The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1922-06-15
GEoRGlA's MURDER" FARM.

| investigating commission OF conditions
at the state prison farm confirm, up
to the present the charges made by
number of eliminates of Georgia S
principal penal institution and it is in
conceivable that such state of affairs
could or should exist for so long a
time before the attention of the proper
authorities were directed to them.
1t develops that the institution at
Milledgeville is no longer a state pris-
on farm, but a state murder farm. !"
The testimony given by a number of
competent witnesses indicate that a
score of inmates were made to suffer
the tortures of hell itself by the bru-
tai guards who had them in charge. as
well as the physician in charge of the
hospital, where the bull PEN has
been pictured as a veritable cesspooI,
rocking with filth and dirt and death.
1t is fortunate, indeed. that the
governor appointed a commission of
i've superior court judges to make a
thorough investigation of the alleged
unspeakably horrible conditions exist
ing at the state prison farm. The peo-
pie may now expect to learn the truth.
irrespective of whom it hurts, for the
commission is using a sub-soil pillow
to reach the filthy strata that lies be-
meath this penal institution. Under
the former plan a legislative commit
tee was appointed to investigate
which it usually did with a barbecue on
the side. The whitewash brush was
literally applied anu the state farm
was pronounced to be a model of its
kind, food the best, etc But it will
be different now, thank goodness, and
the people of Georgia will know the
truth when the present investigation
is concluded, which it will be today /
some time, according to present calcu- I
lation. The judges will make their re- |
port to the governor within the next /
few days.
Among all the witnesses testifying
there was only one who defended the I
officials at the prison farm. and he
was said not to have been mentally
balanced. Two prominent lady well
fare workers testified to the sickening
and filthy conditions of the IT. B."
camp, branding it as unfit for pigs.
Prisoner after prisoner told tales of
touching woe, according to press dis
patches, to the members of the investi-
eating commission and in every in
stance practically, the chief complaint
was bad food and that improperly
prepared, and the gross inattention OF
the medical department.
The warden frankly admitted that
he whipped the men. qualifying his
admission that he never exceeded ten
lashes. Numbers Of inmates, how
ever testified that they had been bru-
tally beaten, bearing the bruises on
their person to substantiate this.
Heaven knows it is unfortunate to be
in prison, sick, but to be whipped. and
half starved and mace 20 suffer every
priyation in the category, is even un.
just to criminals, who are poor weak
mortals, after all
So revolving was the testimony in q
number Of cases that prison officials |
themselves, testifying under oath, I'M
hesitatingly swore to the opinion thai
the state could better afford to give |
this place Cthe prison FARM away |
than continue its operation, and then |
be profiting by the transaction" 1t |
IS hoped that the commission will rec |
ommend this step in its report to the /
governor for the prison farm could |
not, in thousand years, be disassoci- |
ated from its present stencil.
Another deplorable phase of the sit |
uarion is the unpleasant notority Geor- |
sla is receiving all over the country.
from Cape Cod to Kalamazoo. This
state is pictured, especially in those
states that have none too much love
for the South, and especially Georgia
as bordering on the very verge of bar
oarism. Its sad commentary that
all this has been allowed all this time.
and no effort made to relieve the con
ditions. But at that, it is better late
| than never.
SOUTH TO HAVE SUPER-WATER
CNCTEMS