The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, July 25, 1914, Image 5
OHA NT) JURY COhOsTTTKE AND
COUNTY BOARD HKAR STATE?
MENT Or W1LLARD MED
LETTE.
Visit Chalngang
lnveo<igatlon State
I Stand by Former
Do fjot Tally svUh Those
hi Published SuUement?Sev
Heord.
The chalngang committee of the
?rood Jury consisting of Messrs. J. C.
Dunbar and O. O. Tweed and the
County Board of Commissioners met
In the court room thie morning to In?
vestigate charges of cruelty to the
eonvteoj on the county chalngang by
J. H. Holland, the overseer of Ute
gang, made by Wlllard Mellette, a
former guard of the chalngang. who
was rocenth/ dtamlssed by Supervisor
Pttp*. On this etand in answer to
questions} Mr. Mellette re racted sev?
eral of the charges mads In the pub?
lished sttaement. but persisted In the
statement that several of ths men on
the gang had been cruelly heated al?
though la on Instance did he point out
where the punishment was greater
than ths eonvlet deeerved.
Ths investigation was opened In the
court room by the reading of the
statement published In the Sumter
Herald and signed "Local." which Mr.
Mellette admitted he had written.
The statement was as follows:
County Chain Gang.
Sumter. July II.
"The Sumter Herald.
"If you will allow me a little space
la ons of your columns In The
He raid, I will send Just a Una or wo
? to. Boms time ago I noticed a piece
! about some argument on the chain
. gang question, and easing the pieces!
. that etas written by Supervisor Pitts |
sad Messrs. Owens. Dr. Epps and Dr.
Burgess. I wish to say that there Is]
more to be learned on the subject
There has been much talk about the
way iumtsr County chain tang has
been conducted for ths past ten
months. Frequent visits by intelli?
gent seen of Sumter and other places
have led the chain gang subject to a
serious standpoint Everybody knows
that Supervisor Pitta has been a very
tftsja aJsi faithful man to his county.
^ Is liked by every one. and ws all
Jmmm that Mr. Pyts has gut forth
every effort la hie power to Its satis
fhctery work.
- "Now, ths supervising of the works
h) not all. There la much talk here
Of late about the way the negroes or
convicts are treated and handled, we
know that ths darkies are much bet
ter looked after than ever before. So j
far as having a plenty to eat three
times every day. and sufficient cloth?
ing for ths different seasons of the'
year. But for ths punishment It has
never before been as severe sa it has
eines changing Superintendents of
this work. Now there has been sei
oral gupertntendents of the chain I
and no two managed this work
Some neglected duties that
others paid strict attention to.
"Now. my way of It would be (If
necessary) neglect all other duties
and take cars of the darkle, while
ho Is la prison. I do not mean to say
for one time to totOui sentenced ne?
gro alt around afJPBs nothing, but
keep htm steady at work. There Is
no use of rushing ths convicts to
death one or two days, to Anlsh a
piece of work. Oqntlemen there should
ho a good isvel headed man at the
kssd of ths business. There should
ho a man of some education, of some
feeling. judgment and principle.
Boens people might think that. Just]
as you are s msn, why you can nan*
die a darkle But I want to say
that thta chain gang, and all others |
can be carried on without being un?
merciful and acting towards these
prisoners as though they were brutes.
Frequent visits to this placs has led
me to believe and also see. that thereI
has been too much authority used
while the supervisor was absent. It
seems as If the Superintendent. John
Holland. Is slmost too much of a
Man to do thie kind of work, he is too
h%r<? on theee men.
"Now. people need not get it in
their heads that you have got to be
such a heathen to manage these
nesa. Just look back to ths tlms when
Mr. D. U. Bruneon snd his fath
?r were Superintendents of this chsln
gang. There was nsver a negro
whipped unmerciful, nor was there
sver a sear left on them, to show how
this business la msnsged. and the
way it was handled, let some of the
grand Jurymen go out and ask these1
prisoners how they are treated now.
and when Mr Brunson was Super?
intendent, examine thfse men and see
how many scars can be found, hy
overbearing and severe punishment
The leather can be used without the
skin being broken and without over?
powering these chained negroes, and
making two or three hold th#?m acroas
s barrel and whipping until the blood
streams down their legs, you people
can nay what you want to, you need
not and ought not enjoy the good
roads using built by these darkle* in
chains ao much as to neglact looking
into this matter. I believe that Mr.
