The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-03-05

COLE SETS him FREE
TURNS out man WHO told HIN
ABOUT ELLIS CASE

BROUGHT him LIBERTY
+, j. Nichols, White Convict Who
Wrote Blease Concerning Alleged
Cruel Treatment Of Negro Con.
yict, Handed a Parole by the GOV.
ernor While Testifying in the Case.
That F. J. Nichols, a one armed
white prisoner, wrote the letter to
Gov. Blease containing the charges
of cruel punishment of the negro,
Simeon Ellis, because the latter spoke
to the Governor in spite Of the
guards refusal, was brought out be-
fore the committee on penal and
charitable institutions, which is in
vestigating the charges, at the hear-
ing Wednesday afternoon. The let
ter was smuggled out of the prison
through a prisoner, but who, it was
not stated, it was written on the let
ter head paper of the State Senate.
The investigation took place in
the hall of the House of Representa-
tives, Senator Laney presiding. Gov.
Blease was present and read the let
ter of Nichols to him about the al
Legged treatment of Ellis and then
gave the author. Nichols had been
brought from the Penitentiary and
was sitting in the rear of the hall.
The Governor called him to come
forward and when he did Gov. Blease
said: Nichols, you are free man" !"
and handed him parole.
The committee examined the ne
gro, Simeon Ellis, whom it is alleged,
was numerically beaten in a COM
mittee room as to the nature Of his
beating. Before the committee in
open session the negro repeated the
charges contained in the letter print
ed Thursday morning, making the ad-
mission that the battery treatment"
given him by DR.. Jennings was for
an epileptic ft, to which he was sub
iect, and that he had often been
given this treatment.
It was stated by Nichols in his let
ter to the Governor that the cries
OF Ellis when he was being given the
battery treatment" could be heard
all over the grounds, and it had been
made to appear that this was form
of punishment, Ellis himself admit
ted that it was given him for fits, and
that no burns had resulted. /
F. J. Nichols, a one-armed white
convict, native Of Michigan, form
erly employed by the Southern Rail-
road as telegraph operator, working
in Atlanta, Chattanooga and Colum-
bia, and who was serving a second
term in the penitentiary, having serV-
ed one from Richland for larceny,
and serving a second from Fairfield
for housebreaking and larceny, 1ol-
lowed the negro Ellis when under the
treatment of the "battery" in the
hospital and that he had gone to his
cell and seen the impressions Of the
lashes on his back.
He dill not tell who smuggled out
the letter he wrote the Governor tell
ing him of the thrashing Of the negro
and admitted that he had never seen
the battery treatment" imposed;
however, charging that it was fire.
quently given for punishment, accord
ing to what other prisoners had told
him. He said that prison officials
had treated him all right, except
once he had been tanned" in the
.leather house. Nichols said that
he has two children who are now
living in Georgia.
The negro Simeon Ellis, testified
that he had been placed in the stocks
in the Leather house" and beaten
with a leather strop about two feet
long all over his back, from head to
foot. He said that it was on Sun
day that he was called from the
chapel by Guard Boykin, who mad
been in charge of the detail when he
was working on the streets Satur-
day and had spoken to the Governor
without permission; that Boyk1n car
ried him before Capt. W. H. Sondley,
related the occurrence of his speak
ing to the Governor, and the latter
ordered him to the feather house.
He said that Messrs. Boykin, Will
son and Grant accompanied him to
the "leather house., where he was
stripped, placed in the stocks and
then given rs lashes with leather
strop in the hands Of Mr. Wilson.
He said that once he was knocked
down in the stocks by the licks and
then was whipped from the other
side.
He said that on Monday, when he
was taken to the shop to be shackled
he fell into a fit and then was taken
to the hospital and given the bat
tery treatment. He didn't seem to
remember much what happened at
the hospital, except that he said sew
eral men were sitting on him and
the electric current was applied. He
said that he yelled and screamed, al
50 that DR.. Jennings, DR.. Dobbins,
Mr., Wilson and two other men were
in the party. He admitted that the
treatment was given him for hts and
no burns resulted. The negro charg-
ed that he had been whipped many
times.