The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-23
CRUELHES AT CAMP
IN ALABAMA CHARGE
AFTER INSPECTION
Continued From Page one)

not getting proper medical attention
and being forced to go back to work
when they were not physically able
to do So An instance we were made
aware of was that of a convict who
was forced to go back to work the
day following the amputation of one
of his fingers. White convicts who
were in good condition spoke to us
of the others who were badly treated.
They said the negroes were treated
worse than dogs.
Mrs Scion Jacobs, who has taken
the initiative in the present inves-
tigation and who called the meeting
of representatives of civic organi2a-
lions held Monday evening. over which
meeting she presided, was in Mont
gomery Tuesday where she Is inter-
esting herself in the campaign for
the discarding of the present convict
lease system.
Capt Donald Wood, a member of
the Junior Chamber of Commerce,
had the following to say regarding
the inspection trip Sunday:
Il saw three men, convicts, who
had been handcuffed. placed in the
dog houses, in which there IS scant
room for a human body, and their
handcuffed wrists pulled over their
heads with ropes and pulleys and
held that way on tiptoe anywhere
from three to forty eight hours with
been given this punishment because
they had asked for coffee. They
were in the boxes when l saw them.
l talked to many convicts, all said
the men so punished fell unconscious
when released.
Charge Treatment Inhuman.
The whole complaint gathered
from many convicts, SO or more, is
against the inhuman treatment at the
hands of state officials, wardens,
deputy wardens and state doctors
after the convicts leave the mine
work. The convicts are all seeming
ly we'll satisfied with the work in the
mines and the treatment they get
from mine officials and the tasks
they are required to perform.
The condition at the Banner mine
has become frightful since February.
saw men who were not fit to work
officials to go to work every day. l
talked with one white convict over
whose head the warden had broken
a heavy walking cane because the
convict had asked for coffee and the
warden had threatened to shoot him
If he uttered another word, accord
ing to the convict.
"All of these conditions are under
the control of the state, the mine
officials have nothing to do with it.
The stata prison inspectors are just
as much responsible as the wardens
in permitting such. conditions 70
negroes who said they preferred to
work in the mines and would try to
get jobs in the mines when they were,
released from custody, but the condi-
tons and treatment under state su-
pervision are intolera BILE"
Both the committee from the
I,,., I, 1.1 l.
League of Women Voters are prepar-
ing lengthy reports to be submitted
to their respective organizations and
will be ready for hearing at meetings
soon TO be held.
The accounts given by Captain
Wood and Mr.. Engle are substantial
ly the same as what other members
of the committee saw. Mrs. Jacobs
referred to the visit Sunday in her
Introductory remarks before the
meeting held Monday evening at the
Chamber of Commerce, but did not
go into details.
Officers elected to handle the cam
paign for the discarding of the con-
Wet lease system in Alabama were
busy Tuesday in handling the pre-
liminary work and making inquiry as
to the right persons in each county
to handle the working of the move
ment in the counties throughout the
state
Junior Chamber Report.
In its report on the convict en-
ployment question the special COM
mittee of the Junior Chamber of Com
merce appointed to make a survey
and report its conclusions declares
against the present lease or con-
tract" system and suggests as altern-
atives these four:
l. Working convicts on the pub
lie roads.
2. Placing convicts on state farms.
Building factories where con-
victs will be employed by the state.
a. Employing convicts in mines
operated by the state.
The report Will be formally submit
ted by Chairman Irving M. Engle at
a special meeting of the board Of
directors at II o'clock Friday morn
ing and it will be discussed by the
board at large.
Summary of Finaing q
Following is a summary of the find
ings of the committee as reported by
Chairman Engle:
The committee found that the state
has about 5000 convicts. OF these,
about 1,45o are employed in coal
mines and about $50 in a lumber
camp. The present agitation is di-
i y
/ 800 men are handled and is not con-
cerned with the remaining 1,400 con-
victs, who are kept in the state cot
ton mill and other state institutions.
Some discussion developed as to
whether the arrangement should be
referred to as the lease" system or
the contract" system. The commit
tee, however, reached the conclusion
that what the system was called was
entirely immaterial. The vital and
all-important fact is that under the
present system the state. while it re-
tains the power of supervision, sells
the labor of the convicts to the com
panies. For any private individual
to make profits on the compulsory
labor of the convicts is fundament-
ally and essentially wrong.
The committee received numerous
reports of abuses and mistreatment
at the mines. Whether these particu-
lar reports were true or not, there can
be no question but that the system
offers opportunities as well as an
incentive for brutality and slave driv-
ing methods. and sooner or later such
abuses are bound to develop.
AS a substitute for the present sys-
tenn the committee suggested any one
or more of the following.
/. Working convicts on public
roads.
2. Placing convicts on state farms.
8. Building factories where con-
victs Will be employed by the state.
4. Employing convicts in mines OPP
Grated by the state.
All of these plans would involve a
net loss revenue except the last, the
adoption of which was recommended.
The committee found nothing inher-
emily wrong with working in con-
victs in coal mines, so long as they
are worked by the state and not by