The state journal. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1883-1885, 1884-01-26
4 MODERN PRESS GANG.
The Way COlOred Men Are I1idnap2e,
and Taken for Oyster Dredgers

| Ahe Way Colored Men Are Kidnapped
| and Taken for Oyater-Dredgers.
A Government Official at Washington
! declared recently 10 a S.ar reporter that
there is q j" gul2r press gang in that city
| employed ID kidnapping colored men,
who are taken TO he oyster fields. He
says: Every little while you hear of a
colored man suddenly disappearing.
| Nothing is heard from him for months,
and his friends believe him dead. He
isn't dead but he might as well be. He
| is down the bay at the oyster beds, and
| his life is as hard as it was, perhaps. in
slave times. There is a regular system
| praciiced in this city Of kidnapping these
men and sending them down the bay to
oyster pungies, and there they are treated
in the most cruel manner. Now, this is
no joke, and | mean what | say. One
case has incidentally come to my notice
which may be taken as a sample of many
others. The facts in the instance I refer
10 are about as follows:
"A young colored man was walking
along the street in October | think
looking for work. lie was accosted by
q passer-by, who asked him if he wanted
job and upon receiving an affirmative
answer, lie asked What kind of work
do you WANT" II want job of wait
ing on the table. ''Well now that's
lucky, there is a steamer | belong to
lying at the Seventh street wharf that
needs walters and I can assure you q
job. Come on, and Ill 60 down with
you"
Upon arriving III the wharf they of
course found thai tic steamer had just
sailed for Baltimore In order not TO
lose such good place The steamboat man
induced the young Colored fellow to go 10
Baltimore by train. 20 rs to catch the
boat there. AT Baltimore, with the prom
isc Of meeting the steamer, hewas induced
20 no out in q small boat. He was taken
10 an oyster boat out in the river, and
When once on board he had no chance of
returning TO shore lie was taken down
The bay TO the oyster beds and is now
there, compelled By the most cruel treat
rlcn 10 work at all hours and in all
weathcr-sick or well. The friends of
the young man only recently learned his
whereabouts, and are endeavOring to Sc 4
cure his release He is a cOnsumptive,
and it is feared he will not stand the hard
life till spring.
''How did they find out where he
was?''
"Wrll, I'll tell you. Another young
cOl0red fellow Of this city who was also
pressed into the oyster service, made up
his mind to escape from his captors, and
he promised his sick friend that if he sue
seeded in reaching Washington he would
let his folks know his whereabouts. This
man did escape by jumping overheard
and swimming ashore. lie succeeded in
making his way up to Washington, and
upon arriving here kept his promise He
tells hcartTending tale Of the cruelt treat
ment they receive at the oyster beds. The
sick man, he says, is compelled to work
at The wndass, when he is physically I'M
able TO do a stroke of work. A refusal
only brings on blows.
This is not the only man down there, he
says, who has been pressed into the ser
vice by some clcverly -concOCled plan.
NOW, this is not fiction that have been
relating to you; and, if the matter is
properly investigated, much more than
what have tod you will be discovered.
Make inquiries in Baltimore, and see if
they don acknowledge the existence of
q press gang, but that they are unable to
break it up. OF course, it is none of my
official business, but happened TO hear
the story, and should think steps ought
to be taken to liberate the poor fellow,
and any others who may be similarly sit
uated.