The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-03-27
Alabama Prisoners Horribly
Mistreated.
BY ESTHER LOWELL,
Federated Press STAFF Corresnondar


NEW YORK, -(FP)- The 1850
convict miners in Alabama's three
state run mines produce a million and
a half tons of coal per year. Each con-
Wet miner is forced to get out twice
as much coal as the free miner. At
tention to Alabama's convict coal
mines and the many abuses making
conditions like slavery has been
reused by the state attorney generals
finding that convict James Knox was
killed by brutal treatment instead of
having committed suicide as official
ly registered. The Federated Press
has obtained authentic information
from a private investigator OF prison
labor conditions in Alabama.
Mines All Dangerous.
The mines worked by white and col
ored Alabama convicts are all gaseous,
dangerous and free labor could not be
obtained to do the work demanded of
conyicts. Convicts work as far as
four miles inafrom the mine mouth.
They have a task of 10 to IA tons per
man per day and are required to COM
plete 1t under pressure of physical
punishment amounting sometimes to
torture. Convict miners are forced to
mine one to four tons over the task
on the pretext that there is that much
rock in the coal. Convicts start to
work early in the morning thru the
rough wet dripping slope and seldom
see daylight, except on Sundays. They
work 10 to IL hours, six days a week.
State vtoFstes Own Law.
The state Of Alabama leases and
operates three mines, actually evading
the 1928 state law passed to end con-
vict-leasing in the mines. Convicts are
driven to theofask by trusty straw
bosses instead of company foreman.
Coal is sold back to the mine COM
panies, I. o. b!rthe mine. Pratt Con-
solidated Co. benefits at Banner mine
Sloss-Shefie1d Steel & Iron Co. at
Flat Top (where Knox and Taylor
were killed.; and Montevallo Mining
Co. at Montevallo.
TFiooUcFS LCdocu Ouhs
In addition to state convict miners,
prisoners of AZ counties are leased in
the old way to Alabama By-Products
Co., Birmingham coal corporation
with numerous mines. Convicts Of
So Alabama counties are leased to
mines, lumber camps and farmers.
(Leasing county prisoners is still legal
in Delaware, Kentucky, louisiana,
North and South Carolina.)
Beaten to Death.
James Knox, the convict whose
death brought the state attorney gen.
erals investigation, was short and fat,
physically unable to do the heavy
mining required. Testimony showed
that he was beaten for days with
trolley wire, shoyels, hickory sticks,
ETC., and finally thrown into a wash
vat and the steam turned on. He died
Of heart failure from fright. Bichloride
Of mercury was pumped into his sto-
mach to make 1t appear he had poison
ed himself.
Confirmed Warden's Report.
The state board of prison admins
tration did not refer the later investi-
cation of convict Hoot Taylor's death
to the attorney general but inquired
itself, giving a Verdict supporting 10
cal prison officials. Wiley Pugb, con-
Wet hospital attendant whose note to
the attorney general started the Knox
investigation, testified in the later
Taylor case that the convict had COM
planned of being beaten but that
bruises on his ankles were made by
boots" (shackles. others said). Pugh |
said that Taylor appeared to be dying |
of natural causes" during the three
days he lay in bed.
Prison Made Shirts
The Reliance Mfg. Co. works Ala
bama state convicts at the so-called |
model Kilby prison. II does not lease
convicts but contracts for the work
OF 400 making shirts. Reliance pays
the state rs cents per dozen shirts.
Reliance contracts for chambray shirt
cloth from the state prison cotton mill,
employing about 225 convicts. Re-
lance gets two-thirds Of the product.
Too Exhausted for Overtime.
Alabama state convicts get is cents
a week tobacco or spending money
and extra compensation for work
above the task. Reports show few
working overtime voluntarily because
of the exhausting demands made 20
achieve the task. Straw bosses In the
mines get paid for each ton Of coal
put out and use many brutal means