Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-08
STORY OF HARDSHIP
GROUP OF ITALIAN WoRKMEN
COMPLAIN OF ILL TREATMENT.
Say They Were Prisoners in West
Virginia Lumber Camp-Appeal
to Ambassador.

A tale of hardship and flltreatment was
told by group of Italian workmen who ar
rived In this city early this morning from
West Virginia, and who departed this after
noon for Hoboken. N. ]. Their release
from detention, 1t was stated, was secured
by the Italian ambassador here, through
appeal to the State Department.
Revolvers, starvation, Imprisonment and
threats, these men say, were called into
play in an endeavor to cause them to per-
form work to which they objected. A re-
port of what happened was made to the
Italian embassy here, and 1t Is expected
that the ambassador will take up the mat
ter with the State Department later. The
and they will ask the official representative
of their country in Washington to take
the proper legal steps to recover the money.
Sent to West Virginia.
The men, according to the story told a
Star reporter who saw them today, were
sent to West Virginia late last November,
through a labor agent in Hoboken, N. j.,
where most of them resided. They say
they were told that they would be employed
as track workers on a railway. They ar
rived at a station called prince. w. Va. and
were made to walk eighteen miles to work
for a lumber company. When they reached
expected to do blasting and not track
work.
The twenty-five men in the party
struck" and started to walk eighteen
miles back to the station. Soon after they
arrived there, and before they had time to
take a train, they say, they were sur
rounded by twelve armed men, claiming to
be deputy sheriffs.
The men were made to leave the station
and return over the eighteen miles of fields
to the camp it is declared. Upon reaching
there they were put into a box car, they
say, and held prisoners for several days
For the first five days. 1t was explained.
they were given slice, of bread and
some water. At the end of the fifth day.
it is declared. the food supply was cut OF
entirely for two days.
Worked Because of Hunger.
Hunger. it was declared. forced the men
to work: and from that time on, they say.
they worked when they were able, as or
dered by the company.
While being held prisoners all the men
contributed the money they had to a COM
mon fund. and by paying the transportation
of some of the men from Hoboken to West
Virginia they secured the release of such
individuals. The money was sufficient to
buy the release of nine of the men, and
they at once returned to Hoboken to tell
their friends of their troubles in West
Virginia.
Appealed to Ambassador.
Pietro Liberti. relative of some of the
men still in the camp. learned of the hard
ships to which. 1t Is alleged. they weressub-
jected. and he came to Washington last
week to take I'D the matter with the Italian
ambassador. Liberti told of the experiences
of the Italians in West Virginia, and the
ambassador. through the State Department.
asked for the release Of the men. Secre-
tary Root communicated with the governor
Of West Virginia. and the latter took up the
matter with the lumber company, it is
explained. and ordered the release Of the
remaining sixteen men.
When the men left. they say, they were
paid no wages. It was explained by the
company that their pay day was not until
the 10th of the month. The workmen will
ask the Italian ambassador to obtain the
money for them if possible.