Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-10
F LOGGER Of
CONv|(;TSI IS
CHILLED
Camp Boss, Accused Of Extreme
Brutality, Declares Lash Is
Necessary to Rule Men.

With developments indicating that
the probe of the convict camps of
ruItun County may be concluded
Tuesday, Captain Oscar Jones, the
'JacK- man" of the Bellwood camp,
appeared before the Grand Jury and
Tuesday afternoon defended the prac-
tice of whipping convicts to make
them work and obey the rules.
1--WE had to whip some of the con-
victs at Bellwood," said Jones. Its
the only way we can get some of
them to work. Many of the men are
so obstinate and savage that whip
ping is the only thing that will 90
them any good. I've never gone be
yond the limit, however, and I've new
er been brutal"
Jones was closely questioned by the
Grand Jury, and was ordered to bring
to the jury room the strap with which
he fiogs the convicts. The instrument
of torture used at Bellwood is SINH
lar to that used at the other camps
"a copper riveted piece of leather
about five feet long and from two
to four inches wide. The strap was
closely examined by the members of
the Grand Jury.
Thirteen ConVicts Testify.
In addition to Captain Jones, thir-
teen convicts from the Bellwood,
AJipar na1yIo,5 op5 Do.oIood oo,o,e
were brought before the Grand Jury
to be questioned during the day.
Three negroes from the Roseland
camp, whose warden, Captain A NJ
Luck. already has been suspended.
testified to virtually the same things
that other convicts have told, and
corroborated their tales of cruelty and
brutality.
Two negro ex-convtcts, Davis John
son and Robert Hudson, appeared be-
fore the Grand Jury and told of the
brutal treatment that was inflicted
upon them. Hudson said he was re-
leased from the Miner camp. over
which Captain Charlie Collier rules,
last December. He told the Grand
Jury that owing to the beatings he
received his ability to work has been
lessened and his sight has been i'm
paired. He showed the Grand Jury
scars and welts on his body where
he says Captain Collier struck him
with the whip.
Johnson was released from the
Bellwood camp last May, and showed
the members of the Grand Jury scars
that he said were the result of
whipping he received more than
year ago. He said his health had
been impaired by the beatings Cap
tain Jones had given him
To Tell of Harris Shooting.
Frank Dorsey. a white man, who
was released from the Adamsville
camp last Saturday morning, volun-
tarily appeared before the Grand Jury
to give his testimony, and probably
will tell his story some time during
the afternoon. He says he saw the
shooting of Convict arris and declares
that conditions at the camp are terri
BILE.
"The English language has not
enough words to describe the things
convicts have to undergo" he said.
One of the men from the Roseland
camp, Peter Henderson. told the
Grand Jury that Captain Luck
whipped him for writing to the Prison
Commission and protesting against
the brutal treatment. He says he was
whipped several times, always after
he made q complaint.
Cherokee Thornton, a negro convict
from Camu Miner, showed the Grand
Jury scars and great welts which he
said Captain Collier inflicted with he
whip.
In some cases the charges of cruel
and unusual punishment at the
hands of the guards and convict
bosses were even more sweeping and
sensational in nature than those
which were told of the Weiauca and
Continued on Page 2, Column /.