The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-22
SAY ALABAMA CAMPS
WORSE THAN FLORIDA
IN CONVICT DISGRACE !

the evil of the thing seeming to have
fastened itself on the people. Men
say that this state cannot be run
without the convict revenue, he said,
but they say the same thing about
the saloons. For years the col. lets
were leased en- masse 10 the highest
bidder prior to the opening of the
coal mines. Then the mines called
for the strongest and most able
bodied convicts
Cites Banner Explosion.
Mr.. Davis cited the explosion in
the Banner mines some years ago
when scores of convicts, there against
their wills, were killed. These men,
he said, could have been reformed,
They We're good physical material,
they could have been rehabilitated.
They died an awful death to which
there was no excuse for subjeeting
them.
we are training Alabama girls
in state college at Montevallo with
in sight of another institution where
free labor refuses to work. Count
the unknown graves in the woods
back of the college," he continued,
where the mine victims are buried,
If you want to know the death toll
of miner conyicts. Last year there
were nearly twice as many acct
dental deaths of convicts in the mines
as were claimed in the whole state
convict system by pneumonia and
tuberculosis combined.
Giving comparisons he said both
Georgia and Mississippi had abol-
ished the lease system and Alabama
could no the same by putting the
convicts on farms and the public
roads.
-Four years ago" said Mr.. Davis,
there were only three states with
the convict lease system, North Car
DINA, Alabama and Florida, and to-
day Florida is the most adversely
advertised state in the Union, and
today Alabama would be worse off
than Florida, if the truth were
known, and the facts published"
Bill To Abolish.
In 1915, he said, bill was pre-
scented in the Legislature to abolish
the lease system. 1t passed the
house but died in the senate. The
act of 1920 made provision for the
convicts to work on the lands of the
state university, making a peniten-
tiary an adjunct of the univefslts
of Alabama. 1t has not been done
yet, he said, but once started 1t
would be hard to stop, for many
would fight against the loss of in
vestment in starting it. Il do not
think it will be done said Mr.. Davis,
but if it is, then God help the uni
versity.
"Two Kentucky Youths" Mr.. Davis
said, ION a lark ran away from home,
boarded a freight train, were caught
by Alabama officials, and though II
was later found they were of good
people and were not evildoers were
sent to the mines. The day before
the explosion they were assigned to
the Banner mine. Another victim or
been guilty only of asking for some
thing to eat. Then there was tho
case Of the man, Wilson, old, i'll, a
victim of pellagra. beaten because he
could not work, forced to suffer IN
the mines for three years, until the
woman whom he was convicted or
killing returned home and he was
finally released.
The state highway commission
has millions to spend on roads.
but cannot get labor to do the work
1t would pay for the convicts as
much as the mines offer.
Arnold Gives Experience.
John c. Arnold of the Birming CHAM
bar. also a former member of the
legislature, said he was a member of
the legislative committee, who, in
1919, had been assigned to investi-
gate the leasing of conviets to the
mines. He SAID tnal one Oh the liiSl
things the committee noted and re-
ported on later was that SO per cent
of the eonvicts had been assigned to
the mines. many We're in turpentine
and lumber camps and those physi-
cally unfit We're at permanent state
institutions. In the camps the hous-
ing conditions, he said, were bad, the
men were underfed and in some
places they were given indescribable
punishments.
you can kill COW at the state
penitentiary Mr.. Arnold said. re
quisition another, and be told the
first must be paid for, but kill or
main a convict and mother is pr I'll
cally instantly available without
charge other than for his work. The
wardens salaries are supplemented
from the mines. 1 make that state
ment from testimony given the inves-
tigating committee by men under
oath The man handling the convict
must humble him. The convict leaves
the stockade under state guard. but
at the mine is turned over to a check
runner, an old and hardened convict,
who is responsible for the work the
on n .i1.t.s L. IN =