I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang!

XIV. A Request for Money—and a Transfer

C H A P T E R X I V A Request for Money—and a Transfer ERE WAS the strongest individual political power in Georgia, William Schley Howard, bluntly telling me that it was possible that I would have to remain in prison a year. I was frightened and discouraged, and replied: "Do you mean to say that after coming back here voluntarily , paying my own fare, repaying the State of Georgia , and paying you your fee, and all this in the face of the merits of my reformation, it is possible I may be in prison a year?" His answer was: "You are now in Georgia and things will have to be handled from the Georgia viewpoint." Very much worried, I explained to him that I did not have the full fee with me, and, further, that I did not believe I should pay the full fee if I had to remain in prison a year. However, as evidence of my faith in the original agreement, I tendered him a check for $700 with the understanding that if I wasliberated at the agreed time, I would arrange for payment of the balance before I left the state. He accepted the check and the terms of payment. About this time, Mr. Stanley arrived at the office with Mr. F. H. Redwine, Chairman of the Campbell County 134 H Commissioners. They commenced to figure up the expense to which the State of Georgia had been put in attempting to secure my extradition. Since the exact figure would entail considerable calculation, I asked them to merely estimate an approximate amount large enough to cover it. They assured me that $350 would cover everything but the payment of the reward which they were not sure the State was going to pay. I gave Mr. Redwine a check for $350 made out to him as chairman of the Campbell County Commissioners, which was accepted. Newspaper correspondents and photographers were clamoring for news and pictures, and were filling the office to the point of overflowing. In order to get rid of them and to carry on our transaction, I posed for several pictures. One of them was a group consisting of Stanley, Redwine and myself. The next thing we discussed was which particular one of the 140 chain gangs in Georgia I would go to, and what my duties at the chain gang would consist of. Attorney Howard, who was formerly County Solicitor and Congressional Representative for the district which embraces Campbell County, advised me to go to the Campbell County chain gang, stating in no uncertain manner that he would seeto it that I would receive fair treatment from those in charge there. Mr. Stanley also advised me to go to this particular chain gang. Accepting their advice, I went that same afternoon , accompanied by Mr. Redwine, to the Campbell County chain gang. It was just seven years and five days from the time A Transfer 135 136 I Am A Fugitive that I had escaped from this particular chain gang until I returned. I arrived at the chain gang at 4 o'clock that afternoon. Mr. Redwine introduced me to Warden Paul Phillips, who was then in charge. Not a single prisoner, white or black, of the thirty odd prisoners here, was at this prison at the time I escaped. Also, the entire personnel of the guards had been changed. I was assigned to the same bunk in the same pie-wagon that I had occupied when I had been here seven years previous . In fact, the only change that I could see was that there were different prisoners and guards there now. For the sake of truth, I want to emphatically state that in my five weeks at Campbell County, I was treated intelligently , fairly and from the viewpoint that I was not a desperate criminal and was entitled to some consideration from the prison authorities. I was made a trusty, as agreed, and was given the position of yardman. My duties were very light and consisted solely of taking care of rations, clothes, keeping a few records and reading the mail. I had come to like Warden Phillips, as he was intelligent, human and square. These five weeks at Campbell County led me to believe that the deal was going through smoothly and efficiently. I had sent to Chicago and had a special gold Masonic ring made for...