The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1866-06-01

occasion, when one of his guards re-
ported to him that cOlored woman
had spoken disrespectfu!Iy of him,
without ever inquiring what the wo-
man had said. he ordered her to be i'm
prisoned till O'Clock next morning
when she should be brought before
him to answer for the indignity. In
one instance he imprisoned six children
for ten days for playing in tie streets
on the Sabbath day. He imposed Il
fine Of 500 upon an aged freedman for
haying told another freedman that he
was about to he arrested by Mr.. FitZ.
This poor old man not having the mon
ey to pay the fine, was imprisoned un-
til neztoay. whenh hi> son paid the same,
with 50 additional jail fees.
The land upon which the huts in this
settlement are built Is owned by GER
tain heirs in North Carolina, and is
held by the Bureau as abandoned prop
;. erty. a tax which superintendent
Fitz says goes to the support of the
Bureau, is imposed upon the owner Of
each hut for ground rent. If the occu-
pants fail to pay the tax promptly they
are either turned out into the streets or
imprisoned, and in some instances huts
have been torn down by order of the
/ Superintendent for non-payment OF
tax. All business transacted by these
people Is taxed for the same purpose
Five dollars per month is levied on ev-
cry little shop, s2 on each tishing-boat,
- on each horse and cart, Se. The fail
uFe 70 pay Iiis7e taxes "lieh oue al "lic7
suo]ecto the properly 10 eo!iIisc|Iloii'-
We We're unable 70 ascertain "ha5 a
mount oI hlohe> ll''' Oe'5i 'oi'ec's" -
superintendent fiJE' OF "'iat uiApo9l-
ton mad been made Of H. me ilhpef-
feet manner in which his books were
kept would have needed lengthy ana
"el'ile' eA&'''i'i'''AoH iiSe',>7''l9 =" ~
1--WE aV even Il" d dPt'IoAl'i'1''e '''S', VI ''iS
amount "l money coilecteu' III al
s"er 10 questlon a. 10 What Ju9Aii''"-
ton there was Tor the oppressive pas-
oeiis ne ilu IL'l PoSeu upon "'e>g p9'
PIE superintendent fllA rtPIe" lil'''
capt. NeeieT loio MN l must 'iS'\ Z /"
Thousand collars hiohIi from lli"O
settlement. ne al9o lu'lli9Heu u
with sworn statement Aere"ltD iul''-
ISied' marked -, III "hlch ne az
teAipI9 70 oeleIl" HE coii"uct' o% STAT
Ii9 tlal ne "c'ou III q 'S1'le'Ic7 10 'II0
orders OF ms superior o1ucef7 III the
bureau.
In an interview we had with Capt.
Seeley, that officer eVinced desire TO
shield Superintendent Fitz, by stating
that a great deal of what was said a.
gainst him was false, Notwithstanding
that he had sworn testimony before
him that the charges against titZ We're
true.
While at Newbern investigating the
conduct OF the officers uf the Bureau,
and the reported expressions OF the
freedmen by this class OF persons, our
attention was called 20 the alleged kill
ing OF a freedman by white emp-oTe
Of Col, Nhittiesey, Assistant ConFai~-
sloher OF the Bureau fos North Carroll
na, anu Rev. Horace James, formerly
Assistant QuarteFna~Jer, on their plan
tation IN Pitt County Mr., James,
MhIie III the United States serV.ce' was
superintendent OF the ''ufelu lof me
district now under charge oi Capt. See
ley, and Is now agent OF the Bureau,
without pay, for The county III which
he is planting, The circumstances uu-
der which the freedman was killed, as
stated by Mr. James himself, are is
i0Iiows:-The freedman was accused Of
stealing provisions from the store Of
Col. Nhiittesey ana James, was ar
rested, tried and convicted by Mr..
James, Is Agent OF the Bureau, and
wao sentenced to dig bitches Oh their
plantation. While working out his
! sentence he ran away, and was pursued
by Jame.'s clerk, Boyden, who arrived
at the bank of a river while the freed
man was attempting 70 cross in a ca
noe. boyden ordered NINA 70 return,
telling MN II ne ol0 not ne Wouio
shoot hl'h, anu Iile Ifee''iilah, uI9re-