The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-18
WILL BE
TRIED FOR
PE0NAGE
Rich TuTpsnllne Operators Are
Accused Of a Grave and
Unusual Crime.

Pensacola. Fla. Nov 1s.-The Federal
grand jury for this district of Florida has
Just brought I'm a joint indictment against
three wealthy turpentine camp owners,
charging them with peonage
This crime is so rare that few have
probably ever heard OF IT, and yet II is a
very serious one, with heavy penalty
attached The term Is borrowed from Mex
leo, aud means To hold a debtor in invol-
uhary servitude until a debt is cancell-
ed.
The indicted men are Daniel Douglas,
John Thomas and r. G. Nevis. aud they
are the first to be accused OF peonage IN
the Southern country and possibly I'm the
United States.
Their counsel has made a motion 10 al
low them to 60 free under bonds until
the March term OF the United States
court in this city. The complainant Is a
negro named Walker. who declares that
he and his wife were held slaves and mail
treated by the accused.
The defendants who are widely known
business men OF Washington county, Flor
ida conduct extensive turpentine stills
and their operatives. mostly illiterate ne
groes are sometimes very troublesome
They drift from one still to another
throughout the southern sta ties and gsner-
ally when a new hand appears at a camp
or turpentlne settlement he II on his last
resources.
To cke out a miserable existence seems
10 be their only ambition, and as they ar
rive at the camps i'm a paupsrized condi-
tion the opera tors advance to them
small amount OF money and q working
OUTFIT with the understanding that the
property is 10 be returned when services
are no longer given, and further agree
ment that the men must stay until they
have given a proportionate amount OF la
Dor for money advanced.
IL is declared that cases are frequent
where the workmen are never paid more
than 81 a month for labor, and In some
OF the stills this wage is no longer re-
gsrded as out Of the ordinary. The igno-
rance OF the laborers is taken advantage
Of
In June last there passed through
Washington county a half-educstsd negro
named Walker He engaged himself 20
one of the turpentine operators. Es had
his wife and child with him, ara very
soon firing OF the rough work. he bundled
his wife and child In a wagon ard started
away.
When he had gone but q few miles he
was overtaken by Douglas and Thomas
and forced to turn back. and later, Walk
er asserts. they were ducked I'm pond.
-
he murdered.
Th complainant was afterwards beaten
and otherwise brutally treated, he says.
and in fact he and his wife were subjected
10 such treatment that when they were
told that they were 10 he murdered they
fully believed .hey would, and requested
that their chila be sent TO relatives.
The man and his wife were returned
TO the camp and subjected 10 slavery,
with no privileges, they say. They man
aged 10 get away second time, and were
again captured and ill-treated
District Attorney John Eagan and
Judge Charles Swayne say this is the
first case OF it's kind. and that final de-
cision OF case affecting the particular
statute will be of interest all over the
country. Punishment in case OF a convic-
tiOn Is an option OF fine OF 5000 in each
case. or Imprisonment for not more than
five years al hard labor.