Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-15
LEGISLATORS TO FIGHT
MOVE TOFLOG WOMEN


and for the last three years have
been in charge Of the convicts ar
warden | have handled them I'M
der the rule which permitted of them
being fiogeed and under the new rule
which forbids it, and / can tell you
there * no comparison in the be
haVior of the convicts then and now.
The women dread the dungeon
nnuI they have been down for their
first trip. but after that they do not
seem TO mind il in the least"
Wehn asked how long hOgging had
been abolished at the camp, he said
that the practice was discon-
tinued last August. Asked about the
cause. ne replied: some fellow down
near Columbus got little too strong
with the leather and skinned some Of
the women up bit"
Thinks Whipping More Human.
lie said further that in his npin-
ion the whipping was more humane.
They were never whipped on the bare
HtSiir ne Hdlt' anu th"' Ni'''' '''N
punishment was varied. according to
the onense committed, the fioggings
were seldom very severe.
THE fact Of being whipped seems
to have Il humiliating effect on the
women and they dread it. believe.
as much on this account as any 9TH
er" he said.
Guard !. g. Meadows who has
been at the camp for three years.
said: Il don't see how We are go
ing to get along much longer unless
something is done. Things are get
ting so that every lime we have TO
speak word to the women. they
curse and abuse us until it is getting
unbearable. They know that we can
not do anything to them and they
are always ready to take advantage
Of the fact. Whipping is. in my judg7
ment, the only way to restore order. q"
Guard NJ. j. Cook, who has been
At the camp for two years and has
served under the rules allowing
NUipplHS. hS'AeiFS 'iio' 'hVA' - Nv
comparison in the general behavior
Of the camp then and now.
We can't get along without whip
ping them" he said. They are much
more easily managed when they know
that unless they obey they will he
given a whipping.
We could begin to notice the diff
ference In their behavior and their
willingness to work and obey the
rules very shortly after the whip
was abolished. Unless something is
done pretty soon to relieve the sit
uation all Of the guards are going
to quit We simply won't stand be-
ing in a position where these women
can 'bawl us out and curse us at
will. without having some means of
Furnishing them and restoring or
deY"
Thinks Trouble Exaggerated.
u never have been an advocate of
whipping. said Chairman Smith. Of
the County Commission. Il regard
our method Of treatmen as much
more humane. wouldn't give my ap-
prOval TO a return to whipping unit
] had made a most thorough invos-
tigdtion.
Il can't believe that the trouble out
there is as serious as represented. II
II is, the County Commission GER
tainly should have been Dotifed
There may have been little trouble
in the last few weeks. but at the la ST
time / made an inspection ! was told
that the officials thought they could
enforce discipline very effectively
without the use of the lash.
so far as the contention is con-
cerned that the dungeon is loss hu-
name. it mus: be taken into cOnsid-
Grafton that at any time a woman sig
nifes her Willingness 20 obey the or
ders Of the warden she l. removed
from the dungeon. Thus the length
of the punishment depends entirely
on her II she stays IN it is purely
voluntary with her"
Power Of Floggng Abused.
County Physician Mcdonald admit
ted that some Of the wardens about
the State had abused the power Of
hogging the women in their charge.
that they had dashed the women on
the bare ficsh instead Of over the Gov
ering of one garment as prescribed
in the rules. and that the system had
been productiv Of crueltiss in a ftv
instances. but he declared himself a.
fevoring chipping rather than h.
present dung con methods.
Whipping. he said, was more hu-
name than throwing a woman in he
dungeon For twelve. twenty four oi
thirty-six hours.
The Legislature mas got TO cut out
politics ana maudlin sentiment and
deal with this question ssnely." wa
the manner in which Secretary Yam
cey addressed himself TO the subject
He said that the dungeon was prac-
tically without disciplinary enec on
the women prisoners after they had
been in IL once or twice. Reports 10
this effect had come into the Prison
Commission from many parts OF the
State. Mr. YanCey added that he waS
uRf SR-a king for any ~ tho mann b.-rss