Above, Convict Labor Camp, J.W. Dunlop Photography Collection, UTA Libraries

Begin with Chapter One ~ Return to Chapter Forty
Former Governor Thomas Mitchell Campbell, January 1913
“I’ve never felt this helpless, Fannie. Governor Colquitt’s going to be the ruin of Texas. Playing Santa Claus with the judicial system. He handed out twice as many pardons at the end of the year as I ever did. You can’t tell me all those men were innocent.”
“But at least your successor exposed the cruel use of the bat for whipping prisoners, Thomas.”

“I admit. Prison guards tend to employ brutal tactics to keep their charges in line, but what will happen within those walls with no discipline? The Governor worries more about the working hours of criminals than factory workers. If the state can no longer farm out this captive workforce, how is Texas going to afford to feed and house them?
Continue reading “An Ostrich-Plumed Hat: Chapter Forty-One”