The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1907-06-13

were 't.HlIicu by lllS oHlIeu states
grant jury in the Federal Court
tor the southern district of West
Virginia, against the VIM. Ritter
Lumber Company, S. NJ. Wolfe
the >Uperintcndnent of the Estill
plant, Harvey Dcrne, the superin-
tendent of manufacturing, G. T.
Carson. Lace Stewart, Elias Hat
field and William TolIiver, and
each are charged with holding
laborers in ii condition of peonage.
B,sidcS this finding the jury re-
turned another Indictment contain
ing several counts against the same
parties charging them with con-
spiracy to hold the laborers in
condition of peonage. The latter
Indictment was by the jury to be
violation of section 544O of the
statutes of the United States,
which section reads: eff two OF
more persons conspire to commit an
oIlruec against the United States,
or to det'raud the United States in
any manner or for any purpose,
and one or more of such parties do
any act 10 affect the object of the
conspiracy, all the parties to such
cons piracy shall be liable to a pen
atty OF not less than one thousand
dollars and not more than ten
thousand, and to Imprisonment not
more than two years There are
eight counts in the latter indict-
mcmt.
The Indictment found charging
the employees of the company with
holding the men in a condition of
pconagc is based on section 552G of
the statutes of the United States,
Is aS follows: "Every person who
holds. arrests, returns or causes to
b" held. arrested or returned, or in
any manner aids in the arrest or
return OF any person to con-
"ItI"n OF peonagc, shall be punish
eel 'E Il fine of not less than one
'haA 900 nor more than S5, 600,
or ''y Imprisonment of not less than
tive years, or both.''
Ih" findings of the jury were not
surprise to those who were ac-
IUaIuied with the case. A large
nunnrr OF witnesses were examined
an" no effort was spared to get at
u" bottom of the whole affair. 1t
H ".'"Scd that John T.. Dorsey and
II. y. Crawford, two employees of
III" company, were arrested and
returned to condition of pconage
Ill MAhen by the employees of the
company acting in the capacity of
guards. superintendent Wolfe
Is ""arGed with having the laborers
,M,''rhcd and guarded to prevent
I''lE escape while they were in
0rni"d to the concern. William
Io-'IErr. one of the indicted men
Was employed as a ''guard" by the
company, and G. Il. Carson is the
..r'rlntendent who has had charge
I" me construction of private
''utIpad TO the Ritter Company,
" men owns one of the best timber
tracts III the state, while Lace
''"'";lrt, another of the indicted
men. lives at Mortimer, n. c., and
''5't been employed by the COM
,'ihl only a short time. Elias
'ialleId, is a "deteotive" working
~ lhat field, and it is alleged that
ne arrested and returned one
"h"rer to Il condition of peonage.
ana 1t is also charged that he as
luitcd the laborer when he placed
MN under arrest.
The William Ritter Lumber
ompany, which was also indicted
long with its employees, is one of
ne largest lumber concerns oper-
Rtlng i'll West Virginia, and its
-eneral offices are located at
"lumhus, Ohio, and they operate
III several counties in the southern
part Of the state.
he grand Jury on Monday re-
,"rned another batch of twenty
t"" indictments, all for holding
w " 1ofaingmen in peonage. The w.
~: ": i'lttcr Lumber Company, of
~ ~ coming county, which was in
oHeSe1 Saturday and whose officers
ana ana guards We're jointly and sepa-
l.Ile'N indicted, were all indicted
'salh under the same section, No.
'I"' oil the revised statutes. One
IIiltilclment II- against the Ritter Lum-
DGr company held % counts. An
''her Joint Indictment rgainst 8.