The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-05-01
NEWS FOR NEGROES.
Horrors of tho Emigrnnts Lifc In th,
Mississippi Delta-A FootSore EmIyrant'
Return Home Aftcr Sad Trials.

sippi which more than rival the dis
closure of Georgia prison life by the
New York World, were related to q
Chronicle reporter by one of the cs
capped captivcs.
On last Friday afternoon, five mega
mcn arrived in Charlotte foot-sore.
tired, and hungry They had walked
all the way from the Delta of the
Mississippi River, just below jackson,
Mlsslbsippl, since February 18th,
without any food save that which they
begged. They said they frequently
went without food for twO or three
days, and when they arrived in
Charlotte they had had nothing to
cat for three days. At one time they
tasted four days.
Henry Jones, Frank Price, George
Smith, David Young, and Richard
| Clcmmons, are tho names of thc five
who escaped from the tortlres~ef the
negro pen of the Delta OF the Missis-
sippi. They arc cnigrants who
| started from Knoxville, Tenn, on tho
Gtl OF last May, and cainc by Char-
lottc and Atlanta, gathering recruits
all the way to the latter place. About
| fifty went from this city. and whcn
the train left Atlanta there were nine
car loads.
According to Henry Jones, one OF
the escaped party, they were carried
TO the mississippi at Il point just be-
low jackson, by rail. and then carried
across by steamer. When landed on
the Other side they were marched to
q saw mill and turpentinc farm in the
Delta, at short distance from the
| river.
This farm Of about 400 acres was
enclosed by fence 22 feet high, built
of slabs from tho saw mill. The no
| grOcs were marched inside. and the
gates We're locked They were given
In day to look around and become ac-
quainted with their SURROUNDINGS bat
were told that they must liso tt =
next morning ut the sound of the
bugle. At 10 clock The bugle sounded
and every one that did not rise inn
mcdiately was logged with COW
hldc III tho hands of the white over
SccrS.
According to Henrys story, which
he told III a straightforward manner,
| with evidence of truth in his dcmoan~
| on, the negroes were subjected to nll
manner Of cruelties. The women
| were given task of Onc-hali an acre
each to pile logs and burn brush. If
they fnllcd TO complete the task they
were foggci by the OvcrSccrs The
| men were given tasks by the half day.
| ut the different occupations connected
with the saw mill and distillcry; and
If they failed they were tloggcd at
noon and at night
Henry says that number of them
was whipped every day They were
not allowed to write anything about
Their treatment to any one outside
the pen. They were required to work
from 4 o clock III the morning until
| dark III the evening, with an hour and
half for dinner. They were pro
vlded with rude huts, furnished with
beds made OF gunnO sacks for ticking
and stuffed with straw. They were
tcd on bear meat, peas, and corn
| bread. All OF their wants were sup
pied out OF the commissary Their
| wages were paid thcmin checks which
/ were good for anything at the com
| mSSary, no cash being paid them
until the fall, and then the checks
were caahcd for married men only.
Henry says no attention was paid
to the sick, they bcingl left to the cnrc
OF the small children. Medicine
could be bought at the commissary,
but no physician was provided to ad-
minister It. Many of the negroes
consequently died from the lack OF
treatment, but new ones were con
| stantly coming i'll. After one years
Imprisonment in the pen they were to