The times., 1891-03-06
WHITE SLAVERY.
The Story Told by Seven Bohe-
mian Laborers.
DARK DoINGs IN LIBE2TYs HOME.

A Screw Loose In West Virginia, II some-
body Is Not Lying-Procee iings That
Discount the System I'm siberia-The
Whip and Chain Used ON the Laborers
on Railway-Labor Leaders In Penn
sylvania Arrested for Alleged Conspir-
acy-Strike at Pullman.
NEW YORK, March 4.-Seven Bohe-
mians, who were sent from an employ
ment agency in Greenwich street to labor
Oh the railroad near the Pocahontas coal
mines in West Virginia, have written a
letter to a Bohemian newspaper in this
city that is chapter from the blacklist
records of slavery They arrived with i'm
migrants of several other nationalities at
Elkhorn, w. Va, in the latter part of No
vember under the impression that they
were to receive 81. 20 u day and an allow
ance of 80 a month for board. They
signed n paper which was not read 70
them, but which bound them, they after
ward found out, to servitude.
Guarded Like Convicts.
awe were put on train at Norfolk
after our arrival from New York." the
letter reads, "and taken to Pocahontas.
After leaving the train we were told that
we would have to travel one day on foot,
and that we would have to leave our
trunks behind. Instead of travelling one
day we Travelled three. The cold was Sc
we're, and most of our own shoes gave out,
so that we were almost barefooted At
Pocahontas we were joined by two young
men, who rode on mules and were heavily
armed. The agent carried pistol in his
hand. What happened to us after we
reached our destination is sodreadful that
it may seem incredible to you. We are
helpless here, as we are watched and
guarded like prisoners. We did not get
our trunks Until a month after we got
here, and our bodies were covered with
vermin.
Must Work, Ill or Well.
"The food is always the same, bitter,
black coffee and bacon three times day.
Whether q man is i'll or not makes no diff
ference to our masters. He must go to
work, and when not able to work he is
togged until he is black and blue and told
that he has signed the contract and must
abide by it. We have received no money,
and when we ask for it we are told that
we owe $15 for railroad fare and $l1 .Jr
board. At the store we are charged double
for what we get, so that some of us have
debts amounting to $35. Our labor is in
vain, hard as it is; we are hungry, and
our nights are sleepless because of the
cold and the dirt.
The Barbarous Punishment.
"We eat breakfast at in the morning
and go Immediately to our work, which
lasts far into the night. Two men tried
to escape on Jan. 1S. One was Russian
Jew and tie other Pole They were
caught and brought back. For punish
ment they were compelled to wade in
water up to their waists and draw large
boats after them. After this their coats
were taken Off and they were whipped un-
til they begged on their knees for mercy
At night they were chained together so
they could not escape. When we asked
about our trunks and received an unsatis-
factory answer we refused to work We
were confronted with pistol sand told that
we would be shot down like dogs unless
we resumed work.
Well, There Ought To BE Help.
ave have been sold like slaves. Is there
no help2 Oh, if we could flee from here
and save others from similar fate. Per
haps this letter may be published, a d
through providence we may yet be saved. !"
The letter is signed by William Hoffman,
Joseph LANCER, L. LANCER, J. p. Mayer,
Mike Hranyo, j. Mraz, j. Gerry. The ad.
dress is given as Elkhorn, Mcdowell
county, w. Va, care of j. Bowel, Pur-
cells Camp No. 2