“Roy
Traywick Sprung Sensation at State Capital,” from the Monroe Journal, Union County,
N.C., Jan. 26, 1917
Union County Man
Charged That State Prisoners Are Inhumanly Treated, and That Gambling and
Immoral Practices Are in Evidence at Prison Farm
Roy L.
Traywick, a University student who served a sentence in the State penitentiary
from this county, made some astounding charges against the penal methods in
this State in Raleigh Tuesday.
Mr.
Traywick, who is well liked and has many friends despite his misfortune,
charged that the lash is used unmercifully in the penitentiary and also that
gambling was allowed and immorality practiced. His charges sprung a sensation
in Raleigh.
Mr.
Traywick left here about 10 days ago, ostentatiously on his way to Detroit to
work for Henry Ford, but he stated to a Journal reporter that he intended
stopping over in Raleigh to ascertain if he could possibly throw any light on
the way our penal institution is conducted.
Wednesday’s
News and Observer carried the
following account of Mr. Traywick’s charges:
“As the
outgrowth of a remarkably graphic story written by an ex-prisoner in which are
portrayed alleged frightful practices and conditions existing at Caledonia
Farm, a State penal institution, it is probable that the Legislature will order
an investigation of all branches of the State Prison organization.
“The
ex-prisoner is young Traywick, a University man who some years ago was
convicted of forgery and sentenced to a term in the penitentiary. He served
three years at Caledonia and was pardoned in December by Governor Craig. The
young man’s story was read yesterday by Representative Roland Beasley before a
session of the joint committee on penal institutions.
“Among
other things, Traywick alleges that prisoners are treated with frightful
cruelty, beated at times unmercifully, ill fed and poorly housed. They,
according to the story, are herded together and made to sleep together as so
many sheep, negroes and whites, sick and well old and young, all huddled
together without distinction. The lash in all its frightfulness is plied
without compassion, sodomy and immorality rampage, disease ravages the
unfortunates who fall under the pall of this great institution so profitable to
North Carolina financially but so destructive to the moral fibre of those whom
it seeks to correct or punish, he charged.
“Traywick’s
article reads like a page from Les
Miserables. Hugo’s Jean Val Jean suffered no more from his prison
experiences than do the inmates of North Carolina prisons, if the young man’s
charges are true. There is not noticeable any venom in Traywick’s article. He
does not say that he, personally, was badly treated. His article he says was
inspired by a desire to correct evils through which so great a number of his
fellow men suffer untold injury.
“Traywick
is vouched for by Mr. Beasley. He comes from the Monroe editor’s own county.
For several days he has endeavored to have his story printed in the papers of
the State. None, however, were willing to let loose such charges
unsubstantiated by any but Traywick. Their view was that while the article is
extremely interesting reading it might be greatly overdrawn and might work
injury to competent and humane officials.
“Traywick
charges that the profit accruing to the State from its penal institutions is a
disgrace to the State. He says that such profits come at the expense of
prisoners who are treated inhumanely in the great effort to make the farms pay.
“The joint
committee heard Traywick’s charges with much interest. Practically every member
felt that they were exaggerated but that they furnished sufficient basis to
warrant the ordering of an investigation of penal institutions. Senators
Brenizer and Holderness and Representatives Grier, Renfrow and Beasley were
appointed a committee to make the investigation, subject to the action of the
General Assembly.
“The
meeting was presided over by Senator Wilfred D. Turner, ex-Lieutenant Governor.
Mr. Turner said that it was his opinion that much of the existing evils in
penal institutions was attributed to the State’s stinginess. This stinginess,
he said, tied the hands of men who otherwise would do their best to reclaim to
society the unfortunates sent to prison.
“Messrs.
Beasley, Jones, Gregg, Holderness, Doughton, Grier and Brenizer and Edward E.
Britton, editor of the News and Observer, addressed the meeting. All were of
the opinion that an investigation looking to reform was needed.
“Mr.
Beasley said that Traywick was actuated by none but purely unselfish reasons in
making this charges. He was of the opinion that most of the charges were based
on facts and that they made a thorough investigation imperative to the welfare
of prisoners.
“Senator
Jones was of the opinion that if one-tenth of Traywick’s allegations were true,
the state must correct those conditions or doom itself to everlasting disgrace.
“’Prisoners
are human,’ he said. ‘For God’s sake, if one half of these things are true, do
something! I don’t believe that every man who goes to prison is degenerate. To
force white men to drink from a common bucket with negroes!’
“Senator
Gregg of Randolph, who won the heartiest kind of applause from the galleries
when he defended the resolution of Senator Jones sanctioning Governor Craig’s
Christmas gift to the convicts, told the committee that he had served as a
guard at the Caledonia farm for 60 days, at the end of which time he resigned
because he could not become a party to the treatment of convicts at that
time—and he said the farm head was a good man. He would support any man or any
party that would remove this condition from the State, which he characterized
as a disgrace to civilization.
“Mr.
Holderness thought that Traywick had exaggerated, perhaps, but that there was
much truth in his statement and said the housing of convicts was a disgrace. He
thought the statement that lunatics were worked overdrawn.
“Senator
Holderness advocated the removal of the State farm from Raleigh as a business
as well as a humane proposition and making the superintendent directly
responsible for the prisoners. He did not wholly accept the charges as to food
at the farm.
“Mr.
Beasley said that he had known of other former prisoners who had tried to shed
some light on the treatment State convicts and had been unable to get a
hearing, and he was championing Traywick for this reason. He was impressed with
his fellow citizen from Union and had undertaken to get the matter before the
Legislature. A conspiracy of silence had existed through fear of criticism and
he wanted some steps taken to see if the charges were true.
“Upon the
motion of Mr. Doughton, the statement of Traywick and his supporting witnesses
was ordered filed with the committee.”
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