The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-09
AS to Facts Leading Up to
Transaction of Which He
Was Found Guilty.
MADE A
CLEAR STATEMENT
Court Had Intended Sending
Defendant to the Peni-
Tertiary.
VAN HORN, FIRST MATE
OF BARK HELEN A. wYMAN. -
SENTENCED TO 10 MONTHS I'M.
PRIsoNMENr FOR FLoooino
AND AssAuLTINc MEMBERS OF
CREW OF THE VESSEL.

In the United States court yester.
day. Judge Charles Swayne presiding.
Z. l. Vickers, a prominent naval
stores operator of Georgia and F1nr1da.
was sentenced to pay q fine of $1,000.
having been convicted in the court the
day previous upon the charge of en-.
tering into conspiracy to defraud the
government of large tracts of land
lying in Washington county, Fla, by
settling thereon many colored fami-
lies.
Sentence was passed upon the de-
PENDANT late in the afternoon. About
$50 O'Clock he was called before the
court and asked if he had anything to
say as to why he should not be sem
fenced. His reply was that he would
like the privilege of relating the Incl
dents which led up to the transaction
of which he had been found guilty.
and then he proceeded to tell the court
an interesting story, which placed him
/ in the light of benefactor to many
colored families and not that of q land
|grabber
He stated that in Georgia he, with
a partner, had employed large NUM-
Der of colored families in turpentining
their lands, and that these families
becoming dissatisfied, owing to the
fact that the timber had long been in
use for turpentine purposes. He had
promised them to secure lands in
other states II possible. ana with this
end In view had purchased a tract OF
land in Florida from j. P. Williams.
His men, he said, had been with him
for many years, ans he had en-
|deavored to instill in them an idea to
apply themselves to their work and
not move from one place to another,
but to secure for themselves homes
and settle down. When he brought
them to Florida he chartered a special
train and brought along all of their
farming implements and located them
on government lands, where home
stead entries had been applied for by
many of them, and upon these lands
houses had been erected and some of
the men now have good homes there
He was unaware of any illegal act
in this connection, though he did
learn that his partner had, during his
absence, allowed contractor to cut
some of the trees from one of these
homesteads, but as soon as he learned
of 1t he Immediately wrote him a LETT
ter instructing him not to cut timber
from the lands, but to take it from the
tract which he had purchased from
J. p. Williams.
Mr.. Vickers recited many instances
of how he had endeavored to benefit
those whom he employed. and his
statement was a very clear one
A petition was also presented TO the
court by counsel for the defendant
which testified to his good character.
the fact that he had never before been
before court upon any charge, and
that he was man esteemed by all
Sentenced Passed.
Judge Swayne then passed sentence.
In doing SO he stated that an hour be.
fore he had fully intended sentencing
the defendant to the penitentiary, but
his mind had undergone a change.
owing to facts which he had learned.
He told the defendant that everything
pointed to the fact that he was gem
tleman and that he was not like some
of the turpentine bosses who go about
the woods bullying their employees
with pistol in their pocket, and In
view of the facts. and nlso that he
had learned that the defendant had
been advised by an attorney that It
was not illegal to take the steps he
had, he would make the sentence SOLE
ly a monied transaction and imposed
the fine of $1,000.
Following this sentence three col
order men, all of whom are In adj
vanced years, came forward for sem
tence upon the same charge They
denied that they had intended any
crime and said that they had homes
upon the land they had homesteaded