Sheriff Replies to Cooper
An Interview From Rawlings’ Attorney Riles Official
Sheriff Passmore responds to criticisms from Attorney John R. Cooper regarding his treatment of the Rawlings prisoners and shares his perspective on the claims made.
Sheriff Passmore’s Statement:
To the Citizens of Lowndes County:
My attention has been drawn to an article in the Macon Evening News and Augusta Chronicle purporting to be an interview with J.R. Cooper, attorney for the Rawlingses. This article requires a response. Cooper states he will request the prisoners’ removal from this jail due to the alleged treatment they receive from me.
Let me clarify that I have treated Mr. Rawlings as well as he would allow, despite his and Cooper’s contrary claims.
The last time Cooper visited the jail, he requested that I remove Rawlings and his boys from their cell. I agreed to take out the boys but refused to remove the elder Rawlings, as he has been unruly at times. Cooper, notably, is working for a new trial for the boys, not the elder Rawlings.
Cooper claims to have received a “pitiful” letter from Rawlings, stating “I seize every opportunity to annoy him. This is untrue. Rawlings has complained about being made to sleep on the same cot since July. That is accurate; if he remains here for ten years, he will continue to use it unless the commissioners provide new ones. Let it not be forgotten that the little Carter children have rested in the same place since last July, too.
Rawlings also complains about the jail’s sanitary conditions. While they are imperfect, his personal hygiene is largely to blame. He has access to water, soap, and towels, yet it is well-known that he has not bathed in six months. The only “strict” measure enforced was an attempt to make him bathe and wear clean clothes.
Cooper’s claim that I’ve deliberately made Rawlings’ stay uncomfortable is baseless. His boys have given me little trouble. It is known that pickpockets offered as much as $2,700 for their freedom while detained here. Similarly, Rawlings has made offers of large sums to escape.
I suspect Cooper’s push for their relocation aims to bolster an insanity defense and improve their chances of escape. Cooper accuses me of siding with the state throughout the case. I have only fulfilled my duty: ensuring the guilty face justice and the innocent go free.
Cooper’s focus on technicalities and delays may explain his distrust of me, but I suspect it reflects his own methods.
Respectfully,
J.F. Passmore
Attorney Cooper’s Claims:
Macon, June 28—Attorney John R. Cooper has filed a request with Judge Robert G. Mitchell to transfer J.G. Rawlings and his sons from the Valdosta jail, citing cruel treatment by Sheriff Passmore.
Cooper received a letter from Rawlings, describing the sheriff’s alleged harassment and stating he has been forced to sleep on the same cot since last July. Rawlings also complained about the jail’s poor sanitation, claiming it has made his stay unbearable, to the point that he would rather die and “go to hell” than endure it further.
Cooper has asked Judge Mitchell to move the prisoners to Savannah or Macon.
Rawlings’ defense has long accused Passmore of making the elder Rawlings’ stay intentionally difficult. Cooper also alleges that the sheriff refused to let him confer with Rawlings outside of his cell, forcing their conversation to take place through bars, within earshot of pickpockets.
The execution of J.G. Rawlings is scheduled for July 13. However, as the boys’ appeal will not be heard until July 16, Cooper plans to request a temporary reprieve from Governor Terrell.