The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-07-25

SSus puOS1ouoo IN the sumter
AsselA. end signed Local" which Mr..
A>llstts admitted he had written.
TA> statement was a. foilows:
80 County Chain Gang.
Sumter. July Is. 1914.
The Sumter Herald.
~ you viii allow me q little space
N ons Of your columns In The
HesNld, I win send Just q line or two
m Some time ago I noticed a piece
eeout some argument on the chain
J Sans question. and seeing the pieces
that Gas written by Supervisor Pitts
80 AessrA Owena DR.. Epps and DR..
burgsss. I wish to say that there Ii
more 10 b learned on the subject.
Thsss has been much talk about the
lwsy Sumter County chain gang has
bs~n conducted for the past ten
months. Frequent visits by intslii-
sent men OF Sumter and other places
have lsd the chain gang subject to a
ssrious standpoint Everybody knows
that Supervisor Pitts has been q very
9yp 'aa1 faithful man to his county.
<as = nksd by every one. and We all
v@1pN shat. sNs., Pthts has. put forth
SverS sEort in his power to its salts
1Actsry work. =. '' ,~t.,.:
e Nov. the supervising Of the works
h'nOt sll There II much talk here
q lats about the way the negroes or
convicts ARE treated and handled, we
know that the darkiss are much bet
ter looked after than ever before. So
far - having . plenty to eat three
umss every day. and sufiicisnt cioth-
Ing for the different seasons Of the
year. But for the punishment It has
never before been a. severe a. II has
since changing Superintendent of
this work. Now there has been scy =
sral Supsrintsndsnts Of the chain
sang and no two managed this work
siiks. Some neglected duties that
others paid strict attention to.
Now. my way OF II would be az
nscsasary) neglect all other duties
and take care Of the darkie. while
hs ID In prison. do not mean to say
ser one timo 70 Vet the Aentenced ne
gre cit around a y nothing. but
keep ht,n steady at work. There is
no use Of rushing the convicts to
Death one or two days. to finish q
piece of work. Gentlemen there should
- . good level headed man at the
hsad OF the business. There should
ees man OF some education. Of soms
feeling. judgment and principle.
Dome people might think that. Just
= you are . man. Why you can ham
als . darkis. But want to ray
That this chain gang. and all others
can bs carried on without being un-
msrciful and acting towards these
prisoners a though they were brutes.
Frequent visits to this place has led
me to believe and also see. that there
while the supervisor was absent. 1t
sssn,s ~ II the superintendent. John
Holland. II almost too much OF q
-sasa 70 DO this kind OF work. he is too
Asrc on these men.
= "Now. people need not get II In
tAsir heads that you have got to be
!. such q heather to manage these
nisn. just look back to the time when
Mr.. ID. z. Brunson and his faith
o. we're superintsndents Of this chain
gang There was never q negro
whipped unmercifui. nor was there
ever q scar left ON them. to show how
TINS business In managed. and the
way vas handled. let some Of the
sTand jurymen 90 out and ask these
prisoners how they are treated now.
and when Mr.. Brunson was Super
intsndent. examine these men and see
how many scars can be found, ny
ovsroearing and severe punishment
The leather can be used without the
skin being broken and without over.
eowsrins these chained negroes. and
making two or three hold them across
. bsrrsi and whipping until the blood
streams down their legs. you people
cen say what you want to. you need
not and ought not enjoy the good
roads being built by these dsrkies In