The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-03-06

learn whether or not Mr.. Neal pla &C
in his s,ockade with his convicts an
free negroes. At any rat ), his expert
encc with thus kind of che up labor mus
have been very satlsfacto y, for his eN
ample was promptly folio wed by othe
planters.
j. 5. Fowler, who owns many farm
in the county, and who now has be
tween four and five hundred ncgroc
en- these plantations, hurried TO Colum
bla and got II lease from the prison di
rectOrs. He brought back convict s
and soon improved the system by shut
ting up in his stockadc other negroC
who were not convicts.
Mr.. Fowler is model farmer, aut
If he had lived in South Carolina be
fore the war would have been gener
ally admired as humane and consid
crate slave owner. He treats the ne.
Grocs well. If they are ill., they arc
given the best of medical attention n
they are well they get plenty of hearty
food, so that every one of them may
do hard days work. 1t is true that
they are shut up at night in stockade
or, at least, have been, until the grand
jurors began their Investigation. 1t is
true that there are bloodhounds around
Mr.. FOwlcr's stOCkade, and true also,
that his guards sleep with weapons
within reach. But for all that, he is Il
careful aud kind man to his negro
laborers.
Mr.. Fowler it was who originated,
with the aid of his lawyers, the con-
tract III der which colorcd men are held
| IN slavery. 1t he alone had used that
contract perhaps it would not have
been so hard upon the negroes. But
other planters got the blanks, induced
negroes to sign the agreement, conlin-
cd them in the stockades, surrounded
them with guards and bloodhounds
and abused them shamefuily in many
other ways.
When Mr.. Neal secured the appoint
mcnt as Superintendent of the State
penitentiary, his friends in his home
county prepared to reap rich harvest
by getting their labor for Il mere moth
ing and reducing their system of em-
ployinent TO the plan III vogue before
the war. MIR. Neal's nephew, A. L.
Newell, got Il few convicts and built a
stockadc six miles from Anderson. Mr..
Meals cousin, j. Bolton Watson, was
able to get group of convicts and also
built stockade. Others who benefited
by these convict leases were w. Q.
Hammond, Mr.. Meals bondsman p.
Il. Alien, and julius Miller. Each of
these men erected strong s:ockades
placed their convicts under guard, got
other negroes and placed them also
under guard.
There is much secrecy concerning
the names of the men who, not having
convict leases, built stockades and con.
tined negroes in slavery without even
the color OF the law. But one of these
illegal stockadcs has been visited by
the grand jury. 1t is that of Elias Ma
gee, built on his land in Anderson
County, near the Georgia line. This
man has no cOnvicts, but scores of
slaves. He gets his negroes most OF
them imprisoned for lebt-in Georgia
taking them out on bond from various
Georgia courts and carrying them into
another State to work on his farms.
Persons who ought to be well ac
qualnted with such matters inform
your correspondent that there arc
scores of less extensive stockades in
Anderson County. The records of the
prison at Columbia, however, show
that the only persons in that county
who are entitled to get State convicts
under lease are J. S. Fowler, w. @
Hammond, II. B. Allen, j. b. Watson
and A. II. Newell.
Only few weeks ago w. S. Newell
brother of the man who has the convlc
lease with the State board of prison
directors, was arraiyned in Anderson
County court for murder. He had sho
down one Will Hull, who had been fo
months confined in his stockade by vir
tue of the terms of the rcmarkabl,
labor contract originated by Mr.. Fow
Ter. Hull was not Il convict and nevc
had been. He was free negro. New
ell secured his hold on the man b,
buying up claim for debt against him
and held him in the stockade to worl
out the money it is alleged Hull owed
According to the negro slaves OF
NcWell's plantation, who we've intel
viewed by the correspondent of Tn
: North American, Hull was shot dow
by Newell without any real provoca
, ton. IIull's brother visited the farm
and delivered letter to the prisoner
, This brother advised Will Hull that h.
, was wrongfully held slave and ough
} to leave the Newell farm. A it'll
later in the afternoon Hull informe
l young Newell that he was going t
r leave. The negro slaves on the plan
tatlon, convict and free, who witnesse
tn .ooting say that Newell replied t
this statement or the negro's part b
! promptly drawing gun and shootiE
down the colored man.
r There was brief trial in the coui
(; that took two hours to get the jury
D hear all the evidence and reach vel
: dict. Newell testified that the negro
!, Hull, picked up stone, was in the az
: of throwing il and at the same tim
!. opening knife with his teeth whe
y he was shot. Precisely similar test
Q m"ny was given by the armed guar,
Gray. The jury was out ten minute
: and acquitted Newell on tho grour
!. that he shot In self.defense.
l. This w. S. Newell, who escaped
7. murder charge 30 easily, was seen al
G questioned by the correspondent f
II The North American. He is a we