Pitta' Intentiona for his county are
good and sincere, but at the same time
his negroes are not being handled
with much feeling and very little
Judgment as to what a man can stand
from one day to the next, from my
viaita to this place I can positively say
that. If wa had a Superintendent of
the chain gang, with the judgment of
the Supervisor of Sumter county, there
would not be so much rumor about
the treatment of the negroes on the
gang. Now, we are not writing this
*o Injure any one, for I am, and will
ulways vote for Mr. Pitts for Super
\isor for Sumter county for miscel?
laneous reasons, feeling that our
Supervisor will In the near future
see where the hanuling of these dark?
ies in chains and stripes are too se?
vere. "Local."
Mr. Mellette told of the whipping
given several of the negroes and the
reasons for their being whipped,
each of them being when he was a
guard on the gang and several months
ago. He did not at thta time report
the fact to Mr. Pitts that he consid?
ered the whippings cruel, although he
had opportunity to do ao, and he stat?
ed in contradiction to statement in the
paper that he had never seen any
of them whipped "until the blood
streams down their legs" as stated in
his article in the paper. He was ask?
ed by Mr. Pitts who of the "intelli?
gent men of Sumter and other
places" would corroborate his state?
ments and he could not name one.
In two instances where he stated the
convicts had been cruelly whipped, he
stated that he did not think that
they had been punished beyond their
desert*.
Mr. Mellette stated that James
Hicks, a negro convict, was whipped
because he refused to work and
"sassed" the guards and the overseer
of the gang. Hicks, who Mellette
stated was a "nlggety" negro, had re?
fused to allow himself to be beaten
and four of the trusties had overpow?
ered him, after he had tried to seise
a mattock and strike the overseer,
who had threatened to kill him, if
he did not behave. Hicks had been
wearing light chains up to this time,
but heavy shackles were put on him
at the time. Mellette did not think
that Hicks was too severely punished
for his offense and he did not see any
blood run down his legs.
He said that Mr. Holland, the over?
seer, was seemingly cool and not Im?
passioned at the time he gave the ne?
gro the whipping. He also stated that
Holland was in some respects very
considerate of the convicts, while In
others he was not He named as those
severely whipped to his knowledge
Isham Cobb, Julius Williams, Tom
Clarkaon and Robert Anderson. About
the time these beatings were given he
had seen Mr. Pitta several times each
week and had had plenty of opportun?
ity of speaking to him privately about
the matter, if he had wished to. He
thought that Mr. Pitts knew about
the matter at the time. In his article
Mellette had stated that Mr. Brunson
had never given the negroes any
cruel beatings, but in answer to
questions from Mr. Pitts It developed
that he had been present only two or
three times when convicts were whip
ped and he had never investigated
but he had heard It stated, he said
that they had not been cruelly beat
en. He said that he had never had
any cross words with. Mr. Holland to
amount to anything and did not have
any hard feelings against him. In his
published statement Mr. Mellette had
written that "there Is no use rush
Ing the convicts to death one or two
days." In answer to Mr. Pitts' quea
tions. he stated as the only time the
men had been worker hader than
at other times was when the gang was
Imoved from Stateburg to Catchall, but
he admitted that none had died of
overwork and all were apparently In
good health the next day.
Mr. Pitts Introduced two letters
written by Mellette to James Hicks,
negro convict now on the gang, cor
earning a watch to show the relation
between Mellette and the negro. Dr
Burgess stated that at timea he had
noticed a feling of opposition to him
self, when he was called on to visit
the gang, and he had been told that
It was because some of the guards
had been telling the convicts that he
was not a capable doctor. Mr. Mellette
stated in answer to the question that
he had never in any way said an
thing in disparagement of Dr. Bur
gess to any members of the gang
where any of them could hear him.
Jailer D. W. Owen told of a plot
at the jail to kill him. In this plot
Hicks was the leader and chief Instl
gator and Cobb and other nognx
were concerned. Ho considered Hlckn
a bad negro. He also deemed Isham
Cobb a bad negro, who also had to
overpowered to be whipped. J.
Holland told of the whipping of .lame
Hicks and isham Cobb for dlsobe
dlence, refusing to work and talking
buck to the guards. He had never
whipped the neejroea unmercifully,
nor had he put any of them over bar?
rels. There were several long term
men on the gang whom he had nev?
er whipped and he had always re
ceivod instructions to treat the con?
victs with as much consideration as
possible, to summon medical aid at
once when they were in need of it and
to give all the best attention during
sickness.
