The Green Forest tribune., 1912-12-20

stories told of 1t were not for papers to back up the truth. Following are 8 few examples given by the govern. or's statement:
 Instance No. 1: In Phillips county, according 10 the court records. two ne groes jointly forged nine orders for one quart of whiskey each. For this offense, one of them was convicted and sent to the penitentiary for 3f years, and the other for IS years When the record of the circuit court convicting them was obtained by me, I at once issued pardons for both of them. They had no one to appear in their behalf, and at the time 1 issued the pardons I was notified by the pen itentiary officials that after serving nearly two years of the time, the ne- gro convicted for 36 years had died.
 Instance No. g.. During the year 1912 it was reported by the citizens of Malvern that while working near that town for a contractor on the rail road, a young white boy convict was compelled to work in the hot sun while he had a burning fever on him, that he was refused the necessary atten- tion, and that the next day he died. Concerning this matter, it was pub lished in the Times-Journal, paper at Malvern. that information had been obtained from, the convicts that they were fed mostly on sour pork and beans and were herded in cars at night. A or 9 men to the car, where they slept amid filth and vermin, and that the slightest complaint upon the part of any convict brought him a flashing on his back with a leather strap six feet long and four inches wide, and that men sent out from the walls, unaccustomed to labor, or to work on railroads were made to do the hardest work in the hut sun from the start: and that, if they Jagged or showed inability to do the work, they were thrown to the ground and lashed with a strap to the extent of ten licks and sometimes as many as 15, accord. ing to the humor of the warden.
 Instance No. 3: It was reported from Ward Station that, while working on the railroad for a contractor. a white boy convict, convicted of a minor offense, was shot down and after being delivered 10 the station to be transported to the hospital, while lying on the platform of the depot in the burning hot ssun, his blood trick ling down the blanks of the platform. that many people passed by and offered to give him relief, the warden refused to permit any one to go near him. He was transported to the hospital, and next day died"
 The present penitentiary system of the state is attacked and recommends. tion made for change in manage. ment. h concluding long statement MT. Donaghey says in part:
 "In concluding what I have to say upon this subject, permit me to say: That I favor law enforcement That have been conservative in granting pardons. That have not heen unduly exercised from sentimental causes. That l have not issued pardons for political favors. That much of the opposition I have had has been from parties disappointed in gaining par dons. That I believe it is right and just to legally punish criminals in se- verity and terms of confinement ac- cording to their crimes. But enforc ing law by putting criminals in the nenitentiary, and then selling their flesh and blood to contractors after they have been bound and manacled in chains and driven and lacerated with shackles and lashed under such conditions that the contractors are en- abled to make fortunes, while from cruelty the lives of the convicts are snuffed out, is a different matter alto gether.
 Such abuse of power is a reflection on our intelligence, repudiation of the principles of civilization, crime against humanity, and, if continued will cause a forfeit of that respect which a state should maintain among the sist erhood of states of this nation In a commitment which accompanies a convict to the penitentiary that though he is deprived of his liberty as a citizen, he still is granted the right to live and to be cared for in man, ner commensurate with sound reason good judgment and human mercy.
 ''The state does not intend, nor should it longer permit, conditions to arise by which convicts may be sub jected to such treatment that their imprisonment carries the combined penalties of loss of liberty, hard labor and severity of punishment until death itself may end their lives. If for the protection of the state and the preser- vation of society the death penalty must be given, the courts and the juries are the proper forum from which it must be pronounced.
 
 stands that President-elect Wilson al. ready is considering a man for the London post and he does not wish to on i,,t 1p