The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-03-15

NN.-pO"t " - UA16A6 w aIIou cAOAn
and Liogo Jones. Wo found several Of
Mr.. Miller's contracts left blank as to
the time Of service aud amount to be
paid, though tho contracts woro duly
sigaed and witnessed.
In the CASE of Warren Sloan, he
seemed to have boen arrested by j. r
| M!!!er end another man. whoan name NO
GOULD not ascertain, near Central, In
P,ckons county. Thore is testimony that
no warraD twas exhibited, if any oxi ,tod /,
but no was handouffod and takon to Mil.
ler's stockado and kept thcro until this
Investigation began. Since our first
visit to this stoohado he was turned
loose and allowed to 90 homo, In our
judgement, tho said j. r. Millor and
J "A. Emerson should bo prese nted by
tho grand jury for tho offaGaes above
mentioned, and we so reoomme nd.
ELIAS MCGEE s PLAN.
In many TosPccts tho most remark
able case coming under our notice iB
that Of Elias Mcgee, who has mover ON,
ployod State oonviotI, but who built q
stockado and prepared to troat his Ia
boreIs as oonvios. His contracts pro
vide that the laborers shall bo worked
under guard and locked up at night and
thero was abundant evidence to show
that he had locked up in tho sookade,
worked under guard and whipped his
laborcrs Among those who suffered a
rart oiasll of theeo abuseso wero Wesley
Nornao. adyEarlo, Yancs Smith,
| George Tilly,John Olinkscales, Olar.
onoe Gailliard, Evins Wood, L,uis
| Alexander, Morris Jordan. Some Of
these negroes had been arrested aud
signed contracts after being put under
arrest John Clink. Gales was accused
by Elias McGce Of stealing oorn, was
brought to Anderson handouff ID and
! aftor he had signed o contract. but
without any trial, turned over to w. @
Hammond, who carried him to tho lat.
tors stockado. We think tho grand
jury should make rresontment against
Elias McGoe, and wo 40 recommend.
w. y Hammond runs a large farm
in this county and employs a considor.
able nun ocr both Of State convicts and
| Nfreo" laborors. His contracts provide
that tho FREQ" )aborcrs shall bo worked
uldor guard and lack cd up at night,
and they suffer this illegal imprison.
mont and moro, for the evidonoo shows
that num- or Of theso uofortunatos
have beon worked under su,rd and gun,
have been looked up at night and on
Sundays and have b;on shaokled and
whipped. Among those who suff sred
those thirg gs ut the hands Of Mr.. Ham
mond ard his ovorsocrs, VIM. Bailey,
Jamos Martin ard Day, are tho
following: Iaham Abororombie, Pink
Rogcrs, James Clinton, John Hewey,
Tom Parks, Ohr rley johnson and John
Olinkscalcs Several OF these wore in,
Jail at tho limo of car examination.
lhoy had bcon indicted last fall for
gambling, had beon takon out Of ! all on
boud by Mr. Hammond and kopt at his
farm without trial until the investiga-
tion began, when he surrendered them
back to the sheriff. B y
/ ~ Tho negro, Tom Parks, whose oaso
was called to tho attention Of the grand
jury by tho prosiding Judge, was ro. ).
leasod almost Immediately thereafter.
tie was takon foroibly and without trial
under one Of the labor contracts above
referfod to and confn I'd in tho stockeds
worked with tho conviots and suffered
tho othor 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 fow
wooks. One Of them, Pink Rogers,
states that he was given whipping Of
| 90 lashos by VIM. Bailey at tho stock
ado. '#"l1
| We think that the facts disclosed do.
mand that w. Q. Hammond, James
Martin, VIM. Bailey and day
should be presented by the grand Jury
for tho violation OF law above mention
cd and wo so reoomm end.
j. 8. Fowler, who first used tho CON
tract providing for free laborers to be
treated as ,oonyicts, worked under
guard, looked up, etc, employs CON
siderable number Of oouviots and also
of the so-oalled ''frco" laborers. He
has two stockades, ono of which is un-
der tho supervision Of Jamos Cook and
which Was formerly managed by Willis
McGco. The otber is undor the charge
OF Levi Thomas. At these farms the
| conviota and "freo" laborors have been
worked together under guard who
carries q gun, they have been looked
up at night and some Of them whipped.
There was no ovidonco Of any of them
having been shaoklod. Some Of ,thom
had beon aocusod Of trivial offensos
and .wero put undor contract to work
out debts or to repay money advanced
for them. James Evans, BayIis After.
Alonzo Lark, Frank Bowlan. John Bell,
robert Brown, Fostor Butlor Dan Hill,
Willis Harper, Joe Whitfield, Jim
Rioo, John Gillian, Turner Walker,
| Androw Dobbs, Dock Froeley and
Drayton Wheolor arc somo of the no.
! groos who have boon confined in Mr..
Fow!or's stoakade.
Willis MoGco, Jamos Cook, Leyi
Thomas, George Thomas and Mike
| Robbins should have presentments
made against thom by the grand jury
for whipping difforont onos Of those no..
grocs. Willis McGce was especially
oiuol. II was testified that he had
given tho norgo Baylis Arter 100 lashos
on ono occasion and that no whipped
Robert Brown most severely and
cruolly and on ono occasion shot fiyo
times at Dfayton Whoolor, one Of tho
bullets passing through Wheoler's hat.
Tho testimony goos to show that
George Thomas shot at Dock Frooloy
and that no was also ready at tho whip.
pings. 81
Androw Dobbs was found to bo suf.
| fovip0 froyo rh aim a t;o,, ,oLsoL IL o.,a