The Omaha guide., 1935-07-13

tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People, which re-
ceived him warmly.
The chain-gang cage was built by
volunteer workers, under the direc-
ton of John L. Spivak, whose book
Georgia Niger" exposing the hor-
rors of the chain-gang, rocked the
country a few years ago. 1t is II
feet long, z feet wide and 7 feet
Might've thirds actual size.
Iron bars enclose it. There are four
three-decker tiers of hunks, which
are covered by thin mattresses Of
burlap. The cage is equipped with
the striped uniforms worn by chain
gang prisoners, and in each city
volunteers will be put on these uni
forms and act the part of the con-
victs.
Equipped With Spotlight
The cage is equipped with a power
full spotlight and a loud-speaker.
Along its sides are Photographic re-
productions of original documents
from prison files showing how the
murder Of convicts is whitewashed by
prison officials, and photographs
showing the torture of prisoners. The
documents and pictures were obtained
by Spivak in gathering the material
for his book. The instruments Of tor
ture in use on chain-gangs viii be on
display near the cage. These will in
clude the chains which are riveted
about the prisoners feet. the sweat
box, which has been described as "an
upright coffin" and the Stocks" in
which the prisoner hangs with his
weight suspended from his wrists.
Convicted on Slave Law.
Angelo Herndon was arrested in
Atlanta in 1888, a few days after he
had led a thousand hungry Negro and
white men and women to the county
authorities to ask relief. He was in
dicted under a law based on a statute
of pre-Civil War days, which the
s~lave-owners designed to crush up
risings against their masters.
The state asked that Herndon be
sentenced to die in the electric chair,
but the jury recommended mercy
and Herndon was condemned to
spend l 8to 20 years on the chain
gang. The Il l. D. then appealed the
sentence to the U. S. Supreme Court.
This court, on May 20, refused on
the basis of a technicality TO reverse
sentence or to consider the issues in
volved. A stay of execution was OBJ
tanned and in the fall a petition will
be made for re-hearing. Herndon
has been out of Jail since the sum-
mer of 1884, on bail of 49, 900
raised by popular subscription by the
|, L. D.
opbaizsaocj
Chain-Gang Horrors Confirmed.
Meanwhile new events are CON
firming the horrors of the Georgia
chain-gang. Simon Minor, Negro who
escaped from a chain-gang in Rich
mond County, Georgia, IA years ago,
and who was arrested recently in
Hampstead, Long Island, has knelt
On the stone floor of his cell in police
headquarters and prayed to die rath-
er than be sent back. When YOU
work on a chain-gang in Georgia you
work in hell" he told newspapermen.
Nevertheless, Governor Lehman or
dered his extradition.
Herndon, accompanied by tn e
chain-gang truck, will visit the fol-
lowing cities on his tour: July AT,
Detroit; July 9, Gary, Ind; July 10,
Chicago, ILL.,; uly II, Milwaukee,
Wis; uly II, Minneapolis. Mimi;
July IS st. Paul, Mimi; July Is,
Omaha, Nebraska; July 1925, Cali
fornia cities. July %, Denver, Colo.
Aug. 1, Kansas City, Mo-; Aug. 2,
Kansas City, Kansas; Aug. 8, st.
Louis, Mo-; Aug. 5, Indianapolis, Ind;
Aug. s, Cincinnati, Ohio. Aug. 7,
Dayton, Ohio; Aug. 5, Columbus,
Ohio; Aug. 9, Toledo, Ohio; Aug. 10,
Detroit, Mich; Aug. II, Cleveland,
Ohio; Aug. 10, Youngstown, Ohio;
Aug. "A, Pittsburgh, Pa; Aug. Is,
Reading, Pa.