The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-13
PEONAGE LICENSE CASE UP.
EAST sIDER TESTIFIES AGAINST
EMPLOYMENT AGENT.
Application TO Revoke Schwartz's License
Heard -Pedler Fink restlnes About
Conditions in the Turpentine Camps
Lawyers WranEIe over Evidence.

AprlicatiOn to revoke Schwartz's License
Heard -Pedler Fink TestInes About
Conditions In the Turpentine Camps
Lawyers WrangIe over Evidence.
The hearing in the case Of sigmund s.
Schwartz. an employment agent who IL
accused by Samuel Fink, an East Side
vegetable pedler. Of having sent him TO
Buffalo Bluffs, Fla, to work In a lumber
camp without first giving him a statement,
as required by law, of his destination. rate
Of wages and the kind Of work he was to
do. vas begun yesterday before the Com
missioner Of Licenses, John N Bogert.
The hearing is to determine whether the
license Of Schwartz, who does a large BUSH
mess supplying men for laboring work in
the south. should be revoked. II Is not in
any sense a criminal proceeding.
schwartz, however, Is out on bail, having
been arrested on a warrant issued by the
United States Circuit Court for peonage, and
HE examination will be called soon. Sub
ponas we're issued yesterday for witnesses
in the case before the Federal Grand Jury.
Assistant United States District Attorney
Foughton. who has charge OF the criminal
proceedings. sat through the hearing yes
terday and was 4 close listener to Fink's
testimony.
It Is said that thousands Of East Side
Jews have been sent to the South by agents
on the promise Of soft jobs and easy work.
When they got there they were subjected
70 all sorts Of abuses. Some Of them who
managed TO escape declare that they were
made 70 live in swamps with armed negro
guards over chem, and that when they re-
belled they were logged numerically by
these same negroes. They were treated
lko beasts. they cay. when as a matter of
fact most Of them were unfit physically
for the manual labor imposed upon them.
Resides Fink several other men who
were sent 70 Florida by Schwartz will testify
against him. The examination room wac
filed yesterday with lawyers and people
from the East Side who are interested in
the case. Assistant Corporation Counsel
breckenridge was there to look out for
the city. and Mrs. Mary Grace ouackenbos
appeared as the alto rnev for one Of the pros
pec'ive witnesses, Counsel for Schwartz
asked the COMMISSIONS at the teSin-
ming Of the hearing to forbid all persons
from taking notes except the official stenog-
rspher, but Mr.. Bogert GeniedShis request.
There was 4 long wrangle about the admis-
sion OF evidence and then Fink was allowed
70 testify.
Fink said that Schwartz had not informed
him Of his destination before he started.
He said that all he would tell him was that
it was 4 place that could he reached by a
two DAYS, journey on a boat and a two
hours ride on a train. He did not know
where he was going he said. until after the
boar had sailed. Then spme one handed
him a paper describing IN destination aud
giving the rate Of wages he was to get.
ThaV went ~ IaNEcnnNyila hu h0aF .nI
70 Buffalo Bluffs by train. There were about
forty in the gang. Two o! them escaped
at Charleston. the witness said, and one
AZ Jacksonville.
witness testified, they were put to work
dragging watersoaked logs out Of swampy
woods and loading them on wagons This
lasted for two weeks, and then they were
sent to Mayville to work in the swamp
there. He declared that his treatment
was brutal in the extreme and that the tasks
forced upon the men Were far beyond their
natural strength. He said that the men
were forced to wade waist deep into the
swamp. each carrying a heavy tub with
reached it had to be tapped for turpeptine,
and then the men had to carry the heavy
loads back.
We ran away twice." the witness said
through an interpreter, but most of US
were caught and brought back. The
second time we tried TO get away our of
us made for a vacant railroad station.
One of the company's guards came after
W., and pointing a pistol at us threatened
10 shoot us il we did not go back TO the
tUrpentine camp. Then another guard
cane up armed with a pistol and we we're
Compelled TO go bach to the camp"
Fink vas not able to make much progress
WIKI his story because Of the ~wrangling
OF he lawyers. II is said that he has not
COMPLAINED of being logged, but that there
II one witness who viii testify that he is
tho ~turpentine camp. The hearing will
80 on at 10 o'clock this morning.