Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1895-05-02
WORSE THAN SLAVES.
NEGRO CoLoNIsTS LuREo ToA MEX
lCAN SIBERIA.
Twelve Hundred People Taken From yarI-
Gus Southern States Surrounded by
Armed GeArds-E Escaped Persons Relate
Tales of a wfuI Brutality.


Tales of wfuI Brutality.
Some months ago a scheme was formu-
lated whereby few men hoped To get rich
lhls was 10 settle "a section of land which
had been obtained from the Mexican gov.
ernment with negroes from the southern
states. The project was heralded far and
wide, and when the missionary efforts of
the schemers began they readily found
many persons willing to go 10 the strange
country under the promises made them of
an easy life and eventual independence as
reward of industry
The advertisements offered glowing in.
ducements to the negroes. Railroad fare
was To be advanced, TO be paid back out OF
crops made In four years. Clothing, pro-
Visions, medicine, etc, were also 20 be ad-
vanced In fact, picture was drawn of a
regular FL Dorado.
The advertisements, seconded by the
smooth tongues of negroes in whom they
trusted, secured about 300 men, women
ana children for the enterprise More than\
ZOO OF these poor people are still kept
there by armed guards, worked under a
system of slavery worse than Russian ex.
lies in Siberia without the comforts and
many OF the necessaries of life, with no
schools or churches, without even the pri
vacy of sleeping apartments, with no hope
OF succor, save through the federal govern.
ment of the United States, which may not
take steps for their deliyerance for months |
To come.
From their arrival in Mexico the colo |
nists began to be disillusioned. They were |
loaded in wagons and taken 80 miles into |
the country. The advertisement read that
the colony was on a railroad.
When they finally arrived, however. they
found that they had been swindled No
houses were there, and they were com
Delled To sleep as best they could They
had been told not TO bring bedding as it
would be provided; they had the cold earth
or mattress and the sky for csver.
The company began putting up quarters
or them, however, and as fast as one pen
vas completed as many as could crowd in
lept there The quarters are built of adobe
,ricks-sunburned clay-in the form OF a
quare, with gates strongly guarded Front
walls there are none, and any one may see
nythlng transpiring in the front section.
Zach OF these pens is about eight feet
quare. 1t will thus be seen that no priv.
cy whatever is possible.
To make this more serious matter the
Vater Is strong V impregnated with alkali
nd causes very severe form of diarrhea
which has caused several deaths
The medical attendance is confined TO n
iexican who = dsurk all the while. and
Tho uses quininc rs prescription in ev
ry case.
The commissary established by the com
any and controlled by the only white man
4 the colony, a German. dispenses food.
il Rnr Of
andful of cracked corn and once week a
title lard and rice
Coffee is also given out once week on
aturday nights.
All are compelled to work together. The
ay begins with the first signs of dawn.
lexicans hitch up the teams, so that there
ill be no chance Of any escaping by {
leans Of "a stolen mule All day long the !
Ibor goes on, Mexican guards armed with
eavy revolvers and well mounted keeping
ose watch that none gets away Nightfall
ads the day. The workmen are allowed
return 10 the quarters at midday for a
zeal, but this was only gained after a
uasi mutiny. {
sunday Is day of rest only because the
'lonists absolutely refuse to work on that
ny No rations are issued. the guards q
wing, No work, no eat +" 1
Mexican poems work on Sunday, and the c
sgroes are told that their share of the 9
ops will be taken to pay for this labor, L
hich is form of robbery which can be {
Dheld by the courts. :,
Negroes cannot buy land, for they receive :
wages The company promised that no G
would be established, and
at the laborcr would DO paid in cash n
ot cent has been given out n
Escapes have been few, though many at
mpts have been made When a negro a
no has got away Is recaptured, he is tied O
id put in Jail until he agrees TO return to h
)rk :,
There are now about 90 men and women a
no have made their way TO Texas. Most n
these are in San Antonio, more Of them
Eagle Pass. I,
The latest escapes, so far as heard from, II
IRE three women, two of them with ba- n
rs III their arms They had made their I,
~ 10 within 200 miles of Eagle Pass, Al
d then, overcome by exhaustion and Y
* of food and water, they lay down by
D railroad. a train crew of white men r
md them and brought them To Ciudad
rfirio Diaz, whence they crossed to h,
gle Pass st. Louis Republic III