Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-09
|V|UT|NYP PLOT
REPORT IS
PROBEO
Pastors Demand Sweeping Re-
forms in Prison Camps-In-
vestigators Call Witnesses.

Thirteen convicts. selected because
of their supposed knowledge of brutal
treatment of prisoners in Fulton
County camps. will appear before the
Grand Jury Tuesday on the resump-
ton. of the Investigation into the
practice of fiogging and beating of the
men by the guards in charge.
They will be taken Cor the most part
from the Miner, Oakland and Bell
wood camps. which up TO this time
have come very little under the scru-
tiny of the grand jurors since they
began their probe of penal methods
Some of the prisoners are said to have
been fearfully beaten for trivial Of
merely al having witnessed instances
of cruel and inl.uman treatment of
their fellows in stripe.
Mutiny Report Investigated.
A searching inquiry will be made TO
ascertain the basis of the statement
by s. II. Donaldson, new Superintend-
ent of Public Works, who declared 70
the Public Works Committee of the
County Commission that the convicts
were on the verge of lutiny.
Conditions in Fulton County convict
camps were vigorously denounced
in Atlanta pulpits Sunday. and the
unmerciful flogging and torturing of
men on the chaingangs likened to the
horrors of barbarous Russia, interest
in the agitation for reform conferred
Monday morning in the probable ac-
ton of the Grand Jury.
References to conditions in the
camps and vigorous approval of the
movement for reform. were made by
DR.. A. r. Holderby. Of the Moore Me-
mortal Church; DIR. C. B. Wilmer, of
st. Lukes Church, and Philip Welt
ner, secretary OF the Georgia Prison
Reform Association, who spoke at
the Ponce DeLeon Avenue Baptist
Church Sunday night
Each of the speakers denounced
the inhuman cruelties revealed by
the testimony of convicts and guards.
Disgrace, Says Or. HoIderby.
THE cruelty and barbarity prac-
ticed upon these poor, unfortunate
men," said DR. Holderby, ARE a
blight and a disgrace to this or any
other country, savage or Christian.
Russia, with all of her barbar-
ism, could be no worse. Were | a
convict would rather take my
chances in Russia than in Fulton
County. For every lash laid upon
the bare backs OF these convicts the
church of God is responsible. These
men. as guilty as they may be, had
far better go UNPUBLISHED by the laws
Of the State than to be tortured and
killed as they are by lot of drunk
| en- and bloodthirsty guards"
Philip Weltner, who has been one
of the leaders in the fight for prison
reform, declared in his address that
present conditions at the camps are
far worse than any mutiny that
might develop.
81 don't know whether there will
be a mutiny among the convicts. "
said Mr.. Weltner, "and ] do not want
anyone to think that | believe there
Is going to be one, but | know that
il the camps that are being investi-
gated by the Grand Jury have moth
ing more than mutiny to fear, It
would be blessing. There are things
happening every day that are worse
than any mutiny could possibly be.
No Sign. Of Mutiny.
u visited one camp tnis afternoon,
/ and ! found no rumors Of mutiny
among the convicts."
Mr.. Weltner declared that the rule
| OF the Prison Commission, that the
convicts who obey the rules and make
| good records be allowed to wear
plain clothing without the stripes
will be enforced hereafter in the
canDs Of Fulton County, This lau