The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-01
Coffee County People Set Right.
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DlDdb <AAdss APbh S1s Editor The Advertiser:
 On the second page of The Advertiser of April 26 there appeared under a con- spicuous head news letter from Troy which did great injustice to Coffee Coun- ry as a whole and to several Of its citt- gems in particular through statements wholly foreign to the truth. Your cor respondent must either have been very careless as to whom he applied for news matter or his talent must run toward fic- tion. I am sure that The Advertiser, always careful in the selection of it's correspondents, and equally careful in it's endeavor to print the news as 1t Is with out coloring, will be glad to print the facts as they were and are and. to do 1t in as conspicuous manner as the article complained of.
 Your correspondent was correct in one assertion-Messrs P. J. Ham and F. P. Rainer were given preliminary trial on a charge of peonage. A stenographic report of the testimony was taken, and unwilling to depend on the recollection of the citizens of Coffee who heard the testi- mony, the writer has carefully read the report, and from 1t will give a synopsis of the undisputed testimony in the case.
 A negro, Bob Jackson, was under mort gage to one MT. Hudson; Rainer Bros. & Henderson took up his mortgage ana were advancing him in the year l9Uz. In the summer of that year Jackson be- came involved in church row, was prosecuted by his brethren for disturbing religious worship and convicted; unable to pay the fine and costs he was sen- fenced to hard labor for the county; he then appealed to his furnishing concern, Rainer Bros & Henderson, and request ed them to pay him out and charge It to his account which was already secured by mortgage; this was done, and Jack son went back to his farm. He made a poor crop and having secured large advances was unable to pay his mort gage debt. He deeded to Rainer Bros & Henderson his land in payment Of portion of his debt, keeping his personal property. and about this tune nt his own Volition went to work at the saw mill of Perdue & Ham for dollar a day, and Perdue & Ham took up the balance owed to Rainer Bros. & Henderson. During the time that Jackson worked for Perdue x Ham he was treated in all respects as were the other employees of the saw mill. which worked free lapor exclusively; he secured money and other advances, was on the regular pay roll, worked ana lald off when he pleased, and was under nn physical or other restraint, and during the time that he was furnished by Rainer Bros. & Henderson he was treated as all other customers of that and similar stores, managed his own farm. bought goods, and did as he pleased. These are the facts as testified to without con- troversy in the hearing before the United States Commissioner.
 The article from Troy, 6mong other tatements says that MT. Ham in endeavoring to hold the negro followed him and killed him. It is a fact that MT. Ham did happen to have the misfor- tune to have to kill Jackson in self de- fense. The negro waylaid MT. Ham and shot at him and was in turn shot and killed by MT. Ham. The killing was im mediately investigated and Mir. Ham was tried by a magistrate and discharged. the verdict of the magistrate being that the killing was in self defence Since that time grand jury of Coffee County has met and made a thorough investiga- ton of-the killing and failed to return an indictment. From the Troy letter 1t is made to appear that down in Coffee we sell and buy negroes promiscuously, kill them in cold blood. and the culprits still run at large, whereas the very opposite state of affairs exist.
 One feature of the article from Troy that is especially calculated to make a person think unprintable things is the fact that the article appeared in Tuesdays Advertiser, and testimony in regard to the killing was not brought out until Tuesday. How did the correspondent make such break?
 Another matter is not out of place in this connection; the Troy correspondent mentions probate judge, clerk. solicitors eX-county court judge, sheriff, etc., az being witnesses for the government" as though these officials who had evidently been remiss in their duty heretofore in allowing our red-handed criminals to run at large. had taken sudden fit of virtue and determined to stand up for the right by vigorously prosecuting these malefactors, who are in the article held ID to tho scorn of the world. The Golf fee County officials were in fact the wit nesses of the government in only one particular; they were summoned at the instance of the government
 The temptation is great in this regard to discuss the merits of the case; to teii how the people of Coffee are upholders of law: how they do not hesitate to ex- press approval of the enforcement of the peonage law as defined in the charges of Judge Jones. published in The Advert ser, but do think that frivolous prosecu- tons. Rroundless accusations, etc, are to