The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-03-13

VT mliler cOntractS lett blank IS tC
the time of service aud amount to b,
paid, though the contracts were duly
signed aud witnessed.
In the case of Warren Sloan, he
seemed to have been arrested by j. r
Miller and another man, whose name W,
oclld not ascertain, near Central, il
P.ckens county. There is testimony ths
no warrant'was exhibited, if any exi .ted
but he was hsndcuffed and taken to Mil
ler's stockade and kept there until this
investigation began. Since our first
visit to this stoohade he was turned
loose and allowed TO 90 homo. In our
judgement, the said j. r Miller and
j. A. Emerson should be presented By
tho grand jury for the offanses above
mentioned, and We 60 Ieoommt nd.
ELIAS MCGEE PLAN.
In many respects the most remsr.-
able c.so coming under our mott, is
that of Elias Mcgee, who has ney r en-.
ployed State convicts, but who built a
stockade and prepared to treat his la
bore1s as oonvicts. His contracts pro
vide that tho lsborers shall be worked
under guard aud looked up at night and
there was sSdndant evidence to show
that he had locked up in the stocksde.
worked under guard and whipped his
laborers Among those who suffered a
Part or all of these abusese were Wesley
Norman, Handy Earle, Vance Smith,
George Tilly, John Clinkscales, Clar
ence Gsilliard, Evins Wood, LOUIS
Alexander, Norris Jordan. Some of
these negroes had been arrested aud
signed contracts after being put under
arrest. John Clink ,les was accused
by Elias McGee Of stealing cora, WAS
brought to Anderson handcuff ID and
after he had signed contract. but
without any trial, turned over to w. q
Hammond, who carried him to the lat.
ters stocksde. We think the grand
jury should make preseutment against
Elias McGee, aud we so recommend.
w. Y. Hammond runs a large farm
IN this county and employs a consilor
able mum Der both of State conviots and
free" laborers. His contrscts provide
that the free" laborers shall be worked
under guard ard locked up at night.
and they suffer this illegal imprison.
ment aud more, for the evidence shows
that numIer of these unfortunates
have been worked under lu,rd snd gun,
have been locked up at night and on
Sundays and have ben shackled and
whipped. Among those who suffered
these things at the hands Of Mr.. Ham
mond and his oversetrs, VIM. Bailey,
= smes Martin ard Day, are the
folio wing: Isham Abercrompie, Pink
Rogers, James Clinton, John Hewey,
Tom Parks, Charley johnson and John
Clinkscales. Several OF these woro in
jail at the time of our examination.
fhey had been indicted last fall for
gambling, had been taken out of j,il on
bond by Mr. Hammond and kept at his
farm without trial until the investiga-
.5N 5-gEurIIIsllslu = s;,,S-SI issad them
back to the sherif
The negro, Tom hose case
was called to the stVlH the grand
jury by tho presidiug judge, was re
leased almost Immediately thereafter.
He was taken forcibly and without trial
under one Of the labor contracts above
referred to and confined in the stockade
worked with the convicts and suffered
the other abuses above mentioned un
til this investigation was begun. We
learn that perhaps score of other la
borers held under similar contracts
have left this farm during the past few
weeks. Ore Of them, Pink Rogers,
states that he was given whipping Of
30 iashes by VIM. Bailey at the stock
ade.
We think that the facts disclosed de-
mand that w. q. Hammond, James
Martin, VIM. Bailey and--Day
should be presented by the grand jury
for the violation Of law above mention
cd and We so recommend.
j. s. Fowler, who first used the con-
tract providing for free laborers to be
treated as convicts, worked under
guard, locked up, etc, employs con-
siderable number of oouvicts and also
of the SO called free" laborers. He
has two stockades, one of which is un.
der the supervision of James Cook and
which was formerly managed by Willis
McGee. The other is under the charge
of Levi Thomas. At these farms the
convicts and free" laborers have beer
worked together under guard who
carries gun, they have been looked
up at night and some of them whipped
There was no evidence of any of then
having been shagkled. Some of then
had been accused of trivial offensel
and were put under contract to Worl
out debts or to repay money advanced
for them. James Evans, Baylis AFTER
AlopzO Lark, Frank Bowlan, John Bell
Robert Brown, Foster Butler, Dan Hill
Willis Harper, Joe Whitfield, jim
Rice, John Gillian, Turner Walker
Andrew Dobbs, Dock FreeleY ant
Drsyton Wheeler are some of the ne
groes who have been confined in Mr.
Fowler's stoakade.
Willis McGee, James Cook, Lev
} Thomas, George Thomas and Mix
Robbins should have presentment
made against them by the grand jur
for whipping different ones Of these ne
groes. Willis McGee was especial
cruel. 1t was testified that he ha
given the nergo Bsylis Ar,er 100 lsshe
= on one occasion and that he whippe
Robert Brown most severely an
3 cruelty and on one occasion shot fv
1 times at DrAy ton Wheeler, ono of tn
bullets passing through Wheoler's hat
D The testimony goes to show ths
G George Thomas shot at Dock Freele
0 and that he was also ready at the whiI
pings.
@ Andrew Dobbs was found to bo SUI
fcring from rheumatism which he say
was brought on by being compelled
T. stand almost waist deep in mud az
e water in cold weather ditching. II
was arrested by A. NJ Bailey, who ha
been acting as a sort OF constable fo
a < L Il a