Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-11-16
.SHANGHAIING BUSINESS.
Richmond Said to be Headquarters
of Inhuman Industry

Each day brings to lig..t new details
of privation and suffering on the part
of some Richmond man who has been
'shanghaied' on some oyster vessel
In the Chesapeake Bay, says Richmond
correspondent. So'1e unsuspecting
man takes a drink presented by a
stranger and awakens on board an
oyster pungy.
A letter was received from E. Lee
jackson, at present on board an oyster
vessel, near Tangier harbor, praying
for some of his relatives or friends to
do something to get him out . his pre-
dicament. Jackson says that the men
are struck over the head with marlin
spike or an oyster hammer at the slight
est provocation. He says the captain
of the vessel forced them to take
oilskins and rubber boots, and then
charged them double price for them.
From others who have escaped from
dredge boats it is learned that after
catching load of oysters during the
day the men are put to culling the
oysters at night. They are worked on
an average of fifteen hours a day, and
in all weather are kept on deck, with
only the clothing they wore when
shanghaied. From present reports the
rendezvous for the oyster pirates seems
to be Tangier Island.
The following statements from the
men in respect to culling in deep water,
as well as some of their other state
ments are hardly borne out by facts:
1t was said that the captains of the
oyster boats, when the price of oysters
was low, would keep up their stealing
at night and deposit the stolen oysters
in the waters around the island. When
the prices rose they would tong the
oysters again and take them to a port
and there would sell them. The methods
used by these oyster thieves is most
destructive to the oyster raising indus
try, and if allowed to continue will
certainly destroy the business in the
Chesapeake Bay. They go to the beds
at night, and by means of a heavy drag
net strip them of their product. The
entire catch is deposited on the deck of
the sloop, which, as soon as it is
loaded, sets sail for the open bay. The
crew is then put to culling the oysters,
and all those under marketable size are
thrown into the water. BY the time the
culling is begun the boat is in the open
bay in water too deep for longing, and
all oysters under size are lost. The
stripping of the beds make the next
years crop of so little value that it is
not worth working, and the seasons
labor is lost by the owner.
Nine men were rescued Sunday from
what they say was absolute slavery
aboard the oyster boat ]. S. Whiting,
a two-masted schooner owned and cap
tanned by Andrew A. Crockett. by
United States Deputy marshals West
and Miller. They were taken from the
oyster boat at Tangier Island Saturday
afternoon. The hardships to which the
men were subjected during their en-
forced servitude were, they declare. a.
brutal as any yet brought to light il
connection with the now notorou.
oyster-boat slavery. One of theil
number, they say, was shot by Crock.
EFT, others had been beaten and all hac
been almost starved, given little chanc,
to sleep and driven to labor to the limit
Of human endurance. The appearance
of the men was Ragged and worn.
The deputy marshals had a warrant
for the arrest of Crockett, charging
him with peonage, but he left the YES.
sci several hours before the arrival OF
the officers. He went to Norfolk Tues
day and surrendered himself to tn,
marshals. He will not be given a pre-
liminary hearing before a United
States commissioner, but will be pre-,
sented directly to the Federal CRANE
jury, which is now in session. Crock,
EFT does not appear to be slave driver
but to be firm and intelligent man OF
between thirty and forty-five years OF
age, and quite respectable in appear.
ance. He is yet disinclined to discus:
his case, but does not appear to be
much alarmed over the charges that
the men have made against him.
The rescued men are Robert Taylor,
of Indianapolis, Elijah Murphy, OF
Richmond, both white, and Eddie Jen
kins, Charles Williams, Joseph Viii
Hams, Peter Hunter, John Anderson
Charles Logan and Nelson Woodbridge
negroes, of Richmond, Va.
The rescue of the men was due to q
letter which Woodbridge surrep-
titiously gave passing mail boat.
This letter was addressed to DR..
Charles Hazen, OF Bon Air, whom
Woodbridge knew 1t told of the
peonage which the men were suffering.
and was published in last weeks issue
of this manor