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III. An Introduction to the Georgia Chain Gang
- University of Georgia Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
C H A P T E R I I I An Introduction to the Georgia Chain Gang ND HERE another surprise awaited me. I had never seen a penitentiary, but had read that they are large institutions of stone and are surrounded by a huge wall After about one hour's ride, we arrived at the so-called penitentiary. It was a place called Bellwood in Fulton County, Georgia. It consisted of a few old dilapidated low wooden buildings. Here I was put into a suit of "stripes"—no underwear or socks—just a two-piece suit of cotton "stripes," and given a pair of large brogans about four sizes too big for me. Next I went to the blacksmith's shop. A heavy steel shackle was riveted on each ankle, and a heavy chain ^(similar to a trace chain) was permanently fixed to connect the shackles. There were thirteen links in the chain—making it impossible to take a full step. This was known as the "strad" chain. In the middle of the chain (which ran from ankle to ankle) another chain was fixed. This chain was three feet long and on the end was an iron ring about as big as a silver dollar. This was called the upright chain. In order to walk it was necessary to hold this last chain in your hand, to keep it from trailing on the ground. 47 A 48 I Am A Fugitive When I had been properly chained and examined by one of the guards I was hustled into a truck and taken to Sandy Springs camp, also in Fulton County. This was a long wooden building, one story high, with cots and mattresses along each side. The inside was just rough boards with an iron-barred window here and there, and open toilets down the center. At one end of this building was the mess hall, and at the other end, the washroom . At night, another long chain was run down alongside of each cot. The prisoner had to sit on the cot and hold the iron ring of the upright chain in his hand while the guard ran this chain through the iron ring. This was called the building chain and was securely fastened at each end of the building after being run through the iron ring of each prisoner's upright chain. Thus each prisoner was securely chained up each night and could only move three feet from his cot. Any movement of the prisoner caused the chains to rattle and a corresponding curse from the guard. If it was necessary to get up to use the toilets, the prisoner must first yell "Getting up" and then wait for the guard's reply "Get up." The whole process was very noisy and was accompanied by the clanking of heavy chains. The chains the prisoners wore were permanently riveted on them, and were worn every minute of the time. They worked in them, slept in them, were a part of them. The chains could not be taken off unless they were cut off with a hammer and a cold chisel. A leather contrivance (something on the style of a garter), called "leg belts" was attached to each leg to hold [34.201.16.34] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 15:56 GMT) The Georgia Chain Gang 49 up the shackle and keep the strad chain off the ground, while working. The upright chain was looped through the belt and it also helped to keep the "strad chain" from tripping up the prisoner. The whole weighed about twenty pounds, and was exceedinglyawkward and at times painful . Sometimes the shackles would rub sores on the ankles and this was known as "shackle poison." We were awakened every morning at 3:30 A. M. by the process of a guard pulling the building chain through the iron ring of our upright—and if we did not get up and get a strong hold on the iron ring, we would find ourselves pulled out of bed and dragged to the next cot by our feet. Very few of the prisoners removed their pants at night, preferring to sleep in them, rather than go through the Houdini trick of removing them through the shackles, which was a difficult task. Breakfast was eaten by lamp light, and consisted of one cup of very bad coffee, a piece of hoe cake or fried dough, made of grease and white flour; and three small pieces of...