Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-01-29
THE EXODUS INVESTIGATION.

The Senate committee on the colored exo-
dus investigation, have commenced their la-
bors in Washington. A number of witness.
es have been examined, but as yet nothing
has been elected attaching political sigui6.
canoe to the movement. J. E. O'Hara, col.
ored, West Indian by birth, and claimant
to the seat occupied in Congress by Mr.
Kitchen, from the End Congressional district
of North Carolina, is one of the witnesses ex'
amined. He gave very favorable account
of the condition and treatment of the
colored people in North Carolina. In his
county-Halifax-they owned at least TO-.
900 acres of valuable une6cumbered land,
and enjoyed equal prosperity with the white
people of the same pecuniary means, and
we're treated by the wealthier classes equally
we'll. He testified that although there was
at one time some 'bulldozing' in the counties
bordering on South Carolina, there never has
been any political prosecutions in the counties
affected by the present exodus, and that there
is none now in any part of the State. White
mechanics had no prejudice against working
with colored mechanics, and there was no
discrimination against the colored people in
the courts or on juries. The witness thought
that the exodus was the work Of agitators
who went about the country stirring up and
deceiving, by false representations, the less in.
dustrious part of the colored population.
On Saturday, j. P. Dukehart Of Baltimore,
Southern agent of the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, was before the committee. His
testimony, which shows the movement to be
a mere speculating scheme so far as the rail-
roads are concerned, is reported as follows:
He testified that he made several visits to
North Carolina in the interest of this com.
pany, to secure as large share as possible Of
the exodus travel, and effected arrangements
with the local promoters of the movement by
which the Baltimore and Ohio Road obtain.
ed the transportation of all the colored peo.
pie who have gone from North Carolina to
Indiana, at reduced rate. In all the ar.
rangements the company agreed to pay q.
Taylor Evans, of Goldsboro "a colored man
who worked up the emigratiou), drawback
of one dollar per head for each full fare pas
senger, aud fifty cents each for all half tickets
sold. This was well known standing in
ducement held out by himself and the agents
of competing roads to get men like Evans,
Perry and Williams to get up as large an emf
grafton as possible. Evans told witness he
commenced working up the exodus system
months ago, by means of mass meetings, secret
societies, &c. that while in North Carolina
he had seen a good many circulars, asserting
that the colored people would find plenty of
work in Indiana at wages from one dollar
to one dollar and fifty cents per day. Perry
and Williams also circulated reports that
the emigrants, on reaching Washington, would
be provided with new clothes and transpor-
tation to Indiana or Kansas. The circulars
included what purported to be certificates
from the North Carolina colored people who
had gone to Indiana that they had found
work, and advised their friends to follow.
Witness thought the exodus would continue
as long as the negroes could raise money to
pay their fare, or until checked by unfavor'
able reports from their friends at the other
end of the line. In this event, he would 60 to
Indiana, and try to secure them as passen-
gers back over the Baltimore and Ohio lines.