New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-04-16
From Georgia.
j ustice.
Justtce.
AUGSTA, Ga, April 8, 1871.

AUGSTA, GA, April :, 1871.
To he Editor ofhr Nep National Era:
Your readers may feel some interest in re-
gard to Georgia matters, l therefore send
the following items:
We have Oh the outskirts of this city a
large brickyard owned, at present by man
named Burke. In his employ as s,pcrinten-
dent is man named Dennis IIallahan, who
formerly owned the place. In this county
we have county court which has jurisllic-
ton in both criminal and civil cases of the
lower grade, and has also entire control of
county affairs. This court is at present pre-
sided over by Judge Claiborne Snead, by APP
pointment of the Governor. Judge Sncad
was the nominee Of the Democratic party at
our last cleo ton for State Senator. The Re-
publicans put no candidate of their oM n in the
field, but united on an independent Demo-
cratic candidate to defeat Snead, because of
his having made himself particularly Obnox-
ious to the party as member of the House
of Representatives. Snead was defeated.
Soon aftcrward he was appointed Judge of
this court, before which almost exclusively
colOrel are tried. Soon after his appoint
ment, he made contract with IIalla-
han, the then owner of the brlckyard, to
work all of the criminals sentenced to the
chain gang in the county, at stipulated
price, to be paid into the county treasury.
There being much profit to all parties con-
ccrned liz this arrangement, and the larger
the number of cOnvicts the greater the profit,
the next thing was to get hands. Well,
charges Of the most trivial nature were pre-
fcrrcd against colored people, male and fe-
male, and being carried before the county
court, they arc, promptly sentenced TO the
changing for six or twelve months and
sent to brickyard. The wife of poor but
handwriting and honest man, who, learn
was in state of pregnancy, was sent to this
place by the Judge aforesaid for some trivial
oflensc. For some slight cause the man
IIallahan gives this poor dcfenseless woman
very severe whipping. This comes to the
knowledge other husband, who was naturally
| very much incenscd. This came to the cars
| of Iallahan, and he determines to show that
he is not only boss of the briclyard, but of
the city. On Saturday night April 4th, no
| took six of the convicts under his charge and
| one Of his oversecrs, man named Shaw,
marched them unmolcstcd through the city
to the public market, in which the colored
man had stall, and then and there IIalla-
han, Shaw and the convicts knocked him
down and beat him almost to death. They
would probably have killed him had not the
clerk of the market stopped them. AS soon
as the matter became known warrants were
taken out for these men and they were car
ricd before the same judge and on q charge
Of Riot. The parties interested desiring to
have the case tried before higher court, it
dcvolvcd upon Judge Snead to fix the apcar-
ancc bond; and what do you suppose it was
put at for this outrageous violation of law
Why, three hundred dollars. Now, Mr.. Edi.
tor, this is Georgia justice. The cOlOrcd
people are doing all in their power to have
justice mcted out to these ,llians, but have
little hope as the judges and juries arc all
white men, and can't see very plain when il
comes to furnishing white men for crimes
against niggers. Under our jury law colored
men are entitled to serve upon jurics, but
the thing is manipulated so that only occa
sionally n cOlorcd man is drawn, and thcr
when he comes into the court he is informed
that he has been excused. These plain un
vanished facts may so to the world if 20,
are mlnd to publish them in your paper.
Yours, truly, WATCIIMAN.