The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-13
PUBLISHES REPORT
COVERING PEONACE
{. Lesser Issues Pamphlet in
German and English
INVESTIGATION IN DE TAIL
No Germans Have Ever Complained
of Treatment Received In Jack
son Lumber companys Camps
at Lockhart, Ala.

Emil Lesser, president of the German
immigration Society of the state of Ala
bama, and editor of the Birmingham
Courier has published a full and elab-
crate report of his trip to Lockhart. Ala,
and Pensacola, Fla, where he went to
investigate alleged cases of peonage
which We're made the subject of wide
spread newspaper comment. 1t is entitled
Report of the investigation of the
charges of peonage and cruelty against
the Jackson Lumber company at Lock-
hart, Ala" and 1t is printed both in Ger
man and English.
Mr.. Lesser undertook the Investigation
because he thought that the sensa tional
reports which were being published were
doing the couse of immigration great
harm and believed that they were largely
false He spent three days at the scene
of events, interviewing the German vice
consul at Pensacola, the United States
commissioner, before whom hearings We're
held, and numerous laborers employed
at the Jackson Lumber company's camps.
He attended the hearings held before
United States Commissioner Marsh and
he reproduces in his pamphlet the sub
stance of the testimony offered by each
witness. He also publishes the state
ments of several Germans who are en-
ployed at the camps. and no one of them
claims to have been mlstreated in any
WY.
Germans Not Complaining
Mr.. Lesser further shows that no COM
plant has been registered by a German
immigrant but that the kicks have come
from the very lowest types of other for
eigners and that In several instances they
were registered as a cover for some crime
committed by the men In question.
Immediately upon his return from his
trip Mr.. Lesser forwarded letter to the
governor, giving in brief the result of his
investigation, but that the letter was not
full enough and so has published this
pamphlet in the hope that by this means
he may counter-act, to some extent, the
bad effects of the sensational stories sent
over the country. This pamphlet is being
widely distributed and is being mailed es-
pecially to German immigrants in New
York.
The following are Mr.. Lesser's closing
paragraphs
Having satisfied myself that / could
find no one who could corroborate the
testimony offered by the Witnesses In
Commissioner Marsh's court, nor anyone
who claimed to be mistreated or held in
bondage, | decided to return to Pensa-
cola, where informed the German cosul
of my findings, which resulted in my
statement. that | could find no trace OF
of Il,
men in general or against the Germans
especially; to the contrary l found the
great majority of my countrymen con-
tented, well fed, and satisfied. / found
Lockhart to be not only one of the larg-
est but perhaps the cleanest and best
equipped and best regulated lumber camps
in Alabama. | found the officers of the
company gentlemen who were very much
grieved by the reports and charges made
against their company.
Some Toughs.
1T is possible that some Of the state
ments made by some of the witnesses in
Pensacola were true, but we should not
forget that the men making these charges
belong to the very lowest unmanage-
able class of New York toughs, almost
every one thief One of the witnesses
has already been convicted of grand lar
ceny in the courts in Pensacola and sem
fenced to six months imprisonment. and
another is awaiting trial. 1t is a fact
that no one at the camps can be found
willing to corroborate their statements.
But If an impartial investigation by the
courts will prove that some Unauthorized,
over-officious person committed unlawful
acts and deal out cruel treatments; well,
let the guilty men be punished but do not
blackmaii the company, thereby doing
irreparable damage to their business in
terests and great wrong to honorable
men and model citizens. Respectfully sub
mitted. 'E. LESSER,
president German Immigration Society
OF the state OF Alabama, and Editor Bir-
ninRham German Courier