The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-11-24
CHARGED PEONAGE
THIRTY-ONE INDICTMENTS RE
TURNED by I. 5. GRAND JURY.
PROMINENT CITIZENS NAMED.
THIRTEEN OF THE CASES WERE
AGAINST THE NTREES.

Had Violated the Law Through
Ignorance of the Existence of
such statute - Negroes Had
Learned to Depend on White PeO-
pie to Pay Them Out of Trouble
and Went Willingly when Their
Fines Had Been Paid, to Work and
Settle Their Obligations to Their
Denefactors-Accus VIII Plead
GuiIty-Cases Worked Up Through
Secret Service Agents.
The most remarkable case of peonage
that has come to the attention of the
government was brought to a head
yesterday when the United states
grand jury, handed in thirty-one in
dictments against some of the most
prominent citizens of the state, charg-
ing them with unlawfully selling and
buying human beings, and forcibly de-
tanning them in violation of even the
privileges offered by the law in cases
of legally convicted criminals.
A year ago the matter was suggested
as a fit subject for investigation by
the Legislature, but through influence
Of the highly influential people involved
the matter was dropped. Indignation
was expressed in the localities, where
the evil was said to exist, and promi-
nent citizens, according to the tesu
mony introduced, finally brought the
matter directly to the notice of Presi-
dent Roosevelt through the medium of
a petition to see that justice was visit
ed on those guilty. The President
referred the matter to the Attorney
General, who in turn referred it to
Assistant District United States At
torney Alderman. Mr.. Alderman went
TO work on the case last June and since
that time has done little else, but gath
er evidence, and prepare it in a clear
and concise form for the grand jury.
secret Service Men Called In.
AS soon as he had entered upon this
arduous task, Mr.. Alderman discovered
that there was need of trained men in
the art of gathering evidence and in
formation, and he asked Chief Wilke
of the Secret Service to send him a
suitable man, and it was largely due
to the perfect chain of evidence built
by the government expert that the jury
a short time.
There were thirty-one indictments in
all returned by the grand jury. Thir-
teen of these were against Edward j.,
William and Frank l. McRee of Val
dosta; three were against Messrs. Clay
ton 3. and John A. Mcleod of Mont
gomery county; four against W&iam
+. Crawley of Ware county and Thorn
as J. Mcclellan, and several against
Mcclellan separately. Two other cases
were presented and indictments We're
returned, but as these are against ir-
responsible parties, no public announce
ment will be made until they are taken
in custody by the government officers.
All of those against whom indiCt-
ments were returned yesterday were ar
rested, and will probably give bond
to-day. 1t is also probable now that
these cases will come up for hearing
before Judge Speer, and in several in
stances pleas of guilty will be entered,
and eXtenuating circumstances of ig-
norance of violation of the statutes will
be offered.
McHees VIII Plead Guilty.
This will undoubtedly be done IN
the cases against the Messrs. McRee,
as they openly admitted that they
were guilty of the charges preferred
against them, but believed after con-
sulting with counsel, that they had a
right TO hold a man until he had work
ed out a fine.
The statute in such violations of the
law, prescribe that the guilty parties
shall be subjected to a fine of not less
than $1,000 or more than IS, 600 or to be
put in the penitentiary for period not
less than one year nor more than five
years or both fine and Imprisonment,
at the discretion of the court
The evidence introduced before the
grand jury was most conclusive as well
as sensational. In some cases it was
shown that negroes had been SEN
fenced to serve thirty days in the coun-
ty chaingang, and that they had then
been sold to mill operatives and others,
who worked them as long as they
pleased.
The System of Selling.
Under the Georgia system when a
prisoner is fined the fine goes to the
officers of the court. When they fail
to pay the fine they are sent to the
county changing, and the officers de-
rive no benefits from their conviction
This goes to the fund known as in
solvent costs. 1t was shown in the
investigation that officers of the law
had brought prisoners before the court,
convicted them, and on finding that
they could not pay their fines, telegraph
many prisoners fined so much each,
and these petty slave holders would
pay the costs of the court, take the
negroes in charge and exercise the
same system of governing them as was
exercised in the county and state
Chaingangs. 1t was shown that one
negro woman. who had served seven
months in one of these tready-made
chaingangs, had never been guilty of
any offense as far as the courts had
been able to find. and books of the
courts offered in evidence bore out this
statement.
Over 100 Witnesses Summoned.
Not less than 100 witnesses have
been summoned to Savannah to testify
in these cases, and the prominence of
those involved has caused the proceed
1ngs to be watched closely, and the
findings of the jury Will no doubt Gre
ate sensation in the localities where
all of the parties concerned are well
known, and in many cases highly es-
teemed
1t was further shown in evidence
that those negroes who had been re-
leased from the custody Of the law.
and turned over to those who paid
their fines, were put in stockades;
guards We're put over them, and they
were in every way treated as regu-
larly convicted criminals doing time
in the state and county establishments
provided for their punishment.
II the prisoners who had been con-
Victed and had been sent to the county
chaingangs, the officers of the law
would not have derived any benefit
and from the records it was shown
that there had been a gradual de-