The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1899-02-01
EMIGRANT AGENT JAILED.
He Had Been Operating I'm the Vicinf'
ty of Verdery-Chased by Blood
Hounds.
Greenwood Index,


| white man giving his name as ]. A.
Britt, and bis home as Climax. Ga. was plac'
ed in jail about three O'Clock Tuesday morn.
| ing on the charge OF being an emigrant agent
His arrest was attended by considerable ex'
! element.
Britt turned up at Verdery last Thursday
| As there had already been one or two emil.
grant agents in that section this winter, who
had carried of number OF negroes VINO nag
made contracts for the year and were In debt
| besides, Mr.. Britt's arrival did not stimulate
any great demonstrations Of JOY on the part
OF the white people. He was shown the law
| on the subject and was advised TO leave al
once and was warned not to attempt TO carry
any OF the negroes with him. He promised
compliance.
only came as far as Greenwood and at once
began making efforts to secure the hands he
wanted. He s understood 10 have made sew.
eral night trips into the Promised Land Sec
tion and to have made glowing promises to
have been tolerably successful. Between
twenty and thirty negroes had promised 10
20 with him and the party was TO leave Mon.
day or Tuesday sPeoia coacn , was s%Ods1 Dr0Gs1t
Britt made every effort to keep his purposes
secret but the matter leaked out 10 some way
and on Sunday afternoon the citizens OF Yer
derry decided that IL was time TO act:-A var.
rant was issued for Britt by Magistrate Can.
field and posse Of citizens came to Green
wood and placed the warrant 10 Sheriff NC
Caslan's hands and volunteered Inelr SERVICES
In arresting the man.
Search was at once made for Britt but he
could not be found in the city and the posse
divided, some of them going down the G. &
met him near salak walking in the direction
OF Greenwood. He was placed under arrest
and brought back to the city and carried to
veIdery on the early train for a preliminary
Upon arrival at Verdery Britt asked that he
be given time to communicate by telegraph
with party Ia Georgia whom he claimed as
his employer. This request was granted and
the preliminary was postponed until one
o'clock. During the morning he sent several
kilograms but no answer was received, and at
one O'Clock the preliminary hearing was
The evidence was such that Magistrate Can
field had no alternative but to send the case
up to the Circuit Court and required bond In
the sum OF $1,000. Britt claimed tnat . ne ne
soon as he could hear from his employer and
begged piteously not to be sent to jail. Mr..
]. w. Scott took pity on the man and offered
to keep The man Ia his custody until Tuesday
This was agreed to by Magistrate Garfield.
and Britt was told to remain In Mr.. SCOTS
store until night. This he promised 10 do and
seemed very grateful for the courtesy.
A short time after, while Mr.. Scott was busy
waiting on some customers, Britt quietly
stepped out the back door and made Dis
escape. AS soon as 1t was discovered that he
search for him was commenced, but without
success.
for, and on receipt Of the message Deputy
sheriff Nj Caslan at once started for Verdery
with the dogs In charge. He reached there
about three hours after the man made bis
escape. The dogs struck. the trail without
trouble and after Q race Of about four miles
Britt was captured 10 cotton field less than
a mile from the town. He was placed under
arrest for the second time and Deputy Sheriff
McCasan at once brought him to Greenwood
and placed him In jail.
The laws in this State against emigrant
agents are very rigid and the penalty for
violation 10 severe. The minimum penalty Is
$500 fine or two years In the penitentiary.
Britt was seen at the Jail Tuesday afternoon
by q represen tative OF The Index. He seem.
ed very despondent and frankly admitted
that he did not know whether he would be
able to give bond: In speaking Of the charges
against him, he denies that he has been try
Ing to induce negroes to leave this section.
He admits that he came here with that inten-
tion but says that when he learned the law
on the subject he abandoned the project and
had not tried TO employ any negroes. That's
what he says, but the evidence against him is
very strong.