Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1907-01-22
DENIES CHARGE OF PeoNAoE

takes exception 90 ihe statements 81
The Attorney. General concerning
uecnage In his Stale. ne eXUrrssed 10
The Washington Post lat Tuesday
Discussing this matter. Mr. Chrk
said he had no personal knowlpdgs OF
psonage in other portion of The Sopth
! bat he vas certain there were ~ r-al
facts, 20 far a. FluTids vas cOncprhr 20 -.
tn justify MIR. Bonaparte 10 ms in.
dignatinn.
THE Attorney .G-nersl il quoted ="
said Mr. Cla'k. "ss saying N Ml.si--
sippi the Victims 90 these nniraCes 3D.
pear 10 To- AL negroes, hut Assistant
/ Acknowledgement Russell Is ENw in
Florida engaged in prosecuting a mum
her NJ offenders under the penaapp
laws who have held white labrrers IN
captivity. and, it is said. treated them
wrh great hArbsrit5. These unfot.
inmates are alleged Ia he, for the mo.r
part, emigrsnts newly land "a and be.
cuiled into the power OF their tormen-
tors through shameless falsehoods'
THAT certainly il an amszing state
mint ~ be- made by the chief lnv
Off Of the government. and it is hard
T. believe that n lawyer OF Mr.. Bona
pa'tr's rrputed ability would MAKE
snch a statement Tor publication. He
certainly knows, what every tyro IN
the profession IL supposed To know, viz.
that every man charged with crime ia
presumed 10 be innocent until 'he
prosecution, by competent evidence,
establishes HE guilt TO the satisisc. ion
Of jury Of his peers beyond a reason.
able doub'.
"He also knows. or ought 60 know
thst the finding Of an Indictment by = |
grand jury ia neither the establish
ment NJ guilt nor the creation OF a pre-.
sumption Of guilt. Yet he refers Co |
these defendants. who have simply |
been indicted, or accused as ode nders !
under the peonage laws and he makes .
the positive statement 40 a matter OF
fast that they have held white labor.
ers 10 captivity
THE truth 10 that the grand jury in
the United States Court at JscEson-
vile returned five or elk indictments
against y. J. 0'Hara and his business
associates for alleged violations OF the
peonsse laws. These defendants are
prominent, honorable citizens OF the
State OF Florida, engaged in the tur-
penline business and employing =
great deal OF labor. They were Joint.
" indicted. Assistant Attorney. Cen
aral Russell consumed several weeks
,t the time OF the court in trying the
defendants on one OF these indict-
nents, and the Jury very promptly re-
turned q verdict Of mot guilty
He 10 now engaged in consuming
'eversl more weeks OF the courts
lime, At On enormous expense TO the
in trying the ssme de.
endants on smother indictment, but
I'm informed with Substantially the
anne witnesses and the same state OF
acts.
THE government witnesses in these
o-called peonsge cases are, a. q rule,
it, raj scum from the large cities and
oafing negroes, and neither class will
york. They have found out that they
IAN institute these prosecutions and
,e carried on the governments pay :
oil ne witnesses for quite awhile, and :
'et mileage from their alleged homes. ?
rhich are always some distance from o
jacksonville. y
II am perfectly sstisfied that there Y
as not been within the State OF Flor. e
da one single real violation OF the :
eonage laws OF the United States" n