The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-31
NEGROES VICTIMlzED
CAME HERE UNDER PROMISE or
BEING SENT TO LIBERIA.
WERE TO SAIL YESTERDAY.
ONE NOTIFIED TO MEET THE
OCEANIC IN NEW YORK.

The Deceived Emigrants Sold Their
Property, Gave Up Their Positions,
and Are Helpless and Dependent.
One of Them Came All the Way
From Texas-He Was Notified to
Go to New York and Sail on the
Oceanic-Sixty-twO Negroes Re-
ceIved Similar Treatment in 1900.
A party of about a dozen negroes is in
Savannah, apparently helpless victims of
an emigration society which secured
their money with the promise of sending
them from here to Liberia. The ship was
to have sailed from Savannah for the
promised Paradise in Africa yester-
day. but no vessel for that
country either sailed or is pre-
pairing to sail, os is, in fact, so far as
can be learned, even bound for this port
for the purpose of taking the colonists.
Two of the men here for the purpose as
they supposed of going to Liberia, are
William Brooks, and Alfred Barren.
Brooks has contract issued by the In
ternational Migration Society of Birming
ham, Ala. 1t is dated Oct 13, 1899; is
made out to William Brooks of Charles
ton, whose destination is given as Liberia,
and states that having received $32 from
the other party to the contract the So
ciety agrees to furnish passage to Liberia.
The contract states, however, that the
society is not under obligations to furnish
passage to any contract holder, until 1900
shall have paid up in full, provided that
at the end of twenty-four months from
Gate of contract, If the society has failed
to secure 1900 persons for a colony, the
holder may surrender his contract ana
receive in return the money he paid in.
Brooks took out two contracts, one for
himself and one for his wife, paying the
full amount demanded, $32 each, at the
time they were delivered. While in
Charleston, Sunday before last, he receiv-
ed from the Liberian Colonization Soci-
ETY., which seems to be the same as that
which issued the first paper, notice that
a colony sailing under the auspices
of this society will leave Savannah, Ga,
for Liberia, Africa, Jan. 3d. 1901" Else
where in the bulletin il was stated that
no further notice to those having the
passage contracts, would be considered
necessary, so Brooks, acting on the in
formation, came to Savannah Sunday
night, in the confident expectation of
sailing for Liberia. AS Brooks has given
up good position and sacrificed his
property to make the trip, he is much
distressed because there is neither ship
TO take him, nor has he received any no
tihcation from the company that was to
furnish it.
were to sail. He has been in Savannah
about month, waiting on the ship that
has not sailed When he took out ,he
contract he was in Palestine, Tex, he
says, but gave UP his job and came to
this city when notified that the colony
would be started for Africa from this port
When he discovered that nothing was
known here about ship bound for Lii
IBERIA, he wrote the company in Birming-
ham for an explanation and received the
following telegram in reply to his letter:
Jan. 26.--Alfred Barren: Colony sails
from New York, instead of Savannah.
Wire at once S25 for extra expenses and
take train for New York and leave on
ship Oceanic, foot of Eleventh street,
S0th, p. m. Wire answer
Barren didn't answer, and two days
later received the following message:
Take first train New York and join par
ty aboard Oceanic, Pier As, for Liberia.
Wire if going or not
Brooks and Barren were the only ones
of the emigrant party that could be found
last night, for though there are about
ten more, they are living in the suburbs
where they can live cheapiy while wait
ing for the ship.
Both men believe the whole thing a
sW indie. but are at a loss as to what
steps to take to secure their rights.
c. l.. Lane, a colored restaurant keeper
with whom the men are staying, said
that he was not at all surprised at the
turn that things have taken, as December
a year ago, sixty-two negroes that had
been brought to Savannah under the same
circumstances, some of them from as far
as Arkansas and the Mississippi bottoms
We're left stranded for six months and re-
ceived neither the promised passage nor
one cent of the money that had been paid
in for 1t.
The mems belief that the entire scheme
is a swindle is a plausible one as not
by the widest stretch of Imagination can
anyone see how they can be ship
ped from this country via the White Star
Line to England, and then be transship-
ped to Africa, all for the sum of $32.
Though it does not appear in his pas
sage contract, Brooks stated that
in addition to his transportation he
had been promised by the agent of the
society twenty-five acres of land, imple-
ments for oultivating it, seed for plant
ing, and support for from six to twelve
months, as might be needed until he be-
came seh-supportiug.
As a further inducement to negroes to
emigrate. the bulletin, that seems to have
been scattered broadcast about the
country, is filled with extracts, credited
10 various papers, and all tending to
show that the negro is imposed on, that
he cannot hope ever 20 get along har-
moniously with the white race, or else
with descriptions of lynchings, that at
Limon, Cal, last November being given
in full.