He referred to the Will Howard
case, saying that Howard was a
malingerer, always feigning sickness
when he was not sick. He referred
to Willie Green, who had been given
attention when he was threatened with
pneumonia, saying that he had been
given every attention. Two hours
were given the convicts for dinner
during the very warm weather. Re?
cently Cobb had feigned sickness,
when there was nothing the matter
with. him.
C. P. Barksdale, driver of the road
machine, had seen prisoners punish
ed, but not too severely. He had seen
a number of gangs and had worked
on the State farm, and the Sumter
county gang was better than most of
them. The prisoners were well cared
for, their food was of greater variety
and their sleeping quarters were bet
tar.
Dr. W. 8. Burgess, county physi?
cian, stated that the food was good,
changes in clothing so that the con?
victs would not sleep in their wet
clothing he had made were adopt?
ed, thus lessening the danger of pneu?
monia, and the men were generally in
good physical condition. There had
been considerable, sickness recently
which he thought was occasioned by
the change from the sandhills of
Stateburg to the lowlands of Shiloh.
Negroes with contagious diseases had
been isolated and were being given the
latest and best treatment for the dis?
ease and the camp was kept in a san?
itary condition. He referred to the
many fatalities from pneumonia and
the two cases which had proved fa?
tal recently. He had felf a feeling of
distrust of him for a while back,
which recently seemed to have been
overcome.
Mr. J. H. Sumter stated that he
had been clerk to the county board
for several years and that he had un?
der Instructions from Mr. Pitts al?
ways given prompt and efficient at?
tention to the treatment of the con?
victs at all times.
Mr. W. S. Burkett told of having
been told of the trouble with Isham
Cobb at the time it occurred, when the
negroes were working on a road near
his place, and he had told Holland
that if he did not conquer the ne?
gro then, he might as well give up his
job.
Mr. P. M. Pitta stated that he had
been five and a half years supervisor
of Sumter county and in that time
he had always endeavored to have
proper food, clothing, sanitary pro?
visions and careful treatment of the
convicts. He had heard the com?
plaints of the two negroes, Hicks, who
had shown him where he had been
beaten, and Cobb, and told them that
he did not consider the punishment
too severe. He was always willing to
hear the complaintc of the men on
the gang. He told of the departure
of Mr. Brunaon from the gang and his
placing Mr. Holland in charge in his
place. Mr. Brunson had asked that
Cobb be made a trusty the morning
he had left, while Cobb had made
the same request a little later. Mr.
Pitts had refused the request at the
time from Cobb, who had immediate?
ly become sullen. Mr. Pitts stated that
he had always found Mr. Holland a
man of coolness and firmness of char?
acter as well as a man of good Judg?
ment.
E. T. Mlms, another member of the
County Board, stated that as soon as
he had seen the article in the paper
he had visited the gang and, while Mr.
Holland was away, had talked to
members of the gang, who stated
that when Mr. Holland first came on
the gang he had been somewhat
rough, but that everything was going
on smoothly at the present time. He
thought that Mr. Holland was making
a good overseer. At Unat time when
he had told of the articles in the pa?
per, Mr. Holland had at once asked
him to make an investigation of the
condition of the men, but he had not
deemed it necessary.
Mr. Mellette, upon being recalled to
the stand, stated that he had left the
gang on June 19th and the letters to
Hicks had been written afterwards.
At this point the hearing was clos?
ed and it was decided by the mem?
bers of the grand jury committee and
of the county board to get dinner and
to visit the gang In the afternoon und
to personally Investigate the physical
condition of the convicts for them?
selves.
New York Cot ton Market
New York, July 23.
Opening Close.
Jan.12.35 12.61
Mar.12.40 12.66
May.12.61 12.76
July.12.30 a-2.47
Oct.12.28 12.40
Dec.12.42 12.67
Cleveland, July 23.?Twelve babies
have died during the last two days
from extreme heat and there have
been several drowr.lngs. The tem?
perature is reaching a hundred and
over daily.
DR. J. H. MTOH SHOT.
Seriousness of Injury not Vet Ascer?
tained?After Struggle Assailant
Flees with Shout "Now You Won't
Bother Colie Tomorrow"?Physi?
cian Fires at Man a* lie Scales
Fence.
Columbia, July 23.?Dr. James H.
