The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-06-13
PEoNA ZIG RETu ans no
WASHINGTON ~. S. GRAND y

PEG AGE FIG E r RETp S no!
WASHING oN-u. S. GRAND
y uRY. Il; i
CHARLESTON, June is-The grand
jury in the United States circuit Court
for the Southern district OF West Viz.
ginia was discharged yesterday after.
noon at $50 O'clock when they com.
Ipleted their work which has been Of
an unusually arduous character owing
TO the several indictments brought
against two lumber companies and one
coal company Of the southern section
Of the State, charging them with hold.
ing certain laborers IN condition
Of peonage, and other indictments
charging officials and employees of
the companies with conspiracy.
Following the discharge Of the
grand Jury, Assistant Attorney Gen.
eral Chas. ". Russell, who has been
here assisting District Attorney
Northcott and Assistant District At.
torney Rummell in presenting the
cases TO the grand jury, returned to
his home at Washington, from where
he will proceed almost Immediately
to Charlotte, North Carolina, where
there are several peOnage cases 10
come before the courts Of that State,
In North Carolina, the poems are col
ored men, who It is alleged have
been held in a condition Of peonage
In the railroad construction camps.
Attorney General Russell has spent
much time in several OF the southern
States fighting the violators Of the
peonage laws. and with his eXpe.
rience along this line, he will return
hero in the early part Of July
and render all the possible assist.
ance he can 10 the governments at.
torneys in prosecuting the West Viz.
ginia cases with vIgor.
The grand Jury yesterday return.
ed % Indictments and this with the
seven returned on Saturday make y
Indictments In all. returned against
three companies, the Ritter Lumber
Company, the Raleigh Lumber Com.
pany and the Thacker Coal and Coke
Company. The indictments against
the Thacker Coal and Coke Company,
came as a surprise, as 1t was not
known that an investigation hal
been made Of this company. Nine
indictments were returned against
this company and David C. Howell
and James c. Collins, two officials
of the company. They were indicted
under two sections 5,52G and $3.50
which charge the crime Of holding
laborers in 4 condition of peonase
and conspiracy against the United
States laws.
The Raleigh Lumber Company, Of
Raleigh, Raleigh county, located
about two miles from Beckley, which
has ben absorbed by the Ritter com.
pany, was indicted yesterday by the
grand jury for the first time. Along
with the indictments Of Harry Nl"r.
formerly general manager of the
company before Its sale to the Rit.
ter company, Charles II. krise, ST.,
perintendcnt of the Raleigh an'l
Southwestern railroad, and the
property Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad hut then owned by the lum
her company, William II. Houston,
who Is said to he relative Of Gen.
eral Sam Houston. the Texas fighter,
Indictments were returned against
W. II. Cooper, jaller at the Raleigh
county Jail at Beckley. Attorney
John II. Hatcher, formerly attorney
for the Raleigh Lumber Company
John w. Hunt, Justice Of the peace
Of the Shady Springs district Of Raj
eIgh county and l., C. Lilly, Hunts
constable.
Attorney John H. Hatcher of
Deckley, who was one of tho indict,