The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-11-23
Revolving Stories Told Penienay Investigators Of Cruees Prac
tced by Guards on State Convict Farms.
POOLS Of BLOOD RUN FROM VICTIMS Of THE LASH
Former Guards Tell Cres Which They Say They Saw Inflicted by
Major Durham-One Convict Was Unable Work Tor Several Days
Because Of the Severe Punishment Inflicted Upon Him

Austin, Texas, Nov. 23,-On mo-
tion of Senator Hudspeth, the peni-
tentiary investigation committee
suspended work on it's report and
examined r. j. Richie and }. w.
Pierce of Hill county and W. B.
Rutherford, member of the Terry
rangers, all three of whom have
been in the penitentiary service, and
from them obtained testimony that
WAS more startling than anything
yet heard from convict sources.
Mr. Ritchie testified that he has
served as jailer and deputy sheriff
lin Hill county and that he is now
deputy constable at Hillsboro, and
! that he has been a guard, an assist
/ ant sergeant and a sergeant under
| the Texas penitentiary system, work
ing off and on from 1896 to June IL
! OF this year lie was made sergeant
! at the "bullhead" camp on the Cum
tningham place by superintendent
: Herring who discharged him, he
said because he broke the skin OF
a convict while inflicting punishment
| During his service as a penitentiary
lemploye he broke the skin of two
Iconvicts by Furnishing with the strap.
| He never exceeded number of licks
allowed under the order and never
punished without an order except in
! two instances These were extreme
cases. and after administering the
punishment he wrote to Inspector
| Hawkins advising him that the
whipping had already been inflicted
and Hawkins issued an order to COW
er it.
In extreme cases. said the wit
ness, this is frequently done, even
on contract farms. 1t is my under
istanding that this is the rule on the
state farms. Punishment orders are
signed in blank by the superior Off
Ger, and at the time of the punish
iment the blank is filled in by the
Isergeant | do not know Of this
!method on state farms from my own
knowledge. but | have been so In
formed by guards. The inspectors
have little to do with the state
farms
Witness said at the Burleson 4
Johns farm in 1904 he saw MaJo
Durham, who is now in charge a
IRusk. strike Convict Lemons sixty
lone ticks. The convicts skin brok
and blood from the wound flowed
profusely and formed puddles on tn
floor
Responding to questions, MI
Ritchie said that Durham's genera
freputation as to treatment of con
victs while sergeant at the Burleso
& Johns farm was pretty rough.
,He kept the convicts very ripe an
Jumping high" in the language o
the camp
J. w Pierce. a farmer of Hi
Icoupty testified that he was in tn
lpenitentiary service as guard fror
ll902 until February, 1908, haVin
voluntarily resigned his position. II
Testified that he knew Convict Etht
Jones at the Burleson & Johns farI
and saw him after punishment ma
been inflicted The convict for
number of days during the Wor
hours lay in the field on his stomac
Iso sore and lacerated that he coul
inot work. His clothes stuck 10 hin
and when he would undertake
get them loose from his person tn
hide would come off with the ga
ments. Jones was not taken TO tt
hospital This was in 1904, and MI
ior Durham was the sergeant an