Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-31
IMMIGRANTS
POURED INTO THIS COUNTRY BY LABOR
CONTRACTORS.
Men Who Sell Human Flesh and BlOOd-HOw
Some Of the Immigrants Are Brought
0vG-ImpOrtsd SUnscuttsrs on
the Texas Capitol.

NEW YORK, July 80 When the Con-
gressional investigation of immigration
abuses was resumed to-day, Nieoll Dalve,
au Italian, testified that he was Sc years
old, farm hand, and arrived here on the
22d of June last on the steamer Charlton
with $50 other immigrants.
He and most of the others came in on
prepaid tickets. His passage was paid by
one CirOceni, whom he did not know.
The usual bargain was entered into with
the man Ciroceni. He signed q compact
to pay back $50 francs for the passage
Ciroceni has the paper in Palermo, Sicily.
Ciroceni gave him letter to a man named
Beradini, at "a Mulberry stIeet.
Witness has wife and four daughters
in Italy. Ciroceni had told witness and
many others that Bsradini could procure
them employment here at 81 so to So q
day. He got fifteen cents day and board
in Italy. Bersdini frequently wrote to
Cirocini for men. In the contract signed
with the latter the name of Beradini did
not appear. Witness had not done any
work since he arrived here. Beradini fur
nished some immigrants with work who
were able to pay him So or 81 as fee.
To secure the agent who lured him here
against loss, he gave q mortgage on his
winery in Palermo, agreeing to pay him
the 250 francs advanced for fare. If the
claim is not paid by the last of August the
agent will take his winery and turn his
family adrift,
Witness lives on charity at present.
Seventeen men came in the same steamer
with witness under the same circumstances
Three of them have found work in Phila-
delphis The rest are living like the wit
mess, on charity. The lucky three had to
promise 20 pay s. each to the Philadel-
phis employer as premium to secure the
Jobs. Witness admitted he was arrested
once for theft, but said he was not held.
Cirocini charged twenty per cent interest
on passage money.
The next witness was Guisseppi POedini.
He arrived here in the steamer Cachimere
with l, 700 others on June I'd last. He
was also induced to come here by the
usurper Cirocinni. His story WAS in sub-
stance repetition af the testimony Of the
previous witness.
After recess from 100 10 2:30, the
Committee called John B. Dyer, Secretary
of the Granite Cutters National Union, to
the stand He is q native of Eoglsnd,
but has been in this country eighteen
years. He knew of stone cutters having
been brought over here under contract to
work. He said that one George Berry,
acting for Gus Wilkee, the contrac-
tor, employed by the syndi-
icate to build the new State Capitol.
at Austin, Texas, had brought over num-
bar Of atone cutters under contract to work
on the job. Witness had received intor-
nation that they were coming and met
them at Castle Garden and three OF the
men were taken before the United States
District Attorney, but he refused to act,
aud they were allowed to 20 to Austin.
Mr.. Dyer presented to the committee an
affidavit, made by Chss. Falconer one, ofthe
party, who says that Berry engaged him
aud number of others at Aberdeen, Scot
land, to come over here and work on the
Austin capitol, he advancing three pounds
ten shillings Of the passage money. Seven
ty-eight Of them came over and fifty-tive
went TO Texas. They came over in April,
1886.
Robert Maitland, another native of
Aberdeen, made a similar affidavit, which
Mr.. Dyer presented to the committee.