The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-12-25
FORCES STATE TO
DO RIGHT THING
In Matter of Convict Leas-
ing System.
THE "HOD-CARRIER' GOVERNOR
Of Arkansas Goes Over the
Head of An Unheeding
Legislature,
A "MEssAGE" TO THE PEOPLE

Little Rock. Ark, Dec. 23.-"It
was my message to the people OF
Arkansas. freeing of $50 convicts,"
declared Gov. George w. Donaghey
to-day. CO...
For four years have been beg
ging, pleading with Legislatures of
this State to abolish the convict
leasing system.
81 have sent message after mes
sage only to see a powerful lobby
stife every measure against the
selling of flesh and blood to slave
driving contractors for the rail-
roads. Now have, gone over the
heads of the lawmakers, and they've
got to act!
81 have reduced the number of
convicts SO that the warden cannot
lease any out to contractors.
did it at this time of the year be-
cause l knew that it would strike
home harder to have $50 convicts
turned loose at the beginning of
winter"
The convict lease system of Ar
kansas has been a blot on the good
name of the State for years. When
there were too many convicts to
work on the State farm, the rest
have been sold, or leased, to con-
tractors. who in turn sold them to
the Rock Island and the Iron Noun
tain railroads. r. 1880.
These leased convicts have built
new railway beds and laid tracks,
ever under the guns of the guards
and the club of the contractor. Ev-
cry day, rain or shine, sick or we'll,
they we're driven to work. Many
of them died along the railroad
tracks.
There was no physician, no med
icine, no hospital bed for the sick
just the guard and contractor,
and for many of them the CALLING
ball and chain. At night all the
convict slaves slept with ball and
chain fastened to their ankles.
At Ward last spring a young
white boy convict was quickly shot
down for refusing to work in the
hot sun while he had burning fe-
YER. The warden took him to the
railway station and left him lying
on the platform In the sun and
warned away people who wanted to
do something to stop the flowing
blood. The boy died next day.
At Malvern another boy convict
was shot and killed for being una
BILE to work while he had fever.
In Chicot county the flesh of a
convict's legs began to rot because
he was forced to>.wear the shackles
day and night in the swamps.
THE prisoners in convict camps
we're fed mostly on sour pork and
beans" says the Governor, land
were herded in cars at night, TWEEN
ty-four or twenty-five men to the
ordinary box car, where they slept
amid filth and vermin.
THE slightest complaint upon
the part of any convict brought him
lashing with leather strap six
feet long and four inches wide.
4 Men unaccustomed to hard Ia
Dor were sent to the railroads to do
the hardest kind of. work in the hot
sun; and if they Jagged or showed
inability to- do the work, they were
thrown II the ground and dashed"
Hand in hand with the State
leasing system went the county
farm system. Convicts imprisoned
by Justices courts were sent to
farms belonging to contractors,
who paid as high as thirty cents
day for them.
In Philips county. the court SEN
fenced two men jointly charged |
with forging orders for nine quarts
OF whiskey. One man got thirty
six years and the other eighteen
for nine quarts of whiskeyl The
first man died before Gov Dona.
ghey corld get pardon to him.
Justices are alleged to have
worked with the contractors. sup
plying them with conyiets as need
ed.
Gov Donaghey wants the State
to provide pepitentiary fund. 50
that conyfcts who can not be work. |