The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1895-08-19
NEGROES WE'RE BADLY TREATED.
Colonel Sparks Tells the Extent of
Their SuGerinRs.

Colonel Sparks Tells the Extent OF
Their suferings.
Birmingham, Ala, August n.-(Special)-
Colonel Jesse w. Sparks. United States
consul at Piedras Negras, Mexico. was In
the city this morning. lie was passing
through the city en- route to Murfreesboro,
Tenn, his home, for twenty-day rest and
vacation.
He was seen by reporter at the depot
and Passenger Agent c. w. Ely, of the
Southern Pacific railroad, gave an intro
duction.
Colonel Sparks is just from the Alabama
NEGROES who left the state in January
last to work on farms near Torreon, Next
CO. under a colonization scheme and who
have suffered untold agonies since
their departure The papers from
time to time have given full ac-
counts of the horrible condition
into which the negroes fell after leaV-
ing here Colonel Sparks told a terrible
dition. 1t was through his work that they
were gotten across the Rio Grande river
out of Mexico. and TO Eagle Pass, In Tex
as, i'm the country of the land of the free
end brave.
The whole story is horrible one" said
Colonel Sparks, land | have worked my
self down. almost, trying to help the poor
beings out Of their trouble. AT present
there are about 500 negroes in the camp,
four miles out from Eagle Pass, and there
are nearly 200 cases of smallpox among
them. When / left day before yesterday,
there were but few deaths. The camp is
i'm charge of the government ana Df. NC
Gruder wcll known around the Georgia
coast. IS the main physician. lie has four
assistants.
'The negroes were treated real badly on
the farm. The man who came to Blrmihg-
ham after them acted more like a tyrant
than anything else. The negroes We're lock-
ed up In jails for the most petty cases ana
when they didn't do as he wanted TO they
We're made to suffer. They received no pay
hardly and the food and water that was
given them was not as good as that fur-
nshed dogs here.
Il demonstrated with their exporter about
this treatment of the negroes and he told
me that he had his regular policemen and
he had given them instructions to so three
ana four times week through the negroes
quarters, and when a house was iouhd
dirty or anything at all wrong the negroes
were TO be fined 81 or be locked up In a
hot Jail.
"When the negroes began leaving, much
was done to them to prevent their scat
terng. The Mexican government could
not or would not assist them l was appeal
ell TO and ! sent a telegram to the authori-
ties at Washington. and they replied that
] should do the best | could. After much
trouble / got several hundred OF the ne
Eroes aboard a train, and when we got
ready to cross the bridge, discovered that
Mexicans were resulting the movement. The
engineer on the train opened the throttle
and the resistance of the MeAlcahs was
nothing
I'm tie United States. at Eagle Pass,
it was found that smallpox had broken
out among the negroes and that Two OF
them were dead. These were buried and
a camp "; $ Eurredly made for the rest.
The poor negroes were badly provided
for as To clothing Nearly every one OF
them had dog Of . young coyote VOL
These they seemed to treasure, and the
poor beasts were in the same condition as
The negroes.
"rhc government will furnish no cloth
ing for the negroes but will take care OF
tltm With medical attention. The negroes
ere in abJect distress.
Il have infoi NATION that there are stil
10 negroes on the plantation and seventy
two at Torrcou. OF The latter number
| report has IT, that ltty-two have the small
% X and therefore, cannot be removed.
Colonel Sparks gave it as his opinion
that as soon as the negroes get able
il majority of them will accept work IN
the cotton fields Of Texas. II Is not proba-
| He. SO he says. that they viii ever leave
the United states again.
There ss q crop growing, said Colonel
/ Sparks ION the plantations whore thcse
negroes worked and it viii be splendid
one The United States government should
take some steps toward rcscuing a part OF
IL for tie distressed negroes Fhey raised
il and considerable money Will be realized
ON il, no doubt.
Colonel Sparks IS a well known Tonnes
sccau. He is a brave eN-confcderate sol
der having served IN General Forest
command during the war. Ills nome IS
an Alurfrecshoro. Tenn. and he has many
friends in that section of tho country lie
has taken up the cause Of the poor negroes,
and he SAYS that he intends pursuing
to the end.
Colonel q. ". Ely. of the southern Pa
cihc railroad, who recently returned from
Mexico. where he went to see about bring
ing the negroes back, corrohorat"d the
greater part Of Colonel Sparks's interview.
colonel Ely said that the railroads would
bring back those negroes out of the lot SO
Wishing to their old homes in Alabama,
and take chances on getting the next CON
gross 10 pass a Tin allowing pay for II.