The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-03-13

farming out Of convicte and the
working of free laborers with them
We have taken the testimony Of
more than so persous-that of the
landlords, their overseers aud guards,
together with large number of
laborers and few other citizens
In these Investigations We have been
treated with every courtesy and geu
orally we have found no disposition
to obstruct our work upon the part
of 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 work soon narrowed
down to those places where stock
AIDES existed and free laborers
were employed We visited
ihe farms of j Belton Watson, a
T Newell, P B Allen, J Z Miller,
Elias McGee, w 2 Hammond and j
5 Fowler
We were unable to fnd any abuses
at the farm of j B Watson lie has
a stockade aud works free laborers
also, but we found no evidence that
free laborers were put in the stock
ades and worked in line with the
convicts, or subjected to any illegal
restraint or abuse
The same thing was true at the
farm of P B Allen We found that
he had taken two contracts in which
the laborers agreed to work under
guard and be locked up at night, but
his own evidence and that Of all the
laborers 50 far as we could ascertain,
was that these provisions had never
been enforced
At Newell works State convicts
and has q stockade. but he has
worked 20 free laborers along with
the convicts recently. when he has
taken two contracts of that sort One
Of these was the case of the unfortu-
nate negro, Will Hull, who was
killed by " S Newell, few weeks
ago apd whose case is rererred to
above
j R Miller formerly worked con
victs. but they were taken away by
the State, and he now employs only
free" labor, if indeed we may use
the word free 20 describe those Ia
borers who have sigued his contracts
and subjected themselves to the con
ditions existing on his farm He has
stockade which was originally
built for his State convicts and his
contracts provide that the free
laborers will work under guard aud
will allow themselves locked up al
night
Our first Investigations at this
place we're met by statement from
the negroes that they were satisfied
with their treatment, but their man
ner indicated coercion and subse
quently we made further investiga
tions which convinced US that j R
Miller and his overseer, J A Emer
son, had been guilty of whipping
negroes, looking them up at night,
working them under guard and put
ting shackles upon them Among
these unfortoaates were John Harri
son, Will Wright. Warren Sloan aDd
Lige Jones We found several Of
Mr.. Miller's contracts left blank as
ss to the tiue of service and amount
to be paid, though the contrscts were
duly signed aud Witnessed.
In the case of Warren Sloan, he
seemed TO have been arrested by j
R Miller aud another man whose
name we could not ascertain. near
Central, 10 Piekens county There
is testimony that no warrant was ex
hibited. if any existed, but he was
bandcuffed and taken to Mller's
stockade and kept there until this..in
vestiga,ion began Since our first
visit to this stockade be was turned
loose and allowed to go home IL
our judgment, the said j r Miller
and J q Emerson should be present
ed by the grand jury for the offenses
above mentioned, and we so recon
mend
In many respects the most remark
able case coming under our aosice is
that of Elias McGee. WHO has never
employed State convicts, but who
built stockade and prepared to
treat his laborers as convicts His
contracts provide that che lsborers
shall be worked under guard and
locked up at night aud there was
abundant evidence to show that he
had locked up in the stockade. work
ed under guard and whipped his
laborers Among those who suffered
part or all Of these abuses were
Wesley Norman, Handy Earle Vance