Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-21
END Of FLOGGING
IN FLORIDA CAMPS
IS VOTED BY HOUSE


TALLAHASSEE Fla, April IS
The house today voted, 63 to Is, to
abolish corporal punishment in this
state in the handling of county pris-
oners. The action ca neon the adop-
ton of an amendment offered by
Representative Davis, of Leon, to
the measure which would abolish
the county convict lease system. The
morning was consumed m discus
sion of amendments to the bill Of
lesser Importance.
Physician Testifies
It would be physically impossible
for a man to receive 100 lashes with
strap and survive. DR.. 7. Capers
Jones, convict camp physician en-
ployed by the Putnam Lumber COM
pany. at Clara, Fla. today told the
Joint legislative investigating COM
mittee. inquiring into the death of
Martin Tabert, of North Dakota, and
other reported brutalties in prison
camps.
DR.. Jones attributed the primary
cause of Tabert's death to pneumo-
MIA contracted after he had treated
him for a disease which caused gland
engagements, ulcers and splotches
ON the body.
The physician said that he entered
upon the burial permit that the
death was caused by pneumonia and
4 complication of malaria, but in
reality the complication was the dis
ease as outlined. This was said to
have been done to save any embar-
rassment to the boys family, al
though at the time he did not know
whether Tabert had any relatives.
The camp doctor said he had been
employed by the Putnam Lumber
company for three years and a half,
and that the convicts were treated
humanely, were well Jared, and that
he never heard any general COM
plants. He described the camp as
being sanitary, and that all recon-
mendations made by him to the COM
pany were carried out.
DR.. Jones claims that he was
graduated from a medical college at
Memphis, Tenn, in 1908, and that he
had devoted his practice to convict
and free labor camps in this and
other states.
Other witnesses testifying before
the committee told how Tabert had
been administered more than a hun
dred lashes by a whipping boss,
named Walter Higginbotham, on one
Friday night, before eighty or ninety
convicts. and that death resulted the
following Wednesday. A. B. Shivers,
a former guard, said that the con-
victs were fed on hot water, bacon
and corn bread for breakfast six
times a week. On Sunday they
were given coffee.
Sheriff's Testimony
Sheriff J. r. Jones, of Leon coun-
ty, and A. 5. ShiVers, former guard
at the Putnam camp, testified yes
terday.
Sheriff Jones admitted the charge
that he had accepted, by previous
arrangement, $40 for each man he
delivered to the lumber camp. He
recalled Tabert's arrest and convic-
ton, and the fact that a registered
letter had arrived for Tabert short
ly after the youth had been sem
fenced. The letter, it was brought
out, was one from Tabert's relatives
in North Dakota, containing money
to pay his fine. The sheriff denied
he knew the letter contained money,
and admitted that he had postal en-
ployeS return it with the notation
that Tabert had gone.
Shivers gave detailed account
of the alleged beating of Tabert.
His testimony was along lines SINH
lar to statements made by wit
nesses at the grand jury hearing in
Madison where Higginbotham was
indicted. Shivers said that Tabert
had been given more than 100
lashes by Higginbotham four days
before he died. Higginbotham, he
declared, had whipped Tabert unit!
he was too weak to rise from the
ground, and seemingly not satisfied
at Tabert's effort to get UP, the wit
ness related, Higginbotham again
applied the lash. Afterwards,
Shivers told the committee, Higgin-
botham attacked the youth with the
butt of the whip and beat him Sc
verely about the head and shoulders.
Higginbotham's heel was on Tabert's
neck to keep the youth from with
ing in his agony, the witness said,
during a part of the whipping.