The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-07-24
It is Alleged Ignorant Employees
are Treated.
MEN SECURED UNDER FALSE
PRETENsES HALF FED, BEAT.
EN- AND HELD IN CAMP
AGAINST THEIR WILL-cASE
NOW IN HANDS OF FEDERAL,
AUTHORITIES.


cruelty to ignorant foreigners were
brought to the city Sunday night,
when there arrived here five Germans
from Lockhart, Ala. They said they
had escaped from the camps there and
came to Pensacola to lay their CON-
plant before the German vice-consul
in the hope of remedying the condition
of themselves and nearly a hundred
others, who were not fortunate enough
to get away.
The Germans allege that the Jack
son Lumber Company, which operates
an immense plant at Locknart. Ala,
employing hundreds of men, secured
them through misrepresentation
bringing them south some four
months ago from New York, and at
first placing them at work upon the
railroad tracks. Afterwards they
were transferred to the woods. They
allege that they did not receive either
the wages or treatment they were
promised, nor was the food sufficient
and wholesome.
The most serious charge made by
the men is that the ignorant foreign
ers are not allowed to leave the camps
ARE detained against their will and
frequently when caught after making
an attempt to run away, are placed
across a log and beaten by some OF
the foremen. Dogs are kept to trail
down any man who attempts to leave
and all of the bosses go armed, and 1t
Is said, do not hesitate to shoot when
angered.
The German vice-consul after lis
tening to the details Of the story de-
cided that it was a case for the Unit
ed States to handle. and communicate
ed with the federal officials, who
heard the story and who has the case
under advisement pending further In
formation. Should the allegations Of
the men prove true the owners of the
plant will be called upon to explain
to the United States court why their
actions do rot constitute peonage.
The tales brought in from Lock
hart by the party of Germans occa-
stoned no surprise. For the past two
weeks men have been arriving in Pen
sacola from the place, and many or
them claim that in order TO leave they
had to do so secretly. Some Of these
men claimed that they had been treat
ed fairly well, but not paid the wages
promised, but stated that the foreign
ers were treated little better than
dogs. There are nearly one hundred
of the latter employed in the camps,
having been brought south in Feb
ruary or March from New York, and
1t is charged that they are nothing
but white slaves.
Henry RodenIbeck is one of the re-
cent arrivals who brought one Of these
stories He claims FIT. Wayne, Ind.
as his home, and says that while In
New York several months ago he met
a labor agent there who induced him
to come south and work for the jack
son Lumber Company, claiming that
he would get from $3.50 to $500 per
day, and that the work would be agree
able. Twenty-four others came with
him, some of whom are yet at the
camp.
Rodenbeck's story. as told to Jour-
nal reporter on the night of his arri-
val, but which was not published at
that time for obvious reasons, Is az
follows:
hooenpeCkS statement.
II worked last winter for J. @.
White & Co. on the Atlantic Coast
Line in North Carolina. and when
quit about the first of April | went TO
New York just to see the place and
found employment with the Pike Man.
ufacturing Company on Chambers
street. / worked there few weeks
and had just quit when ! met a man
named Gallagher, superintendent OF
the Uockhart camp. He had labor
agent with him who did the talking.
and after being assured that wages
were good, from $3.50 to $3.50 per day
and the work agreeable / hired.
was charged $50 for a ticket to DO
taken out of our wages.
| "On reaching camp / found that
wages were only 81 a day and board
and while the men who could talk
English were fairly well treated, the
way the bosses handled the poor ig-
norant immigrants was something
frightful. There were about eighty or
ninety foreigners there, who could not
speak English who had come in gangs
before me. They were made to eat
after the Americans at a second table
and they got what was left, and IL
was mighty Scant | can tell yOo-