The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-17
HELD IN BONDAGE
SOUTH CARoLINA'S CONTRACT La
BOR SYSTEM.
LOOKS
SLAVERY.
QUEER STATE OF AFFAIRS DEV Ell
oPED IN MURDER TRIAL.

Judge Benet Orders a Thorough In
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Held Under
Labor Contracts which Place
Them Absolutely Under the Con-
troll of Their Masters - Arrested
when Contracts Are violated,
Held without Trial and Given
Same Treatment as COnvicts.
Columbia. S. c., Feb. ia labor con-
tract system, which is virtually a sys-
TEN of slavery, has been in existence for
some time in Anderson county. During
the session of court this week testimony
in a murder trial brought out the facts
10 light and Judge Benet Immediately or
dered full investigation by the grand
Jury the report to be made to a special
term next month
In his charge, the Judge said: Since
the facts first came out. the case of the
State against Newell, charged with muir
der has been tried and during the pro-
gress of the trial of that case It was de-
veloped from the testimony of witnesses
that the deceased. viii Hull had been
killed while in Newell's stockade. To the
astonishment of the court, it was shown
that he was not there as a convict, but
was there under a so-called contract to
labor on the farm.
1t seems that he was charged by New
ell with violation of a labor contract;
that Newell swore out warrant for his
arrest before Magistrate James j. Gil
mer-that the magistrate issued the war
rant, placed 1t in the hands of Newell as
a deputy, and that Newell went to the
home of Will Hull and arrested him. 1t
appears that they did not take him to Jail
and so far as the testimony shows, that
was the end of the process of the law, in
stead of his being taken to jail, as he
ought to have been, under the warrant
by arrest by some strange procedure, ne
was taken to Newell stockade, where 1t
seems that Newell had some IS convicts
al work on his farm.
so, gentlemen, here was a poor negro
taken from his wife and children under
preteXt of arrest. The machinery of the
law was used to seize him, take him from
his home and put him in a convict stock
ade, and work him like a convict with
out process of law. He was under no
sentence Of the court, he had not been
tried. The testimony showed that he was
treated like convict, made to labor like
convict and treated in all respects like
a convict, and indeed, the manner of his
death would seem to indicate that he was
shot as a felon might be shot in endeaV-
Cring to escape the sentence of the law
Gentlemen, this is a serious matter, and
l charge you that it is your duty to make
thorough investigation of this case. You
Will bring before you the magistrate that
issued the warrant and the constables
that executed it. You have the mower to
send for persons and papers and you will
only be doing your duty in making
thorough investigation and reporting
upon this treatment of win Hull"
The Hull case is an example Contracts
made out in regu1ar form. have been used
10 bind negroes to the service of white
farmers. The laborer agrees to perform
general farm work under the supervision
OF the employer or his agents for
stated sum and length of time and the
laborer further agrees "at all times TO
be subject TO the orders and commands
OF the employer" who "shall have the
right to use such force as he or his
agents deem necessary to require me to
remain on the farm" and "shall have the
right to lock me up for safe keeping, and
II l should leave his farm or run AWAY
ne shall have the right to offer a reward
for capture" the reward to be deducted
from the wages due the laborer The con-
tract also gives the employer THE right
10 transfer his interest IN this contract
to any other party" thus enabling the
employer TO virtually sell the laborer to
another. This system is in general use
IN Anderson and some of the wealthiest
and most prominent men in the county
are believed to be working negroes under
these contracts. The investigation prom
iseS to be sensational