The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-03-13

turned loose ana allowed to 20 hOm
In our judgment the said j. II. Mill
and j. n. Emerson should be presen
ed by the grand jury for the offenc,
above mentioned, and we 50 recon
mend.
In many respects the most rcnarl
able case coming under our notice wa
that of Elias McGce who has nevc
employed State convicts, but VIII
built stockade and prepared to ire;
MS laborers as cOnvicts. HIS col
tracts provide that the laborers sha
be worked under guard and locked II
at night, and there was abundant evi
dencc 10 show that he had locked II
III the stockade, worked under guard
and whipped his laborers. Among then
who suffered part or all of thes
abuses are Wesley Norman, Hand,
Earle, Vance Smith, Geo. Tilley, Jcht
Cilnkscales Clarence GMllard, Eyin,
| webb, Louis Alexander, Morris Jos
dan. Some of these negroes had beer
arrested, and signed contracts after
Delug put under arrest. John Clinks
Gales was accused by Elias McGee OF
stealing coin, was brought to Anderson
hand-cuffed, and after lie had signed a
contract, but without any trial, was
turned over to w. q. Hammond who
carried him TO the latter's stockade.
we think the Grand Jury should make
presentment against Elias McGee and
we so recommend.
w. .. Hammond runs large farm
IN This county and employs a consider
able number both Of State cUnyicts
and "free" laborcrs. His contracts
provide that the "free" laborcrs shall
be worked under guard and locked up
at night and they suffer illegal i'm
prlsonment and more, for the evidence
shows that number of these unfoltu-
mates have been worked under ruarl
amt gun, have been locked up at night
and ON Sundays, and have been shock
Ell and whipped. Among those who
suffered these things at the hands of
Mr.. Hammond and his oversccrs, VIM.
BAILEY, James Martin and---Day,
are The following: Isham Abercrom.
bic, Pink Rogers, James Clinton, John
ucwcy, Tom Parks, Charilv Johnson
and John Clnkscales. Several of
these were in Jail at the time of our
examination. They had been indicted
last fall for gambling, had been with
on. trial until this investigation began.
Nhcn he surrendered them back to the
sheriff.
The negro, Tom Parks, whose case
was called to the attention of the
grand jury by the presiding Judge was
released almost immediately thereafter.
lie was taken lorcibly and without
rial, under one Of the harsh contracts
above referred to, and cOnlin I'd in the
'tockade, worked with the convicts,
md suffered the other abuses above
mentioned until this investigation was
)egun. We learn that perhaps score
'f other laborcrs held under similar
contracts have left this farm during the
)ast few weeks. One of them, Pink
Rogers, states that he was given a
of fifty lashes by VIM. Bailey
It the stockadc.
We think that the facts disclosed.|
iemand that w. q. Hammond, James
Martin, "m. Bailey and--Day
should be presented by the grand iury
or the violation of law above men |
i"hSN anu NC 81 recommend.
j. S. Fowler, who first used the con-
ract providing for ''frcc" laborcrs to
DC treated as convicts, worked under
guard, locked up, etc., employs q con-
siderable number Of convicts and also
)f the so called "free" laborers. He
has two stockades one of which is
lndcr the supervision of James Cook
md which was formerly managed by
Willis McGce; the other is under the
charge of Levi Thomas. At these
arms the convlcts and "frce" laborers
have been worked together under a |
guard who carried gun, they have
been locke,l up at night, and some of
hem whipped. There was no evi-
lcncc of any of them having been
'hackled. Some of them had been ac-
cuscd of trivial offenses and were pu.
under contract to work out debts or to
repay money advanced for them.
James Evins, Baylis Artcr, Alonzo
Lark, Frank Bowlan, John Bell,
Robert Brown, Foster Butler, Dan
Hill, Willis Harper, Joe Whitfield, jim
Rice, John Gillian, Turner Walker,
Andrew Dobbs, Dock Frecley and
Drayton Wheeler are some of the
negroes who have been confined in
Mr.. Fowler's stockadcs. Willis Nc.
Gee, James Cook, Levi Thomas,
George Thomas and Mike Robbins
should have presentment made against
them by the grand jury for whipping
different ones of these negroes.
Willis McGee was especially cruel.
1t was testified that he had given tn,
negro Baylis Arter 100 lashes on one
occasion, and that he whipped Robert
Brown most severely and cruelty and
on one occasion shot five times at
Drayton Wheeler, one of the bullets
passing through Wheeler's hat. The
testimony goes to show that George
Thomas shot at Dock Freeley and that
he was also ready at the whippings.
Andrew Dobbs was found to be suffer
ing from rheumatism, which he says
was brought on by being compelled TO
stand almost waist deep in mud and
water in cold weather, dtching. He
was arrested by A. M. Bailey, who has
been acting as sort of constable for
j. S. Fowler, but was never tried. j.
A. Rice is negro of rather weak
mind, who was captured in Georgia by
Elias McGee and charged with having
escaped from j. S. FOwler's stockadC
in this county. Upon being brought
here it was found that he was not the
man he was suspected of being, bu,
ne\ crtheless after being kept for sev