The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1913-10-10
GOV. O'NEAL ORDERS
.CONV|CTS REMOVED
FROM ATMORE CAMP
Commission Finds Practi-
cally Every Charge of
Cruelty to Be True
CONTRACTS WITH THE
COMPANY ANNULLED
Cruelty to Convicts at Huxford-
Orvin Camp Furnishes Ground
for O'NeaPs Order-Many
Stories of Cruelty
By l.. s. BETTY

| Moatgomery. October 9.-tSpeciaI.)
Upon the recommendation of the board
of inspectors of conyicts. Governor
/ 0'Ncaf has ordered TINT the contracts
between Mobile and Baldwin counties
and the Huxf0rd-Oryin Naval stores
| employment of convicts. be at once an
nulIed and cancelled, and that all con-
vIcts be removed from the IIuxford-
Orvin camp at once. TeIegrams direct
ing the cancellation of convict con-
tracts with the Huxford-Orvin COM
pany were today sent to Judge of Pro-
bate Price williams of Mobile county
and Probate Judge j. II. H.. Smith OF
furnished ground for the goyei nor's
order.
COnvicts Ordered Removed
Governor O'Neal took this action fol-
lowing the return of the special COM
mission whom he selected to investigate
charges of cruelty to convicts at the
Huxford- -Orvin camp. The commission
was composed of DIR. William II. Oates.
state prison inspector; DR.. J. M. Austin
and Len f. Greer of the state board of
convict inspectors, and T. Howard Seay
of the attorney. generals department.
The commission has not yet filed its re-
port with the governor, owing to the
voluminous mass of testimony taken in
the investigation, but the situation is
understood to have been so serious as
to warrant immediate action, and as a
result Governor ONeal notified the Of
fee to have the convicts Immediately
removed.
1t Is known that the commission
found that practically every charge
which had been preferred against the
Huxford- -Orvin Naval Stores company
was true The convicts told the commits
sion stories of inhuman treatment.
stories which they had not dared to
tell investigators on previous occa-
sions owing to fear. 1t is declared that
the convicts We're kept in constant fear
of the lash; that many of them We're
driven to work at the point of the gun,
and that their lives were threatened If
they should report to the authorities
conditions which obtained at the camp
Camp Long Under Suspicion
The convict camp at the Huxford-Or-
vim Naval Stores company had long been
under suspicion. For several months past
Governor O'Neal had received frequent
reports of alleged cruelty to convicts but
none of the Investigations which he or
dered indicated that such reports were
true. The most recent report on the
condition of the camp was filed by Len
Fl. Greer, who gave the camp clean
bill of health reporting that the con-
victs were happy and contented, that their
food supply was good. and that their
health was excellent.
At the recent investigation the con-
victs told the commission that they had
not told Mr. Greer the truth; moreover
that they We're afraid to tell the truth
This same fear prevented eonvicts from
telling the truth at previous investiga-
tions
| In the neghborhood of 40 county con,
victs are effected by the order of the
governor. Most of the convicts We're sent
| to the Huxford-Orvin camp from Mo-
| bile and Baldwin counties
None of the city convicts will be eff
| fected by the governors order, though
| the chief executive will recommend to
the mayors of the cities from which
they were sent to the camp that they
revoke their contracts with the Hux-
ford-Orvin people. and it is expected that
municipal authorities will Immediately re-
move their convicts from the camp.