The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-03-13
staff Correspondence ofthe State.

Anderson, 3. c.. March T.-Following Is the
text of the special commttee'S report which
was submitted by the grand jury TO the court
to-day:
The special committee appointed by tine
grand jury to investigate the matters 10
which your attention was directed by bis
honor, Judge Benet, at the Februery term ol
court respectfully report.
That we have made az close an eXaml tion
as our limited time would permit.
In the case OF Magistrate J. j. GilDer we
find that TOR some time past he has been In
the habit of issuing warrants and causing ar
rests and frequently committing accused
persons to jail without ever entering the case
upon his docket. This Ia especially true
where the cases have been compromised after
the arrests were made. We find that from
Sept. 16, 1889, to Jan. u, 1901 he made pay.
ment To the county treasurer OF a number OF
fines and Items or costs collected by him, but
that during that time be collected through
The sheriff's office alone the following items
OF cost which properly belonged to the county
and failed 10 pay them over 10 the county
treasurer as required by law.
Here are itemiZed items anontipg to
We lind that Feb. 10. 1901, after this inves-
tigation was begun, the said j, j, Gilmer paid
the county treasurer the sum OF s53W 10
cover these amounts. While we have not
been permitted. for the lack OF time, to make
a full Investigation ofall the Irregularities OF
this office, we are convinced he has been
guilty Of the grossest irregularities, and we
would suggest that complete invest igation
OF his books and accounts should be had and
that he should be presented Tor misappro-
priation ofthe funds SO collected by him.
THE FATE OF WILL HULL
Rearding the arrest OF the negro VIII Hull,
which you were directed by the court TO in.
vestigate. we find that a warrent was issued
by Magistrate Gilmer for the arrest OF this
negro an affidavit OF A. T. Newell, charging
him for a violation of lahor contract, and
81 fhnr Nff fhn n TOR
was deputiZed by the Magistrate TO serve
said warrant: that the constable 80 depuiized
requested the deputy sheriff. j. A. Diling-
ham, to go along with him and assist In max
ing the said arrest and representing that
said Hull would probably create trouble
when arrested and the assistance of the
deputy sheriff would be needed.
The arrest was made on Friday night and
the negro was brough to Anderson on the
same night. The deputy sheriff suggested
that the prisoner he taken TO Jail, but the
negro said that he would perfer TO go on with
w. 5. Newell and that MIR. Newell Informed
the deputy that the magistrate had instructed
him that he should carry the prisoner ON
home with him.
subsequently the magistrate was informed
by the prosecutor that the case had been
compromised and that the negro had agreed
to stay with him and work out his contract.
The rest of the facts were brought out in open
court We eXonerate the deputy sheriff from
all blame in the matter,
The principal work Of this committee has
been the investigation OF The stockades Of the
county and the abuses OF laborers under
tyrannous contracts that has grown out OF
the farming out OF convicts and the working
OF free laborers with them. We have taken
the testimony OF more than so persons
that OF
THE LANDLORDS, THEIR orERSEERS AND
GUARDS,
together with large number OF laborers and
fnt Nfh al n nlt tltl-
tons we have been treated with every cour-
tesy and genera lily we have found no dispo-
sition 10 obstruct our work upon the part oi
those whose farms and stockades we visited.
A most careful inquiry failed to reveal that
any general abuse Of the laboring class exists
in this county, so that our wor X noon narrow
ed down 10 those places where stockades
existed and free laborers were employed. We
visited the farms or j. Belton Watson A. T.
Newell, P. b. Allen, J. K. Miller. Elias McGee
w. q. Wammond and j. S. Fowler.
THESE ENoNERATED
We were unable to find any abuses at the
farm OIL b. Watson. He has a stockade and
and works free labosers also, but we found
the stockades and worked in line with the
convicts or subjected TO and illegal restraint
or abuse.
The same thing was true at the farm OF p.
Il. Allen. We found that he had taken two
contracts in which the laborerS agreed io
work under guard and be lock ed up at nigh
aborers SO far az we could ascertain, was tina,
these provisions had never been enforced.
A. r. Newell works State conv victs. and has
stock ade, but he has work ed no free aborers
along with the convicts recently. when he
has taken Two contracts OF that sort. One ol
these was the case of the unfortunate negro
Will Hull who was killed by w. S. Newell a
few weeks ago and whose case Is referred tC
above.
"FREE LABOR ~
J.. Miller formerly worked convicta, but
they were taken away by the State, and he
now EMPLOYS only "iree" labor, " indeed We
NAV nse the word free to describe those labor
ers who have signed his contracts and sub
iected themselves to the conditions existing
ON his farm. He has a stockade which was
originally built for his State convcts and his
contracts provide that the "free' labOrers vii
work under guard ana VIII allow themselves
lock ed up at night
met by a statement from the negroes thai
they were satisfied with their treatment, bu
THEIR MANNER INDICATED COERCION
and subsequently we made further investga
| tions which convinced us that j. II. Miller
| and his overseer j. A. Emerson. had beer
guilty OF whipping negroes, looking them uE
! at night, working them under guard and put
| Ting shackles upon them. Among these un
| rnrtunates were John Harrison VIII Wright
Warren Sloan and Lge Jones. We founC
| several Of Mr. Millers contracts left blank n
| to the time of service and amount to be paid
| though the contracts were duly signed ant