The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-09
TALES Of HORROR.
IN PRISON CAMP
TOLD BY WOMAN !
Florida Legislators Shocked
BY Conditions In Senator
Knabb's Mill

Continued From Page One.)
tee; Il have nothing personal against
Mr.. knabb, as what l have to testify
is for the sake of humanity, and to
allow the people of the country to
know the real truth"
The committee also received other
jolts A delegation from Wakulla
county appeared before the investi-
gators and requested they fire"
Sheriff Morrison of that county
Members of the delegation told the
committee Sheriff Morrison's sobrie-
that they had appeared before Gov
ernor Hardee and obtained little sat
fsfaction. However, it was stated
Governor Hardee had no power to
dismiss a sheriff during a session Of
the legislature
Ask Dismissal of Sheriff.
A report was made to the commit
tee of a visit made here Saturday of
delegation from Dixie county ask
ing that Sheriff Chaveous be dis
missed from office. Sheriff Chaveous,
the report said. was a member of the
reception committee which is alleged
to have greeted a subcommittee of
the legislative committee with fire
arms on its arrival at Clara, a fort
night ago. The delegation declared
the residents of Dixie county ap-
proved of the action of the sheriff.
The committee also heard A re-
quest to hale State Senator j. H.
Scales before the committee to give
his reason fer having called upon
various citizens, it is alleged, to as
certain whether members of the sub
committee were drinking on their
visit to Clara. The request was made
by Representative c. II. Kennedy,
chairman of the subcommittee, who
n m mi I, n, /, .,,.1
ports were being circulated that mem
bers of the subcommittee were
drunk and liars"
Representative kennerly urged an
estigation. The committee an
nounced it would have Senator Scales
to appear and testify. The commit
tee would not recognize an article
published in the Taylor County Her
aid attacking the committee after it
was ascertained that this paper was
printed in Perry, where much bust
ness pertaining to the Putnam Lum-
Der company is transacted.
Urge Venue Change.
Senator Scales also halls from Per
ry and on the floor of the &c mmittee
room today it was stated he was con-
nected with bank which also trans
acts business for the Putnam Lumber
company
The delegation from Dixie county
urged change of venue for the trial
of Walter Higginb otham. charged
with first degree murder in connec-
tiCn with the death of Martin Tabert,
of North Dakota, who died while
serving sentence in the lease con-
Wet camp of the Putnam Lumber
company The trial is scheduled to
be called in Cross City May 16. The
delegation was of the opinion that
if Higginbotham should be placed on
trial in Cross City, so much influence
would be brought to bear that he
would be turned loose" according to
the report.
Thomas testified as to why he
termed the Knabb camp "a human
slaughter pen," in an official re-
port to w A. McRae, commissioner
of agricu. the, and as to his declara-
alton that it would be nothing short
Of murder s,,1, to kssp a a. prisoner at the
sometimes referred to. He knew of
nine or more deaths, but did not con-
duct a personal investigation.
Typical Southern Welaan.
Mrs. Franklin. true type of south
ern gentlewCmaa told how she dis
covered Paul Revere White, youth
Taunton, Mass, Cooking like a
corpse" while he was serving a SEN
tence at the Knabb camp; and while
she held the committee in grip with
brutal details, she switched away
from the White case and told how
Warden Thompson. employed by SEN
ator Knabb had shot and killed Mary
Sheffield, negress, and her d&ugh-
ter last Wednesday at one of the cG-1-
Vict camps. Thompson was cut by
the woman before she was slain and
is now in a hospital The Sheffield
woman was to have been used as a
witness before the committee
White, Mrs. Franklin related, was
rescued from the Knabb camp BY
Prison Supervisor Thomas and
Sheriff Joe Jones of Baker county
While en- route with White to the
county jail they met Knabb, whql
tried to take the prisoner away front
them, she said. A squally scene oc-l
Cured in front of the post office ad
Glen st. Mary in the presence of the1
witness, during which the sheriff.
attempted, she declared, to brib eI
Thomas.
She testified to having written
Whites parents of his condition and
Senator John p. Stokes, chairman of
the committee. questioned her also as
to what the youth told Ter bout the
food at the Knabb cam,.
Could Not Eat Food.
He said he was served with food
he could not eat" tho Win .ss an
swered. "Often nothing but grits
and greens were served. He said
Mr.. Knabb instructed the cook not to
give the prisoners any salt, as he
kept. the men there to work and not
to be running off to the ponds for
water to quench their thirst. The
grits were put in can and the
greens dumped on top and given to
negro.
The negro carried it out to the
convicts where they were working
and taking his dirty hands, his
naked hands. would dig out some and
put it on the plates"
When the youth was dangerously
i'll, he was removed from the stock
ade to Senator Knabb's home, where
he was allowed to sleep in the COM
missary
The thermometer" declared Mrs.
Franklin, went down as low as 10
degrees and Paul White told me he
had no covering on his bed. asked
him what he would do to keep warm.
He replied he had two thin mat
tresses and lay on ono and covered
with the other.
Did he make any complaint as to