Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-03-20
ONE CENT.
IMMIGRANTS Ill USED.
Horrible Treatment of White
Slaves in West Virginia.
CHASED BY CRUEL BLOODHOUNDs.


Poor Boheminns Rescued from a Living
Death by Brave Reporter OF Their
own Nationality--ugiy Rumors That
Ono of the Laborcrs Was Murdered.
NEw YORK, March 20-Compelled to
work like slaves under the lash OF task
masters as cruel as they were relentless,
beaten with clubs and rawhides, watched
by armed men night and day, chased by
bloodhounds If they attempted to escape,
with hardly sufficient clothing to cover
their nakedness, no shelter from the win
try blasts at night but that afforded by The
loosely built log "shacks,a bed OF leaves
and the frozen earth for pillow This
family outlines the frightful suiferings OF
the poor foreigners who were literally sold
into bondage in the wilds OF the West Yir-
ginia mountains. There were seventy-ilve
OF them in all, They left New York on
Dec. rs last, with II. l.. d. Rosenthal who
received two dollars each for the men from
| Il. Purcell Jr, & Brother, who had con
tracted to complete the extension Of the
| Norfolk and Western railroad into Ohio.
Rescued by Reporter.
The men before leaving New York had
each to sign contract, the cast iron pro-
visions Of which they were "a entirely
ignorant as the majority OF them were Of
the English language. Three Of the men
and one woman have returned to New
York with b. Herce, correspondent Of Has
Lidu, the New York Bohemian newspaper
| He went INTO the remote mountain camp
at the risk of his life, making an overland
| Journey of seyenty-five miles across swollen
rivers and mountain torrents and through
snow filled gorges.
| It Caused Intense Indignation.
The rescued Bohemians are William
/ Hoffman,, J. Mayer, j. Mraz and Mrs.
Mraz. Ten others who left the mountain
camp at the same time these four did wero
supplied with work in the coal mines at
pocahontas, w Va William Hoffman,
was the man who wrote a letter to Hlas
l.idu IN February, which resulted IN Mr..
Heroes journey 70 rescue the mon This
letter was signed by seven Of the unfortu-
nate Bohemians, and it was published in
Has Iidu and caused intense indignation
among the forty odd thousand Bohemians
In New York.
Was an Awful Journey.
When the first letter from Holman
came the Bohemians discussed the outrage,
] and money was freely contributed to send
] down b. Herce, who had instructions to
Z find the men aud use every possible means
TO liberate them. He graphically related
his experiences yesterday. 'i left New
h York March 2, he said II had a talk
) with Mr. f. Purcell, one Of chs contractors,
/ the day after reached Pocahontas, but he
1 denied all the stories. On the following
Z day he dispatched DR. Mccoy to the Logan
{ county camp, SO that everything could be
s fixed for my arrival there
I ~ started on horseback on March and
s reached the camp three days later I don't
. like 10 think Of that journey The poor
! wretches who made it on foot, some OF
e them without shoes, must have suffered
, the most terrible agonies. Il WAS like
7 journey to Siberia. | crossed over fifty
o streams aud had often to swim my horse
y DR. Mccoy had arrived two days ahead
D Of me
Bloodhounds and Winchesters
"The head foreman Of the men was
british looking fellow named Shinnon,
and there were dozen or more under
9 bosses all armed with Winchesters and re-
yolvers. A pack Of huge bloodhouhds,
! which were kept chained, were baying dis
! mally.
Foreman Shinnon insisted that there
, wasn't Bohemian in the camp, but l re-
quested that the men be marshaled before
me. They were the most utterly miserable
! set Of human beings ] ever looked upon.
They were terribly emaciated and with
hardly clothing TO cover their nakedness
they stood trembling with the fear Of some
new calamity.
n Was Lange Murdered.
= 81 picked out Hoffman at once, and
when assured OF my protection he ac-
4 knowledg I'd that he wrote the letter which
first revealed the mems condition. Then
/ discovered that a Bohemian named
, Iange, whom the contractors suspected OF
/. writing the letter, had been sent away
: under guard on DR. McCoy's arrival The
men said that Lange was routed out at
{, midnight and compelled to leave
"Ten minutes after the men heard two
shots, and they expressed the conviction
that poor Lange was killed Foreman
b | Shinnon told me that Lange was az am
n other camp fifteen miles away
b Bloodhounds for Runawnys.
Z Thirteen men and one woman, Mrs.
p Mraz, were the only Bohemians 1 could
|. find in the camp, and with these / started
I on the return trip to Pocahontas on March
Z. II. We left about thirty poor fellows in
5, the camp-Polacks and Italians. Some OF
:, them tried 60 break away and join US, but
/ they were chased back into camp by the
IS bosses. Three, however, managed to get
, away. One OF the foremen said, as he
|. pointed to the bloodhounds, Those are
4 the fellers that ull bring 'em in ef they try
d to slip as"
4 Beaten Black and Blue.
: J. Mayer, one Of the three runaways 70
Z ferred to, said that the Russian Hebrew
: and the Polack, sent with the three Bo-
= hemians into Ohio, were the two men who
J. tried to escape across the Tug river in a
Z boat Foremen Shinnon, Cross and Moss
q covered them with Winchesters and com
: PEELED them TO recross the river. Their
coats were then removed and Shinnon and
Cross beat the men with rawhides, while
q Moss covered them with revoivers and
! threatened to kill them il they moved.
They were beaten black and blue and beg
/. ged piteously for mercy.
al Spoiled Salt Pork and Bread.
y Spoiled salt pork and bread, Mayer de-
Is clares, was their only food. Their only
II drink was cold water Coffee was served
d | to the bosses. The slightest diso5edience
i caused the offender to be beaten with club
or rawhide Bloodhounds were at once
sent out and the fugitives hunted down
relentlessly On the way to the camp each
!. person had a loaf Of bread and piece Of
a bologna It had to last three days, and
a | Rosenthal, who carried two revolyers, COM
II nalIad them In keen topathar fhraafanfnv