The Forrest City times., 1912-12-20
Gcy. Donsghey Says He Had Made Repeated Efforts to Obtain Better Conditions in Camps but
 Had Failed.
TO LEGISLATURE
Document Explains Attitude and Rec concentrations for Chanses-Cites
 Instances of Cruelty.

Western Newspaper Union News Service. Little Rock. Ark.-Governor Dona- gheY has pardoned 360 convicts in Arkansas. He gave as his reason that conditions were inhuman and unbear- able and that repeated efforts to ob- tain relief by other methods had failed. Three convict camps in Arkansas will be wiped cut by the wholesale granting of pardons. These camps are the ones where eonYicts are leased l to contractors and do not include the camps where conyicts are employed in building state roads.
 The wholesale pardon of 36O con siets is direct practical assault upon
 the convict lease system in Arkansas.
 Il will mean that when the lease of
 the present contractors is asked to be
 renewed on January l, the Peniten-
 tiary Board either will have to aban.
 con large part Of the work on the
 slate farm, or refuse to renew the
 lease. The reduction is such that it
 VIII leave just enough convicts to
 Sork the state farm, and it will be several years before the number of men Will be increased to such an ex- tent they can be leased to contract meanwhile, the governor will recon mend that the legislature amend the
 present. laws so as to do away with 'ne convict lease system.
 me three convict farms effected are
 ID pesta, Mississippi and Jefferson counties.
 uoFefhor Donaghey has prepared a
 Dhs statement to the legislature in
 'hieh he gives all his reasons for the
 snoiesale issuance of pardons.
 ne begins his message as follows:
 10 the Thirty-ninth General Assem-. ply:
 ! nave consistently fought the con
 'ic' lease system ever since have
 ueeh m public office. In every pub
 ~ speech have denounced it. As
 s'eiaoef of dhe Penitentiary Board. I
 nave opposed it in every instance
 f4'ie Il was at issue. Time after time nave plead with the legislature to
 .s0'ish Il. But in spite of my appeals
 ' fehei and the repeated protests of
 ae people of this state and the renorts
 me Board of Penitentiary manage
 ssas ny its chairman to the governor.
 aa 'ne messages transmitted by the
 s"sihor 10 the past two General As
 a,iies all in condemnation of this pehltentiary. and county farm ,a. system, no adequate relief has Oeeh gwen. The subject has been s'0ssly neglected by the General As.
 s.aioiy' partly due to a confusion of as as 10 what plan best to adopt,
 " partly due to disposition by
 ae 70 let the matter remain as it is. tne statement that the peniten- sehool.e e' io' 'u"u'' s0'efhor Donaghey goes on to say -as ,he convict system of Arkansas S not designed for a "revengeful ,. ne says he has repeatedly s to get action in the matter from
 ae legislature
 % governor tells how he obtained ~'ormation regarding these camps ,,s - saSs one could hardly believe the @'es told Of il were not for papers 'seN up the truth. Following are examples given by the govern
 s statement:
 |,Snee ,.,...ee No. l: In Phillips county, 'eaag 10 the court records. two ne. jointly forged nine orders for ,,.. - qaart Of whiskey each. For this ,as one of them was convicted sent to the penitentiary for Se pzs and the other for IS years. srss a 'he record of the circuit court slhg them was obtained by me, As. once issued pardons for both of as'- They had no one 10 appear in as behalf, and at the time issued sefuons l was notified by the pen ars officials that after serving