Mclntosh, well known Columbia phy?
sician, was shot and perhaps serious?
ly wounded by an unknown man, who
attacked him shortly before 2 o'clock
this morning as the physician was re?
turning home along Marion street af?
ter a visit to the Knowlton hospital.
According to statements by Dr. Mc
Intosh the assailant, after a struggle
fled over the wall of the Presbyterian
churchyard, shouting as he scaled the
wall: "Now, you won't bother Colie
tomorrow," or "Now, Colie won't be
bothered by you tomorrow."
Dr. Mclntosh recently has been
brought forward into the senatorial
campaign, Qov. Blease having said
that he expected to invite the doctor
to be on the stage at today's meeting
wuen he would answer the question
asked at Greenville, as to his state?
ment regarding the condition of R.
A. Richey, who was paroled by the
governor.
There is no clew to the identity of
Dr. Mclntosh's assailant. The wound
be man describes him as being small,
about 120 pounds in weight, dressed
in dark clothing and wearing a cloth
cap.
Bloodhounds, summoned from the
penitentiary, arrived some time after
the shooting. By-standers had been
kept away from the part of the wall
which the assailant had scaled in his
escape. The trail, therefore, was rel?
atively easy.
The dogs followed the trail through
the graveyard to Bull street and
thence down that street to the cor?
ner of Bull and* Pendleton streets,.
There the trail was lost, about half
way across Pendleton street.
Dr. James Mclntosh, father of
Dr. James H. Mclntosh, this morning
made the following statement, as re
peated by his son when he reached
Knowlton's hospital after being shot:
"Dr. Mclntosh left Knowlton's hos?
pital about 15 minutes to 2 o'clock
this morning. As he was passing along
Marion street by the First Presby?
terian church a man stepped out]
from behind a large tree and called
"Hands up,' presenting a pistol as he
did so. Dr. Mclntosh grabbed the
pistol and grappled with the man. In
the scuffle the pistol was placed
against Dr. Mclntosh's stomach and
fired on time. Dr. Mclntosh stag?
gered and fell to the ground. Im
| mediately the assailant left, crossed
the sidewalk and jumped the fence,
saying, 'Colie won't be bothered with
jyou tomorrow.' Dr. Mclntosh got his
own pistol out and fired twice as his
assailant got over the fence. An in?
stant later he fired the remaining
three chambers to attract attention
The attacking party disappeared
through the Presbyterian graveyard.
"Dr. Mclntosh has never been in
the habit of carrying a pistol, but be?
ing suspicious for the last three
nights that he was shadowed he had
taken his pistol along with him.
"The bullet struck in the right side
Just over the liver. The seriousness
can not be determined until a thor?
ough examination has been made
which is now in process."
Dr. Mclntosh was taken to the
Knowlton hospital, and there he was
given medical attention. A prelimi?
nary examination led to the an?
nouncement that it was probable that
the wound was a flesh wound, only,
and that his recovery was likely.
Among the first persons to reach
the wounded man were Dr. R. A. Lan?
caster, B. F. Auman, J. R. Shepherd
and a number of others who hurried j
to the spot from their homes. The |
shots and Dr. Mclntosh's cries for help
alarmed the neighborhood and in a
few minutes many persons were at
hand.
The physician was perfectly com?
posed, according to those first at hl3
side, and at once described the af?
fair, saying he had been to the
Knowlton hospital and was returning
home, walking on Marion street be?
tween Washington and Lady. In
front of the First Presbyterian
church, his statement continued, a
man with leveled revolver sprang
from the shadow of a large tree and
called on him to hold up his hands.
He grappled with his assailant and
struggled for the possesion of the
weapon, which was discharged, the
bullet entering the abdomen on the
right side four inches above the navel
and forcing an exit on the left side.
Dr. Mclntosh fell but drew his own
revolver and llred a number of shots,
the unknown man disappearing over
the churchyard wall and crying, with
an oath, "Now, you wont bother Colie
tomorrow."
To the first person on the scene Dr.
Mclntosh described his asallant as a
man of small physique, weighing prob?
ably .125 pounds, wearing a cloth cap
and dark shirt and evidently wearing
shoes with soft soles or rubber heels
as his footsteps were hardly audible
as he ran.
SOUTHERN IMPOSED UPON.
DVLANF/V ON STAND IN COAL
PRtitOHT IN VKSTIGATION
TELLS HOW SOUTH HAS
BEEN 111 KT.
