The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-12-12
system MURDERS
CONVICTS ALIVE
Visiting Governors DenOUDce Lease Of
Penitentiary Inmates as Vicious
and Inhuman-Blease Tells of
Pardons.
RICHMON Nd, vA.ASpecIaI.

TX L III NJ U n ID, VA.@SpeciaI.
Conditions resulting from the
convict lease system such as pre-
walls in the Virginia penitentiary
were roundly denounced before
the Conference of Governors YES
terday afternoon by Governors
Donaghey, of Arkansas; Shafroth,
of Colorado, and Blease, of South
Carolina. Not a man spoke I'm
favor of IL.
Governor Shafroth, I'm explain
Ing the principles of the Colo
RADIO system" declared I'm en-
Dhauc terms that he was opposed
10 the shoe factory and the shirt
factory. He did not believe in
making convicts compete with
free labor I'm order that money
might be poured into the pockets
of the stockholders of some COR
Doration fortunate enough or
with sufficient political influence
30 procure the lease.
Governor Donaghey character
lied the lease system as "mur-
derfng them alive
It remained for Governor
Blease, however, TO put the fin
ishing touches upon the general
denunciation.
II went 10 the penitentiary my
self" he said. There found a
tuberculosis incubator, called a
hosiery mill, making consump-
uves to go out and spread disease
among their families. Men were
dying at work, making money for
people who fattened on blood and
bone and flesh of those who had
TO work or take the lash. with
none TO speak for them. took
their names and learned their his
tory, and i am glad to say L have
pardOned or paroled 400 persons
in twenty-five months. BY the
end of my present term i hope
TO make it 500 for the four years"
Regarding his unusual record
for executive clemency, Cover
nor BleaSe said:
Negroes are often sent TO
prison for long terms. Their par
ents might die, and they would
be forgotten by the world. With
no money 10 pay a lawyer, they
would stay in the penitentiary.
Many white people are I'm the
same condition. L have received
petitions signed by the best people,
and when public sentiment clearly
indicated its desire, have consid-
cred myself the servant OF the
people and issued the pardon"
He told of the political infiu-
enceS that come TO a Judge. who
may have two men coming up for
sentence for the same offense. One
has friends who represent that
one of them is a boy OF a good
family. The judge gives him two
years, and gives the other. for
whom no one has passed cigars.
and over whose case no special
glass has been raised, seven to
ten years.
Governor Blease said he has a
letter from a South Carolina Judge
who said he would endorse a Ger
tain application for cIemency, as
the evidence did not Justify the
sentence. yet" he asserted
that judge had imposed the life
sentence in this case. There IS "a
negro now awaiting execution. and
the judge said that at the time OF
the trial he did not feel the man
ought tn die. Yet he sentenced
him to death.
II found one negro in prison."
he said, "who served TWENTY-FIVE
years for stealing a $27 watch.
and had been convicted of house,
breaking. He got a pardon. An
other had served eleven years and
seven months for stealing 50 from
the person. He was pardOned.v