The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-12-05
For Cases Of All, 8 PeOn-
age in the Southern
States, Declares Mr..
Lesser.
Will Make Further Report to
German Government Re-
specting Matter.
BASED UPON EVIDENCE ADDucED
AT THE TRIALS NOW IN
PROGRESS IN THIS CITY,
WOULD MAKE NO STATEMENT
REGARDING LETTER GIVEN
MRS. QUAcKENBOSS.

1.-THE New York labor agencies,
who make a practice of sending illit-
crate and irresponsible men to the
south are undoubtedly at the bottom
of this whole peonage business" said
German Consul Emil Lesser, of Birt
mingham, who is one of the star
witnesses for the defense in the case
now on trial in the United Statei
Court. to a Journal representative
last night They are doing more to
injure the reputation of the south
than any ether one agency, and they
should be suppressed
Mr.. Lesser is president of the Ger
man Immigration Society of Alabama
and is thoroughly familiar with every
aspect of the immigration question.
He is prominently identihed with the
immigration and Industrial Associa-
ton of Alabama, an organization
formed for the purpose OF securing
the passage of a law providing Tor
the office of State immigration Com
missioner. with the object OF estab-
fishing state immigration agencies at
the principle ports of entry in this
country and in several of the cities
of Europe, and has large business IN
terests in the city of Birmingham.
Investigated Camps.
Some time since. just after the pre-
Nminarv hearing in this city of the
case of Gallagher, Grace and Sander,
employees of the Jackson Lumber
Co, of Lockhart. Ala, Mr.. Lesser
visited the camps of the company
and Immediately thereafter made an
official report to the German govern
ment stating that he had found no
peonage there. Some time after this
report was published Mr.. Lesser was
called upon by young woman named
Grace Winterton, who is better known
| in this city as Mrs. Mary Grace
Ouackenboss. and, after short inter-
view. he gave her letter, testimony
relative to which was adduced at the
first trial on the charge of conspir-
acy to commit peonage and copy or
which was secured by The Journal
from Mrs. Quackenboss before she
left this city. The letter is as tot
lows:
The Birmingham Courier.
Offices S-10-12 North Nineteenth 81,
Birmingham, Ala, Aug. q, 1906.
You will notice that when / was az
Pensacola and Lockhart. nothing OF
the testimony concerning the whip
ming of a man at LAUREL Hill was
known. / have found no peonage
there, yet II it is true TIT a man
was cought and beeten at LAUREL Hill
and returned to Lockhart against his
will and If It is shown to me that this
was done at the orders OF the Jackson
Lumber Co., than In that event l will
modefy nv statement and admit that
this case would constitute peonage
and the perpetrators ought to be pun
pished for It,
To Miss Grace W5nterton, City.
! Would Make No Statement.
| Mr. Lesser was asked last night re-
qarding the letter and admitted hav-
inc given It TO Miss WintertOn- He
was then asked II, in the view OF the
conviction of Messrs Harlan, Hilton
and Higgins on the charge OF con-
sniracv to commit peonage, in which
case testimony was adduced regard
ing the incident at Laurel Hill, re-
ferred to in the letter. he was pre-
pared to admit that peonage existed.
Mr.. Lesser was a little wary OF the
question but finally said:
81 have no statement regarding the
matter to make at the present time.
Later on | shall make an official re-
port TO the German government based
upon the testimony adduced at the
trials in this city, which will be full
and complete"
Are YOU not convinced now that
peonage did exist at the camps OF the
Jackson Lumber Co., Mr.. Lesser?
There may have been instances.
but the whole trouble was With the
New York labor agents. They VIII
send any class of labOrer to the
south and all they care about Is their
fee Why. I have seen, myself, after
notice raid in which a large num-
her of Migrants were arrested. that
the next day they would be shipped
ont bv the labor agents, and these
men are no good to any country"
Mr. Lesser stated that The Immi-
Grafton and Industrial Association
of Alabama maintained an Office In
New York for the purpose OF inducing
immigrants to locate In the state OF
; Alabama and also maintained an
, office in Birmingham. These offices
were in charge, respectively, Of d. V,
Evans and Ross G. Smith and were
, supported by the funds Of the asso-
citation, the membership OF which IN
Guided railroads, industries and c1nl-
mercial concerns OF every descrip-
, ton, farmers and others In all parts
'of the stata j