Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-11-09
MORE REPUTED SHANGHAIINC.
Mondays Times-Dispatch.

In remarkable letter Just received
here, and now before Governor Swan
son and the Federal authorities for an
investigation, eight men, claiming to
be in state Of bondage on an oyster
boat IN the Chesapeake Bay, recite a
story of daily suffering and want and
cruelty, and INVOKE the aid of the au-
thorities in relieving them of an un-
bearable plight.
The letter is addressed to DR.. Charles
M. Hazen, of Bon Air and Richmond.
The present instance, however, does
not appear to be one OF "shanghaiing'
proper, but of system of peonage,
since the writer of the letter. Nelson
woodbridge, negro, sets forth that
the eight men concerned signed con-
tract to work with the master of the
dredging boat a month, and then
alleges that their names were placed
in forged signature to contract for
labor until Christmas. The letter is as
follows:
'Tangier, Va, Nov. 1, 1906.
CDR. Hazen:
Dear Sir,-I write you these few
INES TO let you know that there is
eight men out here in slavery, and |
ask you this, to please give this to the
Governor, because we need freedom.
Il will tell you how we are treated.
He gets us up at o'clock and go to bed
about 10 or IL o'clock at night. He
won't give US time to eat dinner or
supper. If we don't get up or do as he
says, ne throws gun in our face and
threat to kill us. He beat fellow to-
day; he kicked him in the face and
stomach, and then shot him in the
head: He don't care if we fall over
board. He has kick and beat every-
body on board. He only gives us a
slice of raw sausage and about three
spoonful of beans for dinner. He
promised all at richmond office that
would not work before the Is. We are
dredg oysters. We. left richmond on
the of October, and he promised to
pay from that day, and went and
forged our names to stay until Christ
mas with him, and there is no man
that sind our names. He said that no
man was going home before Christmas.
He said that we would have to stay
month, after month if we did not
like 1T we could go home, and we have
been here a month. and we want to oo
home: and we are pleading to YOU for
help. He don't let us have stamps or
pencils to write to our peporl. He has
got boy here under age. He said he
don't give dam for any of uncle sans
men.
II will close by pleading for freedom.
| and all names that are on here for the
sake of Nelson Woodbridge,
Rob Taylor,
| Peter Hunter, shot,
| Joe Williams,
John Henry,
Charlie Williams,
Eddie Jenkins,
Charlie Logan
The letter came in stamped envelope.
and contained on the border the name
of Andrew Crockett" The mans
wife also received a letter, which was
enclosed in the envelope directed to DIR.
Hazen. In this letter Woodbridge says
that he will probably go up the Potomac
this week. He gives, however, no clue
as to his location, the name of the boat
on which the men are confined, or the
name of the master of the boat, unless.
indeed, it be ANDREW Crockett"
The letter was shown last night to
Governor Swanson, who said that he
would consult with United States Mar
shall Treat, and exert every endeavor
possible to have the men liberated and
the alleged peonists brought to justice.
Governor Swanson explained that all
navigable waters are under Federal
jurisdiction, and that the matter will
have to be placed in the hands of Fed
erai officers, as was done last year, when
Marshal Treat and his deputies did the
famous piece of work on the Chesapeake
bay in liberating several men who had
been "shanghaied." and bringing the
shipmasters to justice.