Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-01
CAPT, DONALDSON DENIES
C0UNTY'S C0Nv|CTS ARE
ABUSED AND UNDERFED
Cites Health Record in Fulton Camps
to Refute Charges of Insanitary
Conditions and Poor Food---De-
clares Rigid Discipline Is Necessary.
partment
Lash Only as Last Resort.

Lash Only as Last Resort.
While | was superintendent OF
public works | was. by order Of the
Prison Commission. designated as the
warden for this county and several OF
my subordinate officials were desig-
mated as deputy wardens. Under the
rules Of the Prison Commission the
deputy wardens were authorized to
administer corporal punishment to
convicts where in their Judgment, the
same was necessary, without being
required first to consult me. | have
always instructed the deputy warden
under me to use corporal punishment
emily as a last resort.
Il have selected men whom ! have
known for years as humane, honor
able men, and l am firmly convinced
that not a single one OF the deputy
wardens now acting In this county
has ever violated those instructions
from me. The rules relative to the dis
cipllne to be administered to the con
victs of the county are prepared and
printed by the Prison Commission and
are posted at each Of the barracks in
the county, and every convict and
every guard and every deputy warden
is perfectly familiar with them.
These rules provide when and by
reason Of which infraction thereof
man shall be liable to corporal pun
ishment, and as far as | know and
believe. no man has ever been hogged
In this county until he has violated
these rules, not only once, but many
times. 1t Is entirely an unfair state
ment respecting the matter to refer to
the fact that during the months of
November and December there were
1872 whippings, without also at the
same time referring to the fact that
this was amongst more than 700 con-
victs.
Lash Only Curb for Some.
THE public should also bear In
mind that large percentage of the
convicts particularly the felony con-
victs, are men who have become so
thoroughly hardened in crime that
they are really not amenable to per-
suasion or mental or moral influence,
and that some method of punishment
is necessary In order to cause them
to do what they are sentenced to do
perform hard labor upon the public
works.
81 am not responsible for the laws.
II has been my duty only to enforce
them, so far as they applied to the
particular department to which ! was
assigned and that ! have done so In
humane and careful manner will
be testified TO by anyone who, unin-
fiuenced by maudlin sentiment or de-
sire for public notoriety, will carefully
investigate the situation.
"As to the food which is given to
the convicts, the bill of fare for the
convicts is also prescribed by the
Prison Commission, and under my
management of the Public Works De-
partment this bill of fare has never
been departed FROM except that we
t.t, or in, ~
a great deal more and great deal bet
ter food than we were compelled to
furnish under the provisions of these
rules.
II make the further assertion that,
all things considered, and when the
fact is taken into account that the
convicts themselves are, generally
speaking, naturally unclean and diff
cult to control in sanitary matters,
the camps in this county are as sani-
tary and as clean and as free from
coalitions tending toward i'll health
as any similar camps or places for
the confinement of convicts to be
found anywhere else in the country.
Cites Health Record.
AS evidence of the truth of this |
statement the records of the county |
will show that there has never been a
single case OF typhoid fever among
the convicts who have been sentenced /
to work in Fulton County during the |
past twenty years which originated |
in the camps. Further than this, the |
records will also disclose that the per- 7
centage of sickness from any cause
among the convicts In this county has
been lower than the percentage OF
sickness which might be discovered In
the best regulated sections of the city
OF Atlanta, per capita"
Welcomes Deep Probe.
In conclusion, ] wish to say that
court the most thorough investiga- /
ton of every act OF mine throughout /
the entire period Of my services to the +
county, and | shall request the Board
OF County Commissioners at its
next meeting to make such an inves-
tigation."
In addition TO the statement, Cap |
tain Donaldson also has sent to The |
Sunday American copies of letters he |
has received from prominent Atlanta |
business and professional men in !
dorsing his methods OF handling the |
convicts and assuring him that they !
do not take any stock in the cri.i-
cisms that have been directed against I
him.
Jack J. Spaldlng, who served as
County Commissioner from 1895 "a
1899, declares that Fulton County is
as much indebted TO Captain Donald I
son for devoting his life TO the sue
cessfnl building I'm OF the public roads ]