ate OF the same food
S There were no restrictions on the cool
as TO the amount he should prepare
and when a prisoner called for more
he always got 1t. He admitted, how
a,-a- tha+ If WAS sometimes impOSSI
= BILE. from his place in the cook-house
. to tell whether the prisoners wanted
| any more food or not
;, = Merely a Threat.
The negro woman who had com
: planned of bad treatment was called
l She said that she had asked the cool
(Joe Pate) for some meat, and had
been refused. Guard Goodwin had als<
> threatened to whip her
The guard was sworn, and he sait
that this woman and another one haf