The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-30
NOT MISTREATED
DENIAL MADE OF CONTRACT
 JUMPERS' STORY,

 Italians Who Fled from Their AlsHana
 Job Told Some Large Stories
 When 1n New York.
 Judge J. M. Carmichael yesterday made a positive and. emphatic denial of a news story published in The New York Herald. alleging that Italian im- migrants who came to Alabama to work in the coal mines were grossly mistreated.
 The Italians for some reasons jumped the contracts they had made with the labor agents and the mine operators On their return an attempt was made to compel them to keep their contracts To offset this they made the assertion that they were grossly mtstreated In the mines where they were worksd saoe by side with convicts. They declare that they were treated worse than the convicts.
 The publication in The Herald fell under the eye of we'll known Ala bamian who is spending the summer In the East. He wrote Judge Carmichael calling his attention to the publication, and intimating that he was from his position the best man to affirm or deny the truth of the publication. In view of the libellous nature of the puolica- tion Judge Carmichael made strong denial of the assertions as published.
 The article in question as puphsneo in The Herald is as follows:
 How miners fare in the coal mines of Alabama and Virginia was illustrated by testimony yesterday at a hearing of the Southern Immigration Society against S. s. Schwartz before Fred erick C. L. Heating. Commissioner of
 A &-I1 Cnh arf& = m ed the tables on the society by compell- ing withdrawals of the complaint aginst him and forcing Herman Robin son, who represents the Central Feder- ated Union and the United Mine Work- CTS of America, to appear as a com plainant against the society.
 Robinson said John Mitchell. presi- dent of the Mine Workers Union, had found 1t was the society which here deceived applicants for work as to con- ditious in the Southern mines.
 John Hooters, of No. 117 Broad Street testified that he was shot at by Swartz at the instance of the immigra- tion society and that while he worked in the mines he was in constant fear or his life.
 "One day" he said. T asked the fore- man for the money due me and he pull ed a revolver and fired at me three  shouted. or you get no money. He struck another man on the head with the butt of his pistol and knocked him senseless.
 "At night the hut we slept in was guarded by men with guns. who were told to shoot if we tried to get away. I escaped after two weeks. The mine we were in used to be worked by con- victs, and we were told we were the first batch of free men that worked In them, We were treated worse than convicts. All the foremen carried re- volvers."
 Nathan D. Stearn. who appeared for the immigration society. said he would bring witnesses to show that the socie- ty told all the men the true state of affairs before sending them to the mines. and if any misrepresentations were made employment agents not directly connected with the society were responsible. The hearing will be continued today.
 The letter of the Alabama man on this publication Is as follows:
 Hon. J. M. Carmichael. Montgomery.
 Alabama:
 Dear Sir-I beg to hand you enclosed clipping from The New, York Herald of July 26th.
 In view of the growing tendency in the South to promote immigration, and the efforts which have already been made by AIabamians to suppiant the depletion of negro farm hands by foreign labor. I feel that there has been some mischief done by parties un- friendly to the South. Steps should be promptly taken to correct the re- ports and to disabuse the minds of the commissioners of the gross misrepre- sentations against the Southern Immi- grafton Society and the South gen. erally
 Immigrants can be sure of a health- ful climate in our uplans by official statistics. or mortality. and longevity; they may be sure of religious freedom. and of good educational facilities. and of ample returns for their labor, by a grateful soil and a beneficient cli- mate; they may be sure that our soil and climate are favorable to the cul- tivation of nearly all the fruit and vegetable crops in the world, and to be able to find a ready market for their product. ~.~- -s.-
 The day Is not far distant when there will be. all over the South, count less factories that will change raw cotton into yarn and cloth; that will give employment to a multitude of la borers.
 You are in a position to refute ef- ficiently the injustice done to the South, and I believe an appeal to the business men. and to the Cotton Ex- change of New York. would meet re- sponsive and practical help-for the lessons of the cotton famine of recent years are fresh in the minds of the industrial world. Their interests are closely identified with /the Southern producer. and their help and influence would be of vast benefit for the com- mon cause
 I hope you are enjoying good health.
 Yours very truly,
 In reply Judge Carmichael wrote:
 Dear Sir:-I have your note of re- The New York Herald, to which you refer, and I beg to assure you that I concur entirely with you In relation to what is contained in your note It Is amazing to the Southerner of ordinary intelligence. to observe the tendency to misrepresentation of the South, upon the part of some people. Why such purpose In the mind of any man should exist, is beyond me to comprehend, but that 1t does exist is apparent from many circumstances. Being connected with the management of convicts, in the State of Alabama, I can speak authoritatively, and with full knowledge of the treatment of convicts in this State, and feel sure that what I say in the premises will meet the appreciation and confirma- tion of all good citizen in the State and of the convicts themselves.
 The present management has endeav- ored from in inception. to improve the condition of the convicts. and that the effort has been crowned with reason able success. is apparent to all the people in the State. The convicts are