The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-06-22
|PE0NAGE
IN SOUTH
Slavery for Debt is a
Common Thing
MANY CASES FOUND In ALABAMA
Federal Grand Jury Is Conducting an
igaton-lnstances of
Cruelty.
MANY CASES FOUND In ALABAMA

Montgomery, Ala, says, among other
things concerning the condition OF
the negro in the south: The federal
grand jury now in session in Mont
gOmery has listened to revelations so
debasing and shocking in connection
with it's investigation Of peOnage in
COOsa and TallapOOSa counties that
its members have determined 10 go
to the bottom Of the whole wretcheI
business. They are prepared to sit
all summer if required to do so. Be
fore they get through they propose to
return indictments against every land
owner. every county officer, and other
persons against whom there is reason
able proof Of completely in the wide
spread conspiracy to enslave hun
dreds Of INDECENT and helpless negroes.
The federal authorities in Mont
gOmery who have conducted the in
vestigation up to the present time are
in receipt almost daily OF letters from
responsible white men in various
parts of the state assuring them that
the crime is not confined to COOsa ana
TallapOOSa counties.
Reese Consu!ts Knox
The chances are mat Attorney Gen
eral Knox, in the very near mUture,
viii designate one or more special at
tOrneys and vest them with authority
to take the field for the purpose of IN
vestigating every complaint that has
reached United States District Judge
Thomas Good Jones or United States
District Attorney Warren S. Reese,
Jr, OF the middle Alabama district.
Mr. Reese is in Washington in con-
sultatiOn with Mr.. Knox. He took to
the national capital large accumula-
ton of evidence in the form of aft
davits and confessions, the former
from negroes 10 hal been held in
bondage and t. latter from persons
under indictmel r conspiracy to re
establish this tGIn OF slavery.
The revelations which the young
district attorney WI make to the at
tOrney general can have no other eff
feet than to cause an immediate
broadening of the investigation and
the rebuilding Of the efforts of every
body concerned to destroy peOnage.
Horrible Crimes Committed.
Crimes that would disgrace and
stain the darkest pages Of the history
of slavery have been committed under
circumstances that render them all
the more aggravating because justice
cannot be melted out to the men who
are guilty. District Attorney Reese
has in his possession evidence of
murder so brutal and revolving that it
requires great credulity to believe its
shocking details.
The man who committed the muir
der will never be adequately punished
because the witnesses to his savagery
were all negroes. You cannot convict
white man in Alabama on the testi-
mOny of black man. This is especial
ly true where the victim Of the crime
is black.
The men who are pressing this in
vestigatiOn. however, themselves ma
tive Alabamians, sharing to some ex-
tent, at least, the prejudices Of the
region against black testimony. are
unanimous in their belief that prece-
dent ought to be set aside. so that JUS
tice an reach out and claim for her
own the brutal young ruffian who de
liberately beat a defenseless negro
woman to death.
Harsh Measures Urued.
In this connection it is desirable
TO revert to an aspect of the peOnage
prosecutions which is giving some Of
the best citizens of the district in
which the system has been carried on
grave concern. They admit frankly
chat they fear an exploitation Of the
conspiracy in the north will tend to
revive and keep alive the demands of
a certain political elements for res
tOratiOn of the franchise to the blacks.
This would continue agitation Of the
race question with all that it implies.
They fear also that the attitude of the
people of Alabama may be misunder-
stood and they want it known that
the sentiment of the state is in favor
Of swift and harsh punishment for
every man who is convicted of com