Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-06-13

at the state farm at Milledgeville by
commission of five Superior court
judges named by Governor Hardwiek,
opened Monday. Marion Kendrick,
staff representative of the Atlanta
Constitution, and former Times Re-
corder correspondent, reports the
first days hearing as follows:
Mlledgeville, June r. -Georgia's S
state prison farm today was pictured
to the governors special inves tigst-
ing committee as a place of horrors
equaling those of the inquisition and
they, in one instance likene dto a
haven, which prisoners in county con-
vict caps sought to reach.
The hearing was held ia the Bald.
win county court house and was fea-
tured in the AFTERNOON by an attack
! launched by the prison commission
on prosecution witnesses, which re-
suited in heated yeybal clash be
tween Judge T. E. Patterson of the
board and A. Jones Perryman, Jr., OF
Talbot, chairman of the house reni.
tentiary committee.
This, incident came as a complete
surprise, when Judge Patterson, with
out permission, fired a question al
Representative PeIryman, who was
c0ndemning conditions at the farm
and charging the commission with
operating lobby. The clash ended
when the commissioner withdrew his
question as the legislator endeavored
to give a complete answer.
Donaldson on Stand
Then followed the sensational tes.
timony of Bert DONALDSON, of At.
lanta, who asserted that he had jus;
completed an investigation at the
penitentiary at the request of the AT.
lanta Church Aid association, anG
who was interrupted several times by
Judge Patterson.
By far the most important devel-
opment of the day, however, was the
evidence submitted by j. Christie,
former convict, who remained on the
stand over three hours, outlining
many alleged instances of cruelty to
prisoners.
The next two outstanding events
was the testimony of Mrs. A. L..
Alexander of Atlanta, who told how
her brother, Robert M. benson, a
world war veteran, had been whipped,
and the story of M. B. Medlin, Of
Macon, who said he came voluntarily
to the hearing to brand as false many
of the charges made against the
prison commission and penitentiary
officials and to say that it was
place in which. county convict camp
prisoners desired to be incarcerated.
Dirty Hospital.
81 have made several trips to the
farm" Donaldson asserted. "Three
weeks ago | went to the tubercular
hospital The beds were spotted with
bloody sputum. The linen was un-
fclean; found men sleeping in the din
ing room and no curtains were. pro-
vided to keep the rain from those ly-
ing near the open area of the build
ing
''Most of the beds were arranged
in wide open space, where it was
/ impossible for inmates to keep from
witnessing the death struggles of
others. Plaster had fallen from the
walls and the place was in a general
bad condition.
81 talked with Mr.. Proctor, in
charge of the hospital, and asked
what was the cause of the situation.
He told me that lack of funds made it
impossible to remedy conditions. ]
told him that l would bring someone
else with me sometime who might be
able to lend assistance.
Sunday | carried two nurses and
officials of the anti-tuberculosis as
sociation with me to the institution.
We found a remarkable Improvement,
but the nurses and officials found
many things | had not noticed.
"Some of the prisoners at the farm
told me that they had been securing,
scrubbing and singing whitewash Ill
over the place since Governor Hard
wick appointed a committee Of
Georgia judges to investigate condi-
tions here" he declared.
After the laughter following this
statement, Judge Patterson inter
rupted.
Didn't you know that we appoint
ed a new superintendent about that
time?"
did you? Well, thank Cod Dom
aldson shouted back at him, "and
you got some new, clean sheets, too,
didn't your"
Raps For Order.
Judge w. E. H. Searcy, chairman
of the committee, again had to. rap
/ for order before the hearing was re-
sumed.
II found in my investigation at
the farm, where the men were work
ed, that the man with money and in
fuential things could buy food and
clothing, while the poor fools there
had to live in hell. The wealthy
prisoners, or those who had outside
aid, did not complain and the others
were afraid to talk freely"
! The witness then resumed his testi-