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

visor for Sumter county for miscel.
laneous reasons. feeling that oul
Supervisor will in the near future
So whore the hanaling Of these dark
les In chains and stripes are too Sc.
we're. "Local"
Mr.. Mellette told Of the whipping
given several OF the negroes and the
reasons for their being whipped
each Of them being when he was q
guard on the gang and several months
ago. He did not at this time report
the fact to Mr.. Pitts that he consid.
cred tho whippings cruel. although he
had opportunity to do 40. and he stat
cd In contradiction to statement in the
paper that he had never seen any
Of them whipped until the blood
streams down their legs a. stated in
his article In the paper. He was ask
cd by Mr.. Pitts who OF the '1ntelli-
gent men OF Sumter and other
places would corroborate his state
msnts and he could not name one.
IN two instances where he stated the
convicts had been cruelty whipped, he
stated that he did not think that
they had been punished beyond their
deserts.
Mr.. Mellette stated that James
Hicks. q negro convict, was whipped
because he refused to work and
"sassed" the guards and the overseer
OF the gang. Hicks, who Mellette
stated was q "niggety' negro. had re-
fused to allow himself to be beaten
and four Of the TRUSTEES had overpow-
cred him. after he had tried to seize
mattock and strike the overseer.
who had threatened to kill him, II
he did not behave. Hicks had been
wearing light chains up to this time,
but heavy shackles were put On him
at the time. Mellstts did not think
that Hicks was too severely punished
for his offense and he did not see any
blood run down his legs. ,>,'. O.
He said that Mr.: Holland, the over.
seer. was seemingly cool and not I'm
passioned at the time he gave the ne.
gro the whipping. He also stated that
Holland was In some respects very
considerate Of the convicts. while In
others he was not. He named az those
severely whipped to his knowledge
Isham Cobb. julius williams, Tom
Clarkson and Robert Anderson. About
the time these beatings were given he
had seen Mr.. Pitts several times each
week and had had plenty of opportun.
ity Of speaking to him privately about
the matter. II he had wished to. He
thought that Mr.. Pitts knew about
the matter at the time. In his article
Meliette had stated that Mr.. Brunson
had never given the negroes any
cruel beatings. but In answer to
questions from Mr.. Pitts 1t developed
that he had been present only two or
three times when conyicts were whip
ped and he had never investig gated.
but he had heard II stated. he said.
that they had not been cruelty beat
en-. He said that he had never had
any cross words with Mr.. Holland to
amount to anything and did not have
any hard feelings against him. In his
published statement Mr.. Mellette had
written that "there is no use rush.
Ing the convicts to death one or two
days" In answer to Mr.. Pitts Ques.
tions. he stated as the only time the
men had been worker hader than
at other times was when the gang was
moved from Stateburg to Catchall. but
he admitted that none had died Of
overwork and all we're apparently in
good health the next day.
Mr.. Pitts introduced two letters
written by Mellette to James Hicks. q
negro convict now on the gang. COR
corning a watch to show the relation
between Mellette and the negro. DR..
Burgess stated that at times he had
noticed telling Of opposition to him
self. when no was called on to visit
the gang. and he had been told that
1t was because some of the guards
had been telling the convicts that he
was not capable doctor. Mr.. Mellette
stated In answer to the question that
he had never In any way said any
thing In disparagement Of DR.. Bur-
CESS to any members Of the gang or
where any OF them could hear him.