Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-05-30

child in the cradle in which il died
On another occasion, when one OF bis
guards reported TO him that a colored
woman had spoken disrespectfully OF
him, without even inquiring what tho
womnn had said, he ordered her to be
imprisoned until the next morning al
nine o'clock, when she should b,
brought before him to answer for tn,
indignity. In one instance he impris
oncd six children for ten days for
playing in the streets on the Sabbath
day. He imposed fire of sixty dol
lars upon an aged freedman for hav'
ing told another freedman that he was
about to be arrested by Mr.. Fitz. This
poor old man not having the money
10 pay the fine, was imprisoned until
the next day, when hls son paid the
same, with three dollars additional as
jail fees.
FITS TAxER.
This land upon which the huts in
this settlement are built is owned by
certain heirs in North Carolina, and
is held by the Frcedmen's Bureau as
abandoned property. A tax, which
Superintendent Fitz says goes to the
support of the Bureau, is imposed upon
the owner Of eachhut for ground rent.
If the occupants fail to pay this 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 nou.payment Of the tax. All bus
mess transacted by these people is
taxed for the same purpose. Five
dollars per month is levied upon every
little shop two dollars on each FISH
ing boat five dollars on each horse
and cart, &c. The failure TO pay those
taxes when due at once subjects the
property taxed to confscation. We
were unable to ascertain what amount
of money had been collected by Sup
erintendent Htz, or what disposition
had been made of it. The imperfect
manner In which the books were kept
would have rendered a lengthy and
detailed examination necessary to ar
rive at even an approximate idea of
the amount of money collected. In
answer to the question as to what
justification there was for the oppress-
i've burdens he had imposed upon these
people, Superintendent Fitz replied
that Captain Seeley told him, 81 must
have thousand dollars Il month from
that settlement" He also furnished
Ws with sworn statement, herewith
forwarded, marked "E." in which he
attempt to defend his conduct by stat
ing that he acted in obedience to the
orders of his superior officers IN the
Bureau.
CAPTAIN sBELEY SCREENING HIS sUBoR-
DINATEs. fGt
In an interview we had with Cap
tain Seely, that officer evinced a desire
to shield superintendent Fitz by stat
ing that great deal of what was said
against him resulted from prejudice,
Notwithstanding he had tho sworn
NoGt bctOro AAith thht ttAo chAfGOD 1
against Fitz were true.
BUREAU OFFICERS SHOOTING DOWN A
FREEDMAN.
While atNewbern investigating the
conduct of the officers of the Bureau,
and the reported expressions of the
freedmen by this class of persons, our
attention was called to the alleged
killing Of a freedmen by white en-
ployee of Colonel Whittlesey, assist
ant commissioner of the Bureau for
North Carolina, and the Rev Horace
James, formerly assistant quarter
on their plantation in Pitt
county. Mr. James, while in the
United States service, was superin-
tendent of tho Bureau for the district
now under charge of Captain Seeley,
and is now an agent of the Bureau,
pay, for the county in which
he is planting. The circumstances
under which this freedman was killed,
as stated by Mr.. James himself, were
as follows The freedman was accus-
oN VI obO1iiuS piONtoiOho llOin VHc SloIc
of Colonel Whittlesey and Mr.. James,
was arrested, tried, and convicted by
Mr. James as agent of the Bureau, and I
was sentenced to dig bitches on their
While working out this
he ran away, and was pur-
sued by James and his clerk, Boyden,
who arrived at the bank of river
while the freedman was attempting to
cross in a canoe. Boyden ordered
him to return, telling him ifhe did not
he,would shoot,and the freedmandisre-
yarding this order, Boyden fred. Boy
len states himself that he thinks he
iit him, and as nothing has ever been
Ieard of the freedman since,it sgener.
lily believed In the neighborhood that
le was killed and fell from the canoe
nto the river. These facts were stated I
n letter forwarded to Colonel Whit ,
lesey, who returned it to Captain q
'eeley with the following endorse {
nent: {
RALEIGH, March 2S, 1866. G
- l,l1 H.. Al N "