Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-09
SMITH
BACKS Up
INQUIRY
MOVE
Holds Discharge of Seven Guards
Sufficient Ground for Rigid
Penitentiary Investigation.

WASHINGTON, Jan. Sem
ator Hoke Smith has joined Con-
gresham William Schley How
ard in demanding a probe of con
ditions at the United States Pen
itentiary in Atlanta. Senator
Smith in his public utterances
consistently has refrained from
any comment indicating his atti-
tude in respect to the prison
scandal, but he made it plain in a
letter sent to the Civil Service
Commission that he considered it
Imperative that thorough III
vestigation of affairs at the pris-
On be made.
He cited the fact that seven guards
had been discharged from the peni
Tertiary in December, and suggested
called for an immediate inquiry by
the commission.
This investigation, if made upon
the demand of Senator Smith and
Congressman Howard. will be entire
ly Independent of any made by the
Department of Justice or by a Con-
gressional committee.
Morse Allowed to Gamble.
Charles W. Morse the ice trust
head has been brought into the in
vestigation it became known Friday,
through information given to the De-
partment of Justice that he was ac-
corded every facility to continue his
stock manipulations while in the pen
itentiary in defiance of all the prison
rules, and that he was in other re-
spects one of the favored convicts.
Assistant Attorney General Graham
is conducting the investigation of the
alleged abuses at the prison, growing
out of the charges made by Congress
man Howard. He is in possession of
two formal complaints which cite va
rious ways In which Morse is said to
have been "petted" and favored while
Federal prisoner.
Additional charges were contained
in a letter written to the Department
OF Justice by Ovid V. Shaw, for
living in Washington.
Shaw represents that he was forced
out of his job at the prison because
of the Vaccinations Of an unscrupu-
lous clique the members of which
preferred charges against him He
was suspended while the charges were
being investigated he says, and then
after his dismissal the only way he
could get back home to his family was
through the kindness of the board OF
charities
Ex-Guard Names Clique.
The ex-guard named as members
of the clique Captain Tucker, Guard
Guerney, Guard Evans. Guard Nc
Clure. Guard Cobb Night Captain
Schoen and others. Shaw told of acts
of unnecessary harshness he had wit
messed on the part of some of the
guards
His letter continues:
From April 4, 1912, till Sep
TENDER 13 of last year excepting
few weeks when ! was sus-
pended) | was guarding, during
which time a general complaint
was made by prisoners to me and
other guards about their not hav-
ing enough to eat--no sugar and
their bread raw. One prisoner in
particular, whose name is Bun
yam Bradley $50. with whom |
came in daily contact, because he
was engaged in moving grass
about the wardens lawn and
field where ! was guarding pris-
oners, stated that he could hardly
stand up on what he ate for
breakfast--a few 'grits."
Because of this faction. dis
sension arose among the guards
and subofiicials and persons liv-
ing in proximity to the prison
because they were dependent up
on the guards for a livelihood in
that they ran boarding houses ex-
clusively for them, and conse-
auently the whole prison was
thrown out of harmony. involv-
ing the murde" of Connors, the
prosecution of Vance and my dis
missal from the service.