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

meut aud more, for the evidence shows
tnat uumber of these uotortunetes
have been worked uoder guard aud
guo, have been locked up at night aud
90 Sundays and have been shack k!ed and
whipped Among those who suffered
these things at the hands of Mr. Ham
mood and his overseers, Wm Bailey
James Martio aod Day are the
following: Isbam AbercromO bic, P;ok
Rogers. James Clinton, Joho He0ey.
Tom Parks. Charley Johnson aud John
CIiukscales Several Of these we're 10
lsi at the time of our examination
They had been iodicted last fall for
gambling. had beeo taken out Of Jail 90
bond By Mr. Hammond aod kept at bis
farm without trial until the lnvestiga
ton began. when he surrendered them
back to the sheriff
The negro. Ton Parks, whose case
vas called to the attention of the grand
jury by the presiding judge, vas
released almost Immediately thereafter
he was taken forcibiy aud Without
tris! uuder one of the labor contracts
above referred to and cou6ned IN the
stockado. worked with the cooviots
aud eufered the other abuses above
mentioned uotil this investigation was
begun We learn that perhaps score
of other laborers held under similar
contracts have left this farm duriog the
past few weeks One of them, Pink
Rogers. states tba; be was given a
whipping OF so lashes by Wm Bailey
at the stockade
We think that the facts disclosed
demand that W Q Hammond, James
Martio, Wm Bailey and - Day
should be presented by the grand jury
for the violation of Law above mentiou-
ed and we so recommend
j S Fowler. who first used the
contract providing Tor free laborers %
be treated as convicts, worked uuder
guard. locked up etc employs co.,
siderable uumber of con victs aud also
of the SO called free laborers he
has tao stocksdes, one Of Which is
under the supervision CT James Cook
aod which was formerly managed by
Willis McGee The otber is under the
charge of Levi Thomas At these
farms the coDvicts and free" laborers
have been worked together under Q
guard who carries guu, they have
been locked up at night apd some OF
them shipped There vas 90 evidence
of aoy of them have been shackled
Some Of them had been accused OF
trivial cfenses aod we're put uuder
contract to work out debts or to repay
money advaoced for them James
Evaus. Baylis AFTER, AloOzo Lark,
Frank Bowlao. John Bell, Robert
Brova, Foster Butler. Dan Hill. Willis
Harper, j oe Whitfield. jim Rice, gohn
Gillian, Turoer Walker, Audrev
Dobbs, Dock Freeley aud Drayton
Wheeler are some of the negroes who
have been coe6sed in Mr. Fowler
stockade
Willis McGee, James Cook, Levi
Thouss, George Thouss aud Mike
Robbins should have preseotneats
made against them by the grand jory
for whipping different ones OF these
uegroes Willis McGee was especially
cruel 1t was testified that he had
givao the negro Bsylis Arser 100
lashes on one occasion and that be
whipped Robert Brovn mos, severely
aud cruelly aud 90 one OCCASION shot
Eve times at Drayton Wheeler. one Of
the baile,s passing through Wheeler
bat The testimony goes TO show that
George Thomas shot at Dook Foeeley
aud that be was also ready at the
Vhippiugs
Andrew Dobbs was found to be
suffering from rheumatism wh,oh be
says was brought, on by beiog conpell
ed to staod almost waist deep 10 mud
aod water In cold weather dltchiDg
q vas arrested by A. NJ Bailey, who
bas been acting as sort of constable
for J S Fowler, but vas never tried
J A. Rice is negro of rather weak
mind uho was captured somewbere 10
Georga and charged With hsvro g
escaped from j s. Fovler's ssockade
iO this county Upou being brought
here it was found tha: be vas DOT the
msn be was suspected of being bat
nevertheless after being kept for
several days in the stocksdehe entered
into ooe of the labor coutrsc,s and has
been in the stockade for several
mouths. though unwilliogly there A
number of free" laborers have left
Mr. Fovler's farm siaoe these investga
tioos were first beeuo but some unvill-
ing ones we're still 10 the stockades
when we visited them
We found 20 evideoce to connect
/ NJ ~,