The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-12-21
TALE OF HORROR
Eoa About Conditions in The Atlanta
Stockade.
TREATED LIKE BEASTS

Reports Barbarious Conol'1ons ahu
Superintendent Vining is Thor
enghly Incompetent--ReVeiations
Grew Out of an Indictment of Two
oaicers for Beating . Negro.
mo words can express our sur
prise, modification and disgust at
the unspeakable conditions which eS-
list at the city stockade."
Such is the opening sentence, says
the Atlanta Journal of the report
made Friday to Judge Ellis, of the
superior court by the November
grand jury, which sent committee
out to the city chain gang Thurs
dsy afternoon to investigate charg-
eslwhich grew out Of the alleged un-
lnerciful beating Of negroes by con-
sict guards.
The committee reports that 100
negro men were found cooped up
in a small poorly ventilated eating
room, which had dirt floor, and
which was absolutely offensive from
filth, expectoration and the odor OF
unclean human bodies. The room
where the white men ate, 1t is stated,
was little better, except that Nthe
aoor was Of concrete.
The sleeping apartments, 1t Is
charged, are still more horrible
where masses Of human beings were
eompelled to lie down on mattress
ca which were as filthy as filth could
make them. The mattresses were
nsYer cleaned, the blankets were
never washed, and one white con-
vict declared, it is stated, that he
was compelled to go for a days
without once taking off or changing
his clothing. The pants couldn't
have been taken of, on account OF
the shackles. This man stated that,
AZ the end of that time he was full
ei vermin.
None of the clothes worn by the
white or black convicts looked as II
they had ever been washed.
= There were no bathing facilities,
MO ventilation, no prison discipline,
mo prison rules, declared the grand
Jury.
The same. conditions existed in
the kitchen where the cooks were
unclean women prisoners. The reg
alar ratious consisted Of a piece OF
sl,rn bread, a piece Of fat bacon and
a bucket Of molasses in which the
prisoners were free to dip the bread.
The amount was sufficient, but the
fDod itself was such that the grand
jury did not see how human beings
could eat it.
There was no adequate hospital
services. One man was found ly-
ing on filthy mattress like the rest,
suffering from fever, presumably
typhoid.
Another who had gunshot wound
in the breast was wearing such a
rllely dirty shirt over the wound
shat infection seemed certain.
The same was true Of man with
sores on his. legs.
The modes of punishment, declar-
ed. the grand jury, seemed barbara
aus. The whipping chair was de-
scribed at length-a wooden affair
In which the victim is fastened i'm
movable and then beaten with heavy
straps. One of the straps had met.
al rivets near its end, said the re-
port. Clubs and billies were found
with which it Is alleged the prisoners
had been struck.
Two rings were found fastened in
the walls, about six feet high, and
Ave or six feet apart; to these the
superintendent declared he some
times handcuffed prisoners with their
arms outstretched and their faces
coward the wall. The superinten-
dent stated to the grand jury that
he never continued this punishment
for more than 80 or 40 minutes, but
the grand jury had reason to believe
that II had been inflicted in certain
gases for the best part OF a whole
afternoon.
Bad as these conditions were, the
grand jury believed some kind Of at
tempt had been made to improve
conditions in honor Of their visit
New whitewash had been used, and
they had been informed that the
chains had been taken of certain
women prisoners only the day be-
fore.
The grand jury declared that the
authorities in charge Of the stockade
naming Superintendent D. M. Vim
ing specifically-were "entierly in
efficient and thoroughly incompe-
sent" and declared that many of the
guards were not only incompetent,
but addicted to drink, as in the case
of Officer Cornett, indicted the day
before for numerically beating q
negro, who had been caused to re-
sign from the police force way back
in 1906, because Of drunkenness
while on duty"
1t was declared that some Of the
guards were possibly honest and in