The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-06-26

Death.
New YORK, June 1S.-The results OF
the infamous human traffic carried on
by certain downtown employment
agents, who send ignorant, newly
landed Immigrants to Southern task
masters to be abused, starved and NAL
treated, was well Illustrated in letter
handed to Superintendent Jackson at
Castle Garden yesterday.
The letter was written BY Adolph
Metzgar, one of Seventy-fve men sent
down to ProgreSo, Mexico. 1t was ad-
dressed TO Adolph Trick Of No. IA
Lewis street. New York, who handed II
to the superintendent. The letter was
dated at ProgreSo on May 25, 1899, and
the wayerins lines showed that the
writer penned it while suffering from
great physical weakness.
Jack Fitzpatrick, Liverpool Jack, IS
now said to be under three indictments
for sending men to death in this way
He has place at No. 80 GreenWlchstreet.
Here is MetzSars letter:
s.DEAR FRIEND We were eleven days
on the water. After the fifth day the
heat became unbearable. We went by
way of Newport News. After losing
sight of the Florida coast on the sixth
day l felt unwell and got the fever and
ague. Twenty-Five of my fellow pas
sengers suffered the same way.
'SWe did not 90 by the steamer City
Of New Mexico as per agreement, but
on the Tropic, fruit steamer. Ny SIT
uation while on the ocean defies deScrlp-
ton. I shudder when think OF It.
l lay four days sick on the ship and SIX
days ashore in a miserable hospital
without windows The heat IS so IN
tense that the skin peels from the face
and hands. The water is hot, there is
no beer and the wine is not fit to drink.
We sleep on the sand out of doors and
the mosquitoes troubled me so much
that am again in the hospital.
''We have to work harder than slave.
We were all cheated by the company
and are in a frightful condition. Pro
greSs is in he'tropics in the hottest part.
| am not well able to write, as my hands
ave benumbed from hard work and my
whole appearance is miserable in the ex-
treme, so that you would hardly know
me.
''The greatest misery is caused by the
heat and the natives, who as yet have
not seen many white people, and are
very hostile. Two of our party, dis
heartened at the condition of affairs,
have drowned themselves. Three that
ran away were caught and arrested. We
intend to go to California If we can get
'sWe don't get any news from any
where and we are like prisoners. What
VIII become of me God knows :.
II have kept a diary which I shall
send to you when l think my end IS
near.
eli you hear nothing from me in four
weeks write to my friend in Vienna.
Any letters you have for me send to me
in care of Agencia Commercial, IN
Progreso, Mexico. Write to me as II
you were my brother and state in the
letter that father is dead and that |
should start at once for Vieuna. This is
the only way I can think to be able to
get away from here.
ssADoLPH METzGAR."
Detective Groden was at 2lce de,
tailed to investigate the case. The
Sderectfre wes- IfNissr-f1e W
where the men were engaged. Mr.
Trick, who handed in the letter, saic
Metzsar was man who could be de-
pended upon, and that he had not ex
aggerate6. Detective Groden said thai
the sending of poor, ignorant lmml
grants to Southern ports to be worked
to death was no uncommon occurrence.
In some cases the victims are kidnapped
and if they ever escape they rarely
make a complaint. The agents know
this, and trust to the long distance from
New York to hide their rascally trans
actions.
It matters not a iot to the employment
agent whether the men hiring the immi,
grants are human devils or not, so long
as he gets his money for securing the
victims. The men are generally treated
like brute beasts, and when they arrive
in the Southern port they are turned
over to foremen, who divide them intc
gangs and are worse tyrants than the
slave drivers of the South.
Hardly bad Adolph Trick left the Gar
den yesterday when two pale faced met
entered. They gave their names as Nj
ehaet and Franz Poppe. They were
AustrianS, they said, and arrived IN
America early in May. On May "A they
were engaged at No. 10 Battery Place tc
work for farmer near Witzburg, L. l.,
at s14 per month. They worked one
month and were then dismissed, the
man refusing to pay them one penny,
They were poorly fed during the month
employed. Superintendent Jackson said
the case would be thoroughly investi,
gated.