New-York tribune., 1906-03-22
THTrE SLAVES STORY.
,oRR0RS OF NEGRO DEN.
a7..rop Tells of Being abducted
and Beaten by Spriggs.

I'D developments thefangle in the white
We was unravelled in General Sessions
sA's -,sre Cowing yesterday. and equally fast
s--- -,s..-r Il. Spriggs, the negro politician and
"a ,-,nrietor Of a chain Of disorderlv
slese -sur7t in the meshes Of the net OF
rsgses oe@='
- .,uoving jurors were selected yesterday
completing the jury: Henry w. Alt
70 -+.-ioner. 40. 1885 Second avenue; Charles
81. ssr tailor. 40. l26 West 49th street: Will
Main. stables. No. 422 West goth street;
So Danp coffee merchant. No. 2641 Web
.,e7ue. Frederick K. Marks. clothier, No.
80 slst street, and Moses Cohn, Clothier,
:. q East Slst street
-. allowed a short delay over the question
- tre defendant could be tried on the iu-I
asa second offence. The defence refused
'--,ase that Spriggs was the man who was
s.-s5 before Recorder Snyth in 1899 and
-..-,ss 10 three years. Jerome prosecuted
- ~ that time as an Assistant District
s15-ney.
---,e address said that the charge Of abduc-
p ,-oul6 he tried as a second offence; that
Il attendant had been convicted OF assault
member 10 1899. and was sentenced 20
-. ,sars' Imprisonment Mr.. Garvan said
- was charged with abducting. in Feb
- 1905 Hattie Warren. a white woman,
- be took 10 his house at No. IA COrnelia
-. IN a drunken and unconscious condition"
r. rrotres were taken from her and Spriggs
- n let her out The woman escaped once,
=. ssa was brought back by agents Of
spaggs"
e Introduced in evidence the records Of
-.-.-sl Sessions for 1893. which contained the
- n the conviction and sentence Of Spriggs
- ssssrlr in the first degree. The defence
---ss not admit that Spriggs was the same
-,- and M Jerome said he remembered prose-
---r SrrfgGs. bur could not recall the charge
r-s--ia Warren. the complaining witness, was
49, called no The stand. she spoke with dif1-
---v and half s0bbed and rocked forward and
,,Ezsr6 In the chair She said the last thing
.,- she remembered before becoming an in
-..s n srri--s's place was drinking in a saloon
i sixth avenue Continuing. she told of hay
-- bac7ue conscious in SprigEs's house and
=-s.sg thar her clothes We're gone. She asked
s--ers 10 give them back 10 her. but he re-
4sss and said he would kick her if she didn't
b As be- told her. All the money she earned
as turned over 10 Spriggs. she said Several
--ss she fought and struggled 10 get out, but
7s-y tine Srrigss beat her
r,7ri7Ulrc she described how SpTiggs
.-9,ses her down and kicked out two Of her
,sh one Sunday morning. Under examination
10 witness said she went to a dentist in COM
-a-y with SpriEEs's wife, who is a white woman.
She remained in the house from February 10
,-- there were three white women and four
r.-sd women also there.
TIE woman described the way I'm which the
t1T and windows were barred against any es-
are Of The inmates The rear shutters were
z-s wood. she said. and held with chain
G. paddock No white men were ever ad-
--sd the witness said. and then told how she
q pleaded in vain with Spriggs TO be let
re- because she was i'll and weak
b night in July. 1905 the woman escaped
E.Vert 20 saloon, where she sat UP all night
Briggs caught her again and forced her TO con-
-rue her miserable life There was a raid on
be house on July p last. and Hattie Warren
7ss discharged the next morning IN the JeIIer-
u1 Market Court Her liberty was short lived.
r The same day she was forced TO give her
( II Up because she feared Spr1ggs
Marx Alter counsel for the defence, cross
Zamined her and brought out that she comes
/ ron NeWhl~E \. Y. and was married. she
7sd with her husband three days. II was fur
1er disclosed thar the witness had got out or
1e house several times but she explained that
ne did not try 10 escape from Spriggs because
ls was afraid that he would Kill her.
4 she told ~ inmate Of the house named
LAY BT0Try who became III and died. The
witness SAID she made her first complaint
gslSr Sruggs 20 Mr.. Garvan last November
LlS Hattie Ross a c0l0red missionary, induced
Dr. t0 el-a- complaint. she said
On ore occasion she complained TO a police
j -a1 bur ha told her that as she came from the
-Eger joint l- could DO nothing for her.
Archibald Gardner. a dentist. testified TO hay
2 treated the Warren wCuan's teeth The pa
s-ts name. re said, was given as Mrs. j.
g-Ess~
Cora Chester another inmate Of the Cornelia
E'ae, house. told how he Warren woman was
Fought f0 -r- house druRged or in drunken
lpo-. She said she had seen Spriggs beat the
man and knock OUT TWO teeth She also said
= clothes were kept under lock and key. ana
a- she had only been out Of the house three
mes ~ FIVE years.
~ trial VIII be resumed this morning at
.31 o'clock