Show Death of of Youth Sti Stirs rs Florida Convict Lease Against 4 c System r I 1 y 4 IL b r Y i 7 4 S I c t I 4 4 t 4 I fr I I 4 2 4 T r 4 Wf c F Martin North Dakota youth who died following a beating in a Florida prison camp is buried in one of the two spots shown above but above but there is a dispute as t to on one oue h Putnam m Lumber company says as he was Avas buried ed in the be below ow while a f the body was Avas buried in iii III the swamp above At the right is IS Represent Representative C. C II I. merly of the committee probing charges of beating prison prisoners s He lie is holding the strap th i which witnesses say was Avas b beaten aten i Fr- Fr FrA A Fla Fia May ay 24 4 By NA JA Martin did didat foot Abt at die de In iri vain The rhe state of Pt Florida shaken to tot it t foundation with the realization lon tat at virtual slavery exists within UL boundaries is h cleansing Its Us s sj J J e lash must KO go o. o The convict ca Teas ense system must be ended two thoughts dominate a a. r Ic Just completed by a joint committee investigating brutalities In convict camps oti Hda a. a I Il a only remains remaina for tor the 01 assem- assem to act c to 8 abert about whom E n h has bas been written What h hit convict on system tolerated in I fda cm b t. t 22 2 l left his cozy ozy little home N. N D. D in the fall faU of 1921 He wanted to see the world For Forthe Forthe the tho past few years wears he had generous- generous l all aft his time to his fam- fam U Uy because he knew he was needed need need- ed cm on the e farm Things n worked d themselves es about however el so that a time came when tt He l. knew It would be all right to So go 0 Q away y for a a. while and find out What the outside world w wa wag like like like- nt 1 v from which those big JIg locomotives came r He le could have taken talen more money tr trad Ld 1 he wished but boyish thought thoughts s suggested It would be great to work worl sway way about the country AUwell All AU AllweiL went well well until he came into Flor- Flor tda Ja The labor situation was not 5 od and he found himself with with- lUt ut funds tried to steal a ride on a train Fl Florida was looking for tor such men I was weB arrested In Leon eon count county Florida Ills His choice was a 26 25 fine or Y days at hard a l labor b h hm gr eO rahert wired home m for the money one b ia his family sent him 10 O by byi i mall mail and urged him to Q back He had seen enough forti for ifs ti first big trip they wrote Hut nut flut that letter never reached j Martin And It didn't lartin died and a whole nation was j 9 read o-read read later on of what seemed 1 r i this ago age and time timo an impossible I i I be tetter letter sent In care of the was returned to th he family Jh Unclaimed l The family hereupon tUe ed th their lr boy had been a able le t tta ta ie and forgot about t the matter clatter lp I the meanwhile ho v r. r Tal Ta- Ta l ert ert rt was taken under guard rd to the umber timber camp of the Putnam Lumber at Clara Fla sixty miles I w way to Wor work out his s. s fine It der ler existing la laws s 's t this lI lumber lumber mp n- n owned by State tate Senator T. T 1 Knabb utilizes convict labor from everal eral nearby counties countes A month and a a. half after his are arest arest ar- ar e est t died In camp The cause Iven was fever fe Company officials s his family in North Dakota hat the lad had been given a Chrisian Christan Chris Chris- ian tan burial kAt lA r fellow tellow prisoner in the prison Amt m wrote to the family te months later strongly ig 19 that Martin artin died under ral circumstances The lon on machinery then started Into ac ac- aC- aC ton in A long hearing followed Wit Wit- it I esses by bv the the- score testified ed that tha whipping boss boss' of ot the camp ad beaten unmercifully beuse be- be use luse Martin MaTtin was too w weak alt to labor labors s last fast a as- as the boss liked through- through lit It that particular day dar To help ride rade a a. road was compelled st stand nd knee deep In mud and water t the treacherous swampland JU It JUas It as work that only those seasoned I that part of or the country really uld ld bear On a a. certain certai l night the uth was called out of ot line Une Just ter t dinner r A leather strap three tiree id ld a i half halt feet teet long and some same lour four lourid id ld ida a R half Inches wide was ob- ob med ined and used men testified Get down the boss demanded dropped to a prone position id- id then n blows a as hard as J It was It nt t for O i the e ea eD boss D I to strike tr I med Ined on the lads lad's back which waft was wa ft a mass naSS of ot pulpy pulpy- welts After fter tile tie death It was was- the negro who helped to pre pre- ere tre the body for burial a sh sheet et is 19 dried to the body fastened b by blood The boss la is now under tinder indict indict- tnt ont nt charged with murd murder r. r Sheriffs I two counties probably probablY will pay ith ih their official heads before the Is completed I I Just now the question Is W Where here I burled buried I I Fellow convicts swore th the bodY tody j I vs is dressed in ic castoff clothing of ot m ngO negro ro roand and put In a cheap box Ich was thrown into a n hole halt led with swamp samp wat water r. r No o mound to show the spot of ot the grave no stone to tell leil ell its sad story Just smooth th earth said these witnesses But company officials deny this T ey lay ay three white women an and I a minister r were present at th the the burial which took place in hallowed d ll Florida Flor rIda r- r ida ground This body will be exhumed exhumed ex ex- ex- ex soon Just after authorities down there receive a chart of ot Ta- Ta berts brt's teeth which remain the only possible means of Identification These e three omen testified that thc they sang and that the minister asked t for r the peace of ot the soul or ot I the tho departed But that the they dill did not know who the they were j i burying the they did not know his name they did not know know what he looked lUte like North Dakota as a state Is satisfied satisfied satisfied satis satis- fied that Florida as a tate fate did not know of the conditions that made possible the death leath of one of or the formers former's rs r's young Joung and husky farmer boy But Dut It must not be again came the warning And now on completion com corn of the report which when enacted into law will abolish the whip and the convict labor system I the Western mid state congratulates the tho Southern one and assures it that instead C of becoming estranged t the mJ Vo h I two will vill d draw closer e together e r as assisters assisters sisters pledged to the task of making making making mak mak- ing the Union a a. place really free tree for for free men to fo o live lve in |