The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-11-17
Tales of Whippings, Armed
Guards and Men Cap
tured, Are Drawn
Out.
The Trouble Began When
Labor Agency Imrni-
grants Were Sent
Down.
DEFENSE IN PEoNAGE coNsPIR.
AcY CASE ENTERS FREQUENT
OBJECTION TO EVIDENCE AND
is ALMOST AS FREQUENTLY
OVER-RULED - ELEVEN WIT
NEssEs HEARD.
NESSES HEARD.
BY BEN Il. THOMAS.

Much more rapid progress was
made yesterday in the trial of w. S.
Harlan ct al, charged with conspiracy
to commit peonage, in the United
States District Court, eleven wit
nesses for the prosecution being dis
posed of during the day and a great
deal of damaging testimony against
the defendants being adduced. The
entire proceedings were plentifully
interspersed with objections by coun-
Gil for defense, in fact everything of
importance was objected to and as
often the objections were overruled by
! Judge Swayne who, early In the trial,
expressed the determination to allow
the fullest scope to the inquiry COM
patible with justice to all parties.
Some of the testimony adduced
showed condition at the camps of
the Jackson Lumber Co., at least
since the company began the use Of
immigrants secured through New
York labor agencies. little short Of
barbarous, the testimony of several
of the former employees of the COM
pany who claimed to have been beat
en- and misused, being OF a character
almost beyond belief. Stories of
whippings, armed guards, men cap
tured and forced to return to the
camps against their will were fire.
quent and testimony was adduced
tending to show the connection of de-
PENDANTS with the cases in question,
in that they must have had knowl-
edge of the conditions as they existed.
Mrs. j. B. Saunders.
Mrs. Saunders was the first wit
ness heard at the morning session OF
the United States district court,
Judge Charles Swayne presiding, In
the case of w. S. Harlan, ct al, of
the Jackson Lumber Co., of Lockhart,
Ala, charged with conspiracy to COM
nit peonage. Mrs. Saunders resides
at Laurel Hill, where she keeps a
store. During July she noticed, on
two or three occasions, strangers,
evidently foreigners, passing through
She knew Mr. Hilton and identified
him, saying that he passed through
Laurel Hill, armed, about July 90.
Witness did not speak with Mr.. Hill
ton at that time and she saw no
one with him. Witness was asked IL
she had seen Gallagher and Grace,
Defense objected, objection was over
ruled and an exception noted.
Witness had seen John and Henry
Atwell when they were evidently
looking for some one but had not
seen them with Gallagher and Grace.
Cross Examination.
On cross examination witness stat
ed that Mr.. Hilton had a revolver
buckled around him when she saw
him at Laufel Hill.
J. C. Satterwhite.
J. c. Satterwhite. an employee of
the Jackson Lumber Co., at Lockhart,
He stated that W. S. Harlan was man.
ager of the company and had been
during July and August Witness
was operator at Luckhart during
month Of July, of this year.
Witness was handed copies of a
number of dispatches, which he iden-
titled as having been received at
Lockhart by him. The copies were
tissue Impressions and witness testi-
fed that they were direct copies Of
the originals. He then read one, upon
request Of prosecution, as follows:
Laurel Hill, RIA
w. S. Harlan, Lockhart, Ala.
Two foreigners here from your
camp. Shall | stop them.
JOHN ATWELL,
Deputy Sheriff
This message, Satterwhite stated,
had been delivered to Mr.. Harlan In
person. Mr.. Harlan directed witness
to carry the telegram TO Sander with
instructions to wire Atwell to hold
the men. The message sent IN an
swer was as follows:
John Atwell, Laurel Hill.
Hold them. Start at once fag
Laurel Hill. w. s. HARLAN.
Defense objected to Introduction OF
the kilograms. the court overruled
the objection and an exception was
noted by defense.
Cross Examination.
Witness stated that he was in the
employ OF tie Jackson Lumber Co.
and that he was paid by them. The
telegram had been delivered to Mr..
Harlan at the mill. Witness was en-
phatic in his statement that Mr.. Har.
Continued on Page Three.)