The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1906-12-20
Charged with Peonaqe

u0y 0AAS> OAAO Oup ~ J6M0b I-6tLlCk
in the eastern part Of the county. and
summoned him to appear before the
federal court at jackson on charge
Of peonsge. Mr.. Patrick and his
friends were dumbfounded when Mr..
Wilson arrived and stated the object
OF his visit. Just where and by
whom such . complaint could be
made against him coul not be under
stood. Mr.. Patrick, accompanied BY
his brother Wade. and Judge Enochs,
went to jackson Monday night, and
Tuesday morning appeared before the
court for examination, and was &C
quilted OF all charges Of the testimony
Of the states witnesses negro
who made the charge.
1t seems that one Dan January q
sons made affidavit against Mr..
Patrick. charging him with holding
his father in involuntary servitude
Dan January denied tho allegation
himself, and said that Mr.. Patrick
had always been his friend and had
never in any way tried to take ad-
vantage of him.
Mr.. Patrick Is one Of our most
prominent farmers and the humility
he suffered in being carried to Jack
son at the instance of q worthless
negro on a charge in which there was
absolutely no foundation, is regretted
by his friends.
The Clarion Ledger says:
Another case Of alleged peonage, and
certainly melancholy recital Of man q
inhumanity to man, took place yester.
day before Federal Commissioners
Moseley in this city. James Patrick,
OF Rankin county, was tried on the
charge OF peonage, the affidavit having
been sworn out by Jim January, q
young negro about twenty years of
age, alleging that the said Patrick
was holding his father against his
will for debt.
Dan January when put on the stand
by the government stated that he
moved from Mr.. Patrick's place VOL
UNFAIRLY and had not tried to leave,
that Mr.. Patrick had befrended him,
and that he loved him. Commissi On
er Moseley Of course discharged Mr..
Patrick.
The trial developed the fact, &C.
cordlng to the testimony of Dan
January, his son. Jim, and Caroline
January. the wife Of Dan and the
mother OF Jim, that on the .2Sth day
of November, in the Pelahatchie
swamp, Dan January having been
bound hand and foot. in Pelahatchie,
by Levi D. Garter and others, was un-
mercifully whipped with buggy
trace, one Of his assailants setting on
his head and the other on his feet,
after removing his pantaloons, while
turn -aboutzWas taken until be was in
Ian unconscious state, when his son
Jim. who had been q witness to the
CLASSIFICATION, under gun few yards
off, was commanded, after the bleed.
ing form Of his father. was placed in a
wagon, to haul him to the Carter
place, where he and his family work
ed thisand last year. The second
night after the whipping Dan Janu-
ary, it was stated, was placed in an
old hack on feather bed and hauled
to Plain, seven miles below Jackson,
on the G.. &. s. !. road, to the home
Of his brother. The Carter place is
between Pelahatchie and Brandon
Garter found ont where he had gone
and, in company with others, went
after him, according to the testimony,
and took him back to his place. Dan
January swore that Carter told him
after his return that if he did not pay
him what he owed him, or get some.
body to buy him and liquidate the
debt, that he would hang both him
and his son Jim. He also swore that
so afraid was he of the execution oil
this threat that he told his son Jim to
60 and see Mr.. Patrick and ask him If
he would not settle the debt and take
him to work it out. Carter went
with Jim to Patrick IS, when Carter
and Patrick had talk which Jim did
not hear. They returned to Carter's,
followed by Patrick the next day, who
paid Carter $1,091. 65. Patrick took
10 wagons and moved Dan January 3
corn and his family to Patrick's farm,
Dan January being hauled in the old
back by Jim, where he was found by
Marshal Wilson and one Of his depu.
ties, in whose hands . warrant fol
Patrlck's arrest had been placed or
Monday, Patrick after his apprehen.
sion, having gone with the marshal K
the cabin in which January was lying
| in bed, surrounded by seven children,
all girls but one, the oldest being les
than fifteen. The mother Of til.
children and the wife of Dan January