The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-04-01
CONVICTS FARE
BADLY In GANG
Grand Jury Orders Cleaning Up
of Conditions in Pasquo-
tank Chain Gang.

Charging J.. E. Provo, Superintendent
OF the Pasq1otank' County chain gang
with assault on a prisoner and finding
true bill against him, finding also that
chain gang prisoners are inhumanly
treated by the guards, finding many an
other fault as well, the grand jury in
the Superior Court in this county has
recommended thoro betterment of
chain gang conditions, embodying their
recommendations in a report which fol-
| lows.
The case against Supt. Provo will be
disposed of at the September term of
the court. In meantime the treatment
OF prisoners must be safeguarded by
the Pasquotank Highway Commission.
The grand jury in its report says:
I'VE have aso visited the chain gang
and found the camp clean, and in good
condition. We also saw the food being
cooked for dinner. and same looked to
be clean and well cooked. After the
above inspection, and as instructed by
your honorable court we have investi-
gated charges made by Jim Baker and
others as to the cruel and inhumane
treatment given the convicts by the su-
perlntendent and some of the guards of
the chain gang. After examining several
witnesses among them the present mem
bers of the chain gang And after al
lowing for the fact that some of the
witnesses examined were convicts. And
also ALLOWING for the fact that some force
has to be used at some time to handle
the kind of men that are sent TO the
road, we beg to submit the following
report and recommendations. We find
from the evidence before us that the su-
perintendent has on several occasions
used the whip too much. We find also
that the convicts up until recently have
been allowed only three drinks of water |
each morning and afternoon and when |
more water was requested, that the |
guards badly cursed and threatened to |
whip them. We further find that some |
of the prisoners at some time were made |
their shoe tops without being provided |
with boots. And several testified to the |
fact that they did not have underwear |
of any kind this winter up until about J
January 18th. And at this time boots J
were also furnished them. After work /
were provided for them at night. And |
that they were also chained to their bed
at night, and some showed this Grand |
Jury sores on their legs caused by these
shackles
1--WE recommend that the attention of
the Highway Commission be called to
these conditions at once, and that some
thing be done to remedy the same. And
that the said Commission or some of its
members personally inspect the chain
gang at least once a month and talk
with the prisoners and see that they
get the proper kind of attention. We
further recommend that arrangements
be made so that the convicts do not
have to be chained at night and that
the Highway Commission thoroughly in
vestigate the character and tempera
ment of the guards now employed in
the future. AS from the evidence be-
fore us we feel that the guard or fore
man now employed named Pike is not
fit for the position he now holds. We
also recommend that the superintendent
be instructed to give his entire time to
the chain gang and be with them while
at work as much as possible. We una
nimGusly agree that most of the above
neglect and bad treatment is caused by
the superintendent giving the guards too
much power and not enough attention
to how they treat the prisoners. We
recommend that any stock either cattle
Or hogs that are now at said camp be-
longing to either the superintendent or
any of the guards be removed. And
that hogs be purchased and fed from
the scrappings of the camp and at the
proper time slaughtered and fed to the
convicts."
The report is signed by J. ]. Hughes,