Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-06-27
A PLEASANT DAY
AT CONVICT CAMP
Party From TazeweH Are Guests of
Superintendent Vine, and Are
Given a Royal Country Dinner.
Editorial Correspondence)

Editorial Correspondence)
BY special invitation l had the
unique pleasure of trip to the
road convict camp last Tuesday.
The party consisted of D. B.
Daniels, chairman of the Board
of Supervisors; w. |. Lee, Road
Engineer; j. w. Harman, Com
monwealth's Attorney; w. L.
Moore. secretary Of the School
Board; Sheriff Harman; DIR.
c. w. Greever, County Clerk,
and bringing up the rear was
this scribel | omitted to men
ton Mr.. G. j. Moss, who should
have first place, as we went in
his motor car, with him at the
wheel, and by persistency, skill
and watchfulness the trip was
made in safety and withal
pleasantly, Notwithstanding a
heavy rain -one of the heaviest
of the season, which gave us
muddy roads on the return trip.
The camp is about one half
mile beyond Liberty Hill, and
the round trip was made in
exactly two hours-50 minutes
going and seventy minutes on
the return.
Squire Moore in "Stripes"
When this formidable looking
outfit drove into camp quite an
impression must have been
made, and somebody suggested
that we were taken for a bunch
of new road convicts, just from
Richmond, in charge of Mr..
Lee. And later, after a good
dinner, Sheriff Harman arrested
squire Moore, and tried him for
general misdeameanor, and call
ed for the largest striped coat
there was in camp, and put it on
him, just to see how he would
look, and remarked that it was
the first time the squire had
ever been properly garbed and
trimmed up Just right, and no
one enjoyed the joke more than
the squire himself.
AS stated above, the convict
camp is located just around the
bend below Liberty Hill, on the
Hog Back" road, on a beau
tiful grassy slope. This site was
donated by Mr.. j. S. Gillespie
who owns the land, and he also
gave right to a large spring
on his farm some distance away,
from which pure fresh water i s
piped to the camp. These facts,
and the additional one, that Mr..
Gillespie helped with teams to
bring the camp material to the
grounds, all free of charge,
were mentioned incidentally,
and further that he had done all
he could to help along the work
of road building in that commun-
ity, Notwithstanding he was
opposed to the Bond Issue.
But to get back to camp.
There are in the camp 85 con-
victs, seven of which number
are white men. The terms of
the men run from one to 20 years
and a few for life. There are
two large oblong, sheds, covered
with tin-open sides with cam
vass curtains to be let down as
needed. In on of these the men
sleep. The other is the kitchen
and dining room. Close by is
the business office and sleeping
rooms of the officers, guards,
etc. Taken all together, the
camp and its equipment seems
to an outsider an idea one, far
more pleasant and comfortable
no doubt than most of the
prisoners there ever enjoyed at
home. They have all needed com
forts, reasonable work and kind
treatment everything except
their freedom, which the law of
their country have declared,
they do not deserve.
Mr.. j. E. Vine is general
superintendent, and Mr.. J. E..
Linkenhoker is camp sargeant.
Both these good officers, by the
way, are from Botetourt and are
just a little better all
around, than are those of any
other county. They are still
young enough to be progressive
and up to-date, and old enough
to have sense, judgment, and be
level-headed. They each seem to
be popular with the men under
them. While they are lenient
and kind, at the same time
there is chalk line which very
man must walk. 1t could not be
otherwise. In every convict
camp there are men who woulc
murder every guard on the
ground if they had the chance
others who would not striko c