The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-01-07
WHITE GIRLS WERE
TORTURED IN THE
ATLANTA PRISON
TALES or HORROR TOLD TO
PRo5ERs or THE CITY
LOOKUP.
ALL KINDS OF PUNISHMENT
Young Woman Strung up in Cruel
fiSion Fashion And Another's Slim
ness Alone Saved Her From the
Lash-Awful Conditions Exposed.


ATLANTA, Ga. Dec. SO.-That
white women were hung up on the
wall of cell room as though cruel
fed with extended arms; that at least
one attempt was made to whip a wo-
man, and that prisoners were used to
do work for private citizens we're some
OF the things testified to today in the
City Council investigation of the city
prison, known as the stockade.
Charges that the city prison, to
which men and women convicted OF
misdemeanors and unable to pay a
money fines are committed, is a filthy
place unworthy of holding even ami
mails, that there has been graft and
that barbarous cruelties are practiced
there have been made. The grand
jurors recently indicted Supt. vining
and two guards for cruelty, and made
public a scathing report which result
ed in this investigation.
Ruby Gather, a country girl, who
said she was 10 years old, was the star
witness of the day. After the grand
jurors had described the prison as
1.-The dHtiest, foUlest place on earth,
dirtier than any pig PEN" the girl was
called She told how she was sent to
the stockade after her mother remar-
ried because she fought with her step
brothers, and how one day she was
struck by another woman prisoner.
She struck back, and fearing to be
punished, went to Supt vining and re-
ported her infraction of rules.
Mr. Vining grabbed me- she said,
land put handouts around my right
wrist He and another guard dragged
me to the wall in the cell room and
hooked my arm to ring in the wall.
The ring was so high that / could not
stand on my feet, but had to stand on
my tiptoes. | told Winning that l was
i'll and suffering, but he paid no atten- |
tion to me. | was hung for nearly an
hour in agony before tainted. / do |
not know how long / was hanging, but |
| was down and the doctor was attend !
ing me when | recovered conscious
ness"
The witness told of seeing another
girl, also white. hanging by both
wrists. A third girl was hung up, but
her hands were so small that she
slipped through the handouts. This
same girl, the witness swore, was PUT
IN the whipping machine, big wooden
chair invented by Vining, in which
he victim was fastened and then turn
I'd over for the application of the lash.
The lash is heavy leather strap with
arge metal rivets studded in its sur
ace. This girl, Pearl Ryan, was so
small, however, that she slipped
through the chair and the guards have
I'D the attempt to beat her.
The Superintendent and the guards
re indicted for cruelty beating ne
,ro. Another negro died few days
go from blood poisoning caused by
hackles rusting on his legs and cut ,
ing into the skin. When prisoners +,
rived at the stockade, shackles were ,
iveted on over their clothing, and no ,
natter how long they were held, they
ould not remove their clothing. Only :
We soap was furnished the prisoners,
nd they got no towels,
The investigation will continue to-
borrow. and over 100 witnesses have
cen summoned. II