Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-31
NONENbACK
WAR T0END
BEAT|NCS
Men and Religion Movement Asks
Discharge Of Unjust Guards
and Deep Probe.

Indignation against the merciless
logging of prisoners in Georgias con-
Wet camps took effective form Sat
Investigation of the whole system IN
Fulton County.
Philip Weltner. secretary OF tn"
Georgia Prison Association, signed the
statement, which was to be commu-
niCated to the County Commissioners
for their action. Mr.. Weltner called
for a fearless and thorough probe. He
said that the light should be turned
on every phase of convict camp ad-
ministration and that nothing should
escape the investigators.
Calls FIogging Uncivilized.
He charged that the flogging was
barbarous and uncivilized. He asked
that every person who could have any
valuable knowledge on this point
should be called before the jury. The
sensational arrangement of conditions
was prepared by Mr.. Weltner from
his association with prison and con-
Wet problems, and sent out under the
sanction of the Men and Religion
Forward Movement.
Sanitary conditions, the quality OF
prisoners food, the lack OF. humane
privileges in the prison camps,
cramped condition of prisoners quar-
ters, cruelties of the guards toward
their charges, the unjustif1ed taking
away from prisoners of their good
time" marks and other deplorable
conditions are recited at length in the
communication.
Asks Discharge of Guard.
The report then recommends the
discharge of all guards found to have
been unjust to prisoners; the aboli-
ton of male guards at female camps;
the establishment of an honor camp"
for colored prisoners; the abolition or
chains and the lash, and the working
out of a system whereby prisoners VIII
be physically, mentally and morally
improved
Chief among the well-known Allan
ia women who denounced fogg1ng
and inhumane treatment Of conVlcts
generally was Mrs. Emma Neal Doug
las. long known throughout the South
for her work in behalf Of the poor
and the unfortunate.
The atrocities which have come TO
light as the result Of the Futon
county Grand Jury's investigation OF
the tiogging and general brutal treat
ment of Georgia prisoners VINO are
strung together with balland chain
and driven around like cattle have
astounded Mrs. Douglas, although sne
has been a close student of prison ne
and the treatment Of prisoners IN
Georgia for years.
Nothing that ! could say would
express the condemnation | feel Tor
Tho brutal, barbarous, Anticipated pro-
vision of law tina permits a human
being to be bound hand and foot with
iron and beaten until the blood runs
she said.
Conditions lnconceiVable.
1T is almost inconceivable that
such a condition could exist in ms
nation that we call civilized; that II
could exist even under cover. to say
nothing of it's being sanctioned by me
law which is supposed to represent
the result of the combined thought 81
the keenest and most just minds IN
the Commonwealth.
Evidently Georgia has not pronted
by the lesson Victor Hugo gives u
in the story of Jean Vatican, tne
man who was nearly crushed back
into barbarism by the brutality OF the
thirteen years he spent in prison Tor
stealing a loaf of bread.
When you put a man in prison
and put stripes upon him, shachle
him with iron and steel, browoeat
snd abuse him, feed him bad food
hen take him out az cut his hesh
with a lash because he breaks down
Daas . CoItIunu 1.