The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-07-10
TABERT CASE
ECHO HEARD
IN ALABAMA
Fight Is Opened There in an
Effort to End Leasing of
State COnvicts
DEATH ROLL is CALLED
From the New York World }

(FrOm the New YORK WOfid.)
Birmingham, Ala, July 1O.-A
death roll of nine convicts, with a
summary of other evils, has just
been issued by the Alabama State
wide Campaign Committee for the
Adjustment of the Convict Lease
System in it's effort to induce legis-
lative action.
: Citing che fact that alabama is
the last state in the Union to retain
this relic of barbarism the COM
mittee again urges the people to re-
move "this blot on our states fair
name" by demand upon their rep
resentatives in the legislature. The
chairman of the committee is Judge
w. F.. Fort.
OF Alabama's 5000 convicts about
1900 of the best physical specimens
are leased or contracted to four Goa,
mining companies and one lumber
company. The committees plea to
the voters, in the form of leaflet.
reads:
"Under this system, unbelievable
and barbardus cruelties, attested by
reliable witnesses, have been practic-
ed on the criminal wards of the state.
The Tabert case has been duplicated
more than once in Alabama"
1t points out tht 80 per cent of
the convicts MANNED and injured
after conviction receive their injur-
les while under lease and likewise
that 80 per cent of the tuberculosis
cases are contracted while the VIC
Tins are contracted while the VIC
time as under lease.
The committee quotes figures on
convict casualties from annual re-
ports of the Chief Mine Inspector. In
1917, 27 were killed; in 1918, ID; in
1919, 13; in 1920, IL; in 1921, 20.
Although there are more than $50
mines in operation in Alabama, Is
per cent of all the men killed we're
convicts working in five mines.
John C. Arnold, an attorney of Bir-
mingham, member of the legislative
committee which Investigated the
lease system in 1919, and third vice
president Of the committee to abolish
the system, has written letter to
the Birmingham Post concerning the
death Of three convicts.
Explaining he was impelled to
write the letter because the Cover
nor had recently commuted a SEN
tence of hanging, he wrote:
"While the Governor was engaged
in this commsndable act of mercy, a
committee from the Alabama Fedora
tion of Women's Clubs and the writer
were seted in the Office of the Ward
en- at Aldrich prison. We were
reading the record Of the warden as
".Willie Blankenship, white, killed
instantly in the mine, Jan. l, 1928.
Body sent home to mother.
arthur Smith, electrocuted in
mine, Feb. 2, 1928. 81
"'Charlie Hardie, colored, electro
cuted in mine, April 20, 1929
"These men . had not been
sentenced to death by the Trial
Court. They left the control
of the state and were delivered to
the task master at the mouth Of the
mine and were driven two or three
miles into the bowels of the earth.
81 am not criticising the Governor
for his act Of mercy in the Tom Viii
son case. Il commend him. Gov. !!
Brandon is man with big heart
filled with the milk of human kind
ness.
"The other forty-seven states in the
union have placed humanity above
dollar mark. They have sabolished
the lease system. Then why can't
we I"