The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-11
GIRL CAPTIVE
HOME, TELLS
OF CRUELTY
Olga SiOstedt Prisoner in
Log Cabin Subjected to
thurman Treatment.

tion owner near Halifax, N. c.. who
kept her imprisoned for nearly two
weeks. according to her statements.
Broderick who left here Saturday in
response to her letter of appeal, with
Sheriff Harvey and Under-Sheriff
Daniel. of North Carolina, found Miss
Siostedt in a barred log cabin on a
big 1,200-acre plantation, miles from
civilization. There are twelve log
cabins on the plantation and 300
negroes swarm in them.
Pender was away when they ar
rived. The three were heavily armed.
With an axe Broderick smashed in
the door. The girl was found in the
filthy interior of the building and was
Immediately taken to the Wagon in
which the rescuers arrived. Just as
she was taken out Fender appeared
and the trio of men covered him with
their reviewers.
Are you going 70 arrest me?'
asked Perder.
NO" said the Sheriff, but you get
into that cabin and stay in a corner
until We get away"
Fender ~waastaken into the cabin after
being disarmed, and the loon was
barred on the outside so that he could
not get. cut and try to recapture the
nurse. Then the party drove the
twelve miles back to Halifax and Brod-
erick and the girl took the first train
for his city.
When Miss Sjostedt stepped off the
train here she looked thin and weak
and showed evidences of having gone
through much suffering. She said that
h was glad to be back here and that
the tortures were more than she could
describe. She said that her letters
written to friends in this city about
covered the story of her sufferinss. She
said that at least fifty women had been
detained for various times on the farm,
according to the stories that she had
heard while a prisoner. She says that
just before her arrival she heard that
a woman had escaped from the place.
To a STAR reporter who saw her at
the home of her friends. Mr.. and Mrs.
Lange, at sos Bond street, Miss Sjostedt
said:
This man Thomas E. Pender is an
inhuman monster. a brute too vile to
describe. / started to correspond with
him after l had inserted an advertise
ment in the New York papers for a po-
sition as nurse or h~ousekeeper about
two months ago. His letters were very
alluring. He described himsel as a
fatherly individual of amiable DISPOSE
ton and pictured his home and sur
~roundings as a typical Southern planta-
ton, which l imagined would be a verit-
able paradise. | decided to accept the
position, having also in mind the hope
that the Southern climate would benefit
the throat trouble from which | have
lately been a sufferer.
II reached Halifax November % and
was met at the depot by Mr.. Pender.
He was hideous to look at, m [ was
almost tempted to turn back at sight
of the man. One eye was gone, and in
my efforts at conversation 1 learned
that he was quite deaf. I should say
he was about 70 years old. He drove
me to the place he called home, about
ten miles from Halifax. When We ar
rived at the beautiful home he had
described in mis- letters | found a miser-
able shack made of logs, in which there
were only two rooms.
1.-THE plantation, he told me. covered
an area of about 1000 acres, and there
were