Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-06-13
Harding Threatens Extra Session For Ship Subsidy
PRISON FARM PLACE OF
HORRORS PROBERS FIND
Witnesses Reveal Terrible Conditions At Milledge
vile AS Investigation By Judges Gets
Under Way

hospital, declaring that Proctor was
farmer, had ne; er read any books
relating to the treatment administer
ed Subercular patients, and had
never been instructed on the sub
ject. Donaldson said he asked the
officer if DR.. T. f. Abererombie, head
of the state health department, had
ever visited the place, and he replied
in the negative.
Proctor is child of the system
and the system is wrong" he stated,
and this system shows that we don't
care much for those poor dying devils
out there. don't blame Proctor.
u blame myself as a citizen of
Georgia. You and l are responsible
IN a large degree for the conditions
that exist at the state farm for the
very simple reason we haven't de-
manded beneficial changes.
81 believe that if the people kenw
IF the true conditions that exist be-
hind these walls, they would compel
.he general assembly to appropriate
sufficient funds to equip the place and
zee that it is properly administered.
would have gone a long ways sew
raj years ago toward abolishing the
ashing Of prisoners, if the prison
commission with its force had not
leld me in check"
Judge Henry C. Hammond, of Au-
yusta, Interrupted after further testi-
nony along the same line remarking:
One could come from heaven and
not help the Georgia legislature"
Another members of the committee
remarked that he wondered what
Course in remedying alleged condi-
ions at the farm Solomon wiuld
adopt.
"Oh," laughed Judge Hammond,
Solomon has been out of style fer
long time
Albanian Testihes.
Henry Born, of Atlanta, who re-
Gently finished a term at the state
farm, testified that he had seen many
prisoners carried to the wardens of
fee to be whipped While waiting
on the outside he continued, he heard
the sound of the clash falling on the
back of the men,"
He described several instances COW
ering these alleged whippings, one of
which was the beating Of crazy
negro on the night of December %.
Another time, he continued, eleven
white mtn we're marched into the #
fee and whipped because they were
late at a dinner call
"On the day was releasedp he
testified, "Dr. NJ. P. Compton, (the
prison physieian) carried me to the
dept. Just after We arrived, hc
said "Now, Henri, don'C you go
back to Atlanta and raise all kind OF
hell like this fellow Christie"
81 replied that ! had read several
Of Christies articles in the news
napers and that since ! knew that
his charges were true, would De
compelled to verify them."
Letters written by prisoners al
ways were read, he continued anu
sometimes withheld.
A registered letter written by Ar
mold Worley, an inmate, to Senator
Thomas f. Watson, complaining OIL
the Withholding of mail, was never
delivered, he declared, according TO
the best of his knowledge.
"The corn that we were fed was
eaten up with worms. These worms
were cooked with the food" he con-
tinued. "Why they insisted on includ-
ing the worms, | don't know, unless
it was an effort to make up for the
lack of meat. The corn was Withheld
from us after a period, and old prls-
oners told me that the farm officers
were saving what was left for the
visit of the penitentiary committees
of Che general assembly"
A high compliment was paid by the
witness to j. Pope Brown, who for
short period before his recent death,
was superintendent OF the institution.
He stated that Brown was fine
man-not of the slave-driving type.
when the superintendent became
very ILL.," he continued, "the men for
the first time in the history of the
penitentiary prayed that he might re-
cover
Christie Questioned.
When Christie resumed the stand
in the afternoon, Judge Hammond
oegan questioning him about his past
life. The witness objected to these
questions at first, but when the jurist
insisted he answered u number of
them. Other members took up the
questioning and accepted his reason
for not answering all of them"
Christie asserted that after COM
pleting his term at the farm, al
though he personally was well treat
ed as compared with others, he de-
sired to aid "the men he left behind" !"
He was Nsent I'D" because he en-
bezzled about $1,000 fron the Ma
con Telegraph.
"In placing my shame before the
state, have done so because know
it was the only way to get an investi-
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