The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-02-04
REPORT IN SIMEON ELLIS CASE.
Committee Finds That he Way Whip
ped for Infraction Of Rules and Civ.
en- Electric Shocks for Treatment.


Columbia, Jan. 28.--The committee
on Penal and Charitable Institutions
OF the senate today reported on the
Simeon Ellis case. Simeon Ellis, a
life termer, was paroled last year by
the governor and later Gov. Blease
sent up "a special message in which the
following issues were raised:
1. Was Simeon Ellis cruelty whip
ped?
2. Was the eelctric battery applied
to him for treatment or for pun
ishment?
The report Of the Penal end Char
table Institution is as follows:
Message Number "A of the COVER
nor. in reference to the punishment Of
Simeon Ellis, a. convict in the State
penitentiary. was referred by the sem
ate to the committee on Penal and
Charitable Institutions at the last ses-
sion, requesting said committee to re-
port it's findings in reference to said
message back to the senate at said
session. The committee was not able
to make it's report to the senate at
the last session on account Of lack of
time, and begs leave now, to submit
the following report Of its findings In
reference to the punishment Of
Simeon Ellis, to the senate. The mes
sage Of the governor. and all the tes-
timony taken by the committee is at
tached to this report
The committee confined its investi-
cation solely to the case Of Simeon
Ellis. to whom the message Of the
governor referred.
Simeon Ellis was a life prisoner in
the State penitentiary. and was work
ing at the time Of the punishment ad-
ministered to him under a guard of
the penitentiary on the streets Of the
city OF Columbia.
The testimony taken in the case
shows that Simeon Ellis asked the
guard to be allowed to speak to the
governor, who was at the time pass
ing on the street, and the guard re-
fused to allow him to speak to the
governor, the guard claiming that he
had no right to allow prisoners to
speak to anyone, while on duty. Ell
lis told the guard that he would speak
to the governor anyway, and thereup-
| on threw down the tool with which
be was working. went and spoke to
the governor, in defiance Of the order
Of tho guard. who had Ellis in his
custody. This happened on Saturday
On Sunday following the guard re-
ported the matter to Captain Sondley
and he ordered Simeon Ellis to be
whipped. The whipping was admin.
istered by Mr.. Wilson
The committee made a physical
examination Of the prisoner on Wed.
| nesday, the 25th Of February ,1s13.
and found signs OF the whipping on
! the back Of the prisoner. the skin be-
ing plainly discolored. He was whip
| ped on Sunday and this examination
was made on the Wednesday follow.
! ing.
1t Is admitted by all that institu-
tions OF this kind must have rules and
regulations for the conduct Of the
prisoners and that these rules must be
enforced; 1t Is necessary to apply pun
ishment according to the grade OF the
offence. but at the same time the pun
ishment should be administered tu-
diciously and coaservatively. Simeon
Ellis, according to the testimony. was
not a good prisoner. and had been
disobedient at other times He will
fully disobeyed the order Of the
guard. and was whipped for so DO
ms.
Your committee finds that ne was
very severely whipped. This Is the
conclusion reached on this point by
the committee .On the testimony sub
mitted to the committee, ana your
committee would advise against whip
ping Of such severity in the future.
The next issue raised by the mes
sage Of the governor is: Was the cleo
tric battery applied for treatment, or
for punishment?
Your committee finds in this case
that the eelctric battery was not ap-
piled for torture or punishment, but
for treatment. The prisoner YVES sub
ject to spells or fits. according to the
testimony, and whether the doctor
was right or wrong in his diagnosis
OF the case or as to the remedy to be
applied, the committee is of the opin-
ion that the purpose Of the use of
the eelctric battery in this instance
was for treatment. Ellis had been
treated for this ailment before by ap-
piication of the electric battery. The
electric battery was npnlied In this in