Says That Southern Railway Purch?
ased Small Lines at Big tout?Says
That it Has Been Manipulated Much
as New Haven Was in North.
Washington, July 22.?Charges that
the Southern railway has been im?
posed upon much as the New Haven
is said to have been through the un?
loading upon it of branches of little
worth were an unexpected feature to?
day in the inquiry which the senate
subcommittee is making into alleged
discrimination against the Southern in
coal| rates.
B. L. Dulaney of Bristol, Va.-Tenn.,
made the charges in connection with
an explanation of why he believed the
Morgan interest dominated the South?
ern railway and directed the action
of its officials.
He finished his direct statement to
the committee today, but will go on
the stand tomorrow to undergo cross
examination by attorneys for the
Southern railway.
Mr. Dulaney said he once offered
to sell the control of the Virginia &
I Southwestern railway to the Southern
I for $500,000. A bond issue of $1,
1000,000 stood against the line. His
I offer was refused, he said, but later
j Henry McHarg sold the line to the
Southern for about $0,500,000, with
a profit estimated at $4,000,000.
The Knoxville & Bristol railway,
sold to the Southern for $500,000, Mr.
Dulaney said, was offered him for
$40,000, and he did not buy because
he did not think the line worth that
amount.
M?v Dulaney testified at length in
support of his charge that coal is be?
ing diverted from Southern ports.
"Coal operators are robbed of their
right to do a normal business," he
said. "Unless some relief be granted,
it will be necessary for independent
operators to give up their efforts.
They can not meet such unfavorable
conditions."
He testified he sold the Black Moun?
tain railway, a short line tapping the
Black Mountain coal field, to the Vir?
ginia & Southwestern railway, under
a contract with the president of the
latter line, H. K. McHarg, providing
that the Louisville & Nashville rail?
way should have the use of the line.
This was done, the witness said, to
preserve two outlets to the South for
his coal.
Mr. McHarg failed to advise the
Louisville & Nashville of the agree?
ment, he added, and was very angry
when Mr. Dulaney gave the informa
tion. Rates have been arranged, Mr? .
Dulaney dec lared, so the Louisville &
Nashville can not move coal from the
Black Mountain field south or east
from Middlesboro, a condition barring
Black Mountain coal from the South?
ern field by way of the Louisville &
Nashville.
A number of similar statements
were introduced by Mr. Dulaney in
support of his contention that inter?
locking directorates in New York
arrange and dic tate rates.
t * i
FAILED IX EFFORTS TO AID
CHARLESTON'.
Washington, duly 22.?In his testi?
mony here today before the senate
naval affairs committee on the Till*
man resolution investigating discrim?
ination against certain Atlantic sea?
port cities, B. L. Dulaney of Bristol,
Va.-Tcnn., told the committee that
he had repeatedly asked the officials
of the Southern railway, including the
late President Finley, to make Char?
leston a port for the outgoing ship?
ment of coal, but without success.
The Southern railway, he said,
claimed lack of funds as its excuse
for not erecting the necessary docks
and piers at Charleston for handling
the coal. He said that he offered to
raise the money and build the piers,
but the company replied (that it did
not think it would be wise to have a
private company own these facilities.
Then, Mr. Dulaney said, he offered
to raise the money and let the
Southern railway hold the property,
issuing bonds for it. But this, too, was
rejected. He insisted that the action
of the Southern was part of a plot to
prevent shipments of coal from the
Black Mountain field, in which he'
and other independent operators are
interested, for the benefit of the so
called "c?al trust."
Mr. Dulaney told of selling the
Black Mountain road, some 80 miles
long, to the Virginia & Southewestern.
now a subsidiary line of the South?
ern, with the understanding that the
shipment of coal to tidewater was to
Charleston in particular would be
forthcoming. Promises had been
made him, he said, by officials both' of
the Virginia & Southwestern and of
the Southern, before the sale of the
Black Mountain road was made. He
testified that the disLance from Ap
palachla, the centre of the coal field,
to Norfolk, Va., by which all the coal
is now shipped to .tidewater, is 482
miles, while the distance from Ap
palachia to Chrrleston is 4 67 miles,
yet coal intended for Charleston is
sent down to Norfolk and then by
water to Charleston.
Greenwood, Del., July 23.?Ralph
Freeman was fatally hurt, several
stores and ten houses were burned.
The loss is $75,000.
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( 1894 )
] 1914 f
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ESTABLISHED, 1889