The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-06-06
REFUSED TO LEAVE CAGES OR
ACCEPT FOOD UNTIL GUNS
WE'RE DRAWN BY GUARDS,
TROUBLE AMICABLY ADJUSTED
Prisoners Claimed That They Were
Being Worked too Hard, Poorly Fed
And That Their Cages are Crowded
And Ursaritary

And Ursaritary
Jackson, Miss, June G.-The fifty
two white conyicts at the Rankin state
farm who went on a strike Monday
morning, refusing to leave their cages
or accept anything to eat returned to
work this morning, all differences hav-
ing been amicably adjusted.
AT one iimo the insurrection as4um-
ed very serious phrase, and was
quelled only by the adoption Of stern
measures. The insurgents refused to
state their grievances to Supt. Gath
ings or Col W. A. Montgomery, chair
man OF the board of trustees, dcclar-
ing that they would trea. only with
the full governing board Of the prison.
Realizing that this made extreme
measures necessary, Supt Gathngs
lined up a squad of guards with cock
ed rifles and said:
instructions to Shoot.
81 will give you just five minutes TO
come out of those cages. IT, at the
expiration of that time, you do not
march outside the order will be given
to fire. and the guards have been in
structed to shoot to kill"
The ringleaders hesitated for few
moments and then marched out fol
lowed by other insurgents. They were
then directed to the chapel where a
parley took place, at the conclusion
of which they agreed to return to
lwork without making further trouble
The Grievances,
: The chief grievance of the insurg
ents. according 10 Supt. Gathings, was
TO the effect that they were being ov
ervorhed. The superintendent statef
that ho realized the hours Of employ
men. lad been too long during the
present extremely hot weather, ant
that he had given orders on Sunday tt
Sergeant Mccoy to allow them three
hours of rest in the middle of the day
Another grievance was that the ra
tions were meagre, and that the cage
were kent in an unsanitary condition
written statement setting forth dc
tails of their complaints had been pre-
pared by W. L. Lytle, bigamist, sen
M from Lee county some time since
who acted as spokesman for the stricR
ers. Lytle claimed that the cages wer
very much overcrowded, thirty-fiv
men being compelled to sleep in on
small dcrmtory, measuring not NOR
than 40N6o feet: that they were fire
uuentlyt deprived of coffee, and tn
Sk furnished was often sour; tha
u5ifr'ten they were worked sixteen hour
per DAY. regardless of the weather
.ihat tine bath rooms were often filth,
and uusanilary and the food insuff
cient.
superntendent Talks.
ern+ Gatniugs went carefully int
details regarding every complaint an
,ornd .hat ly'tle was indulging Il
considerable exaegeration He INFORM
81 The NEIL Of the order issued rela
+i,s IA tnIee-h0ur respite from wor.
dnrirp the middle of the day. whlc
r,on, of them were not aware OF whe
t,a,. ..usented 10 join the rebellion
's.,. aatbings attributes the insul
.or chiefly 10 the mischievous actl'
-, Of ,yltie viii sorsby, Dan MayOe'
" .,'o,.sl other convicts of more
,,'' ao,ebrjpy who are disappointed o'
aonso they have not been made 'ru
i,.. ieeir Incarceration at I'll
A,,in farm. lie declares that 1t
nurpose 20 follow the strict 'et'' rev..
Hl' and not allow any notorlo'
VI ,.,c, ', IN be made trusty' as n'
''' 5oo4 by former adminlstra''o"
pee" n'7. e. ie true that the hours
,.oo, have been rather RI long nj ,Sn aut'' FL
,%D', ",,s, two weeks, owing to the Ia "
hat We are trying to get the ,op rlop' a, y
'r"' ,ns grass. there has not been n a.
ol l"' 4.ootment of the prlsohe
At the Rankin farm Saiu ordar Ha'C on su
ia, nss. II had issued an .o.nits osdSb on auri Pn
the middle of the day sna,,s as ,IDs AS
int intensely hot weather prs'''''' -