Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-06-26
HELD IN ABJECT SLAVERY
1N'i.
Negro C0nvicts Are Virtually owned
BY the Contractors.
~
CONDUCT REGULAR TRAFFIC IN THEM
Men and Women Compelled to Work.
naked. --Boys Tortured until near
yDead for Running AWay.--Sher-
iii and other OMciais Said to BE
Involved. rs 7s$Gv N

MONTGOMERY, ALA. - Especial.
Thus far authentic cases Of peonage-
slavery is better word--have beer
found in three counties of Alabama
Tallapoosc. Coosa and Lowndes. The
last named county is still under scru'
tiny. The sheriff is accused of main
tanning pepps in addition TO- conrpk
ing the regularly convicted county
prisoners. His. name is Dixon and he
one of five brothers who dominate
the politics, of Lowndes county. They
are rough, violent men and they have
succeeded in creating so much terror
not only among the blacks, but the
white of Lowndes county that wit
nesses against them are exceedingly
difficult to obtain. ..,.. ..,
One, negro named billiard Freeman
whom three Of the. Dixons are said to
have nearly killed because he left the
sheriff's place at Hayneville and Wis
tied his mother seven miles away
without permission was pursued right
to the entrance of the United States
court house in Montgomery by the
brothers. Freeman has been sub
poenaed as a witness to appear before
the federal grand jury. According TO
a story which the boy subsequently
told to United States District Attor-
ney Reese and his assistant, Mr.. Stern
feldt. the brothers, one of them the
sheriff. warned him that If he told the
truth to the grand jury he would be
killed upon his return to Lowndes
county.
NEARLY BEATEN TO DEATH.
The boy had been fearfully maltreat-
ed The Dixons pursued him to his
mothers cabin on the occasion of his
flight from Hayneville. They entered
the cabin by force, took Freeman out
of doors, and in the presence of his
mother, beat him savagely over the
head with pistols. Then rope was
tied around his neck and the other
end fastened to horse. Two of the
Dixon's took position in the rear Of
tho negro boy In this order they pro-
ceeded back to Hayneville, distance
of seven miles. The boy had to keep
his feet regardless of the speed at
which the horse travelled, or be stran-
gled. !. ...n .... o.,
After he reached Hayneville he was
mercilessly beaten with a gin strap
across the bare back and legs. He
does net know how many blows were,
struck, because he lost consciousness
after the fifteenth, but there is testi-
mony to prove that the total number
was not less than a hundred. They
were blows struck by a man over six
feet in height and = weighing $50
pounds, and they were blows, more
over, that were administered with all
the strength lie could put into them.
The only wonder is that the boy sur
'vived the punishment.
NEVER CONVICTED OF CRIME
The most extraordinary feature Of
this case is the victim was never legal
ly convicted of an offense against the
law. Dixon, inihis capacity as sheriff,
had plenty Of prisoners in his chain
gang who were legally convicted OF
wrongdoing, but he believed he needed
poems and created them at will. Os-
tensibly he took the Freeman boy
into his employ at an agreed rate or
wages. The boy. signed contract by
the terms of which he agreed that
Dixon could treat him as a prisoner.
The first experience which he re-
calls was one involving beating ad-
ministered by one of Dixon's subordi-
mates. Dixon told him that they were
educating him to be a trusty.. The boy.
IL now Under the protection of the
United States attorneys in Montgom-
cry. The attempt Of the Dixons to
force him to perjure himself before
the grand jury under threat OF death
would have been followed by quick
punishment of the brothers by Judge
Jones If proper corroberative proof Of
the episode could have been obtained
Lowndes county is in the center OF
the black belt and its negro Dopuia-
ton outnumbers the whites nearly ten
to one. Tie Dixons dominate its poll
tics absolutely, Their influence, more
over extends to state politics. This
case serves to illustrate what peonage
has brought upon the state.
CARRY ON REGULAR SLAVE
81 TRADE. - -
The most shocking disclosures OF
the investigation thus far center in The
counties of Coosa and Tallapoosa.
Here peonage in it's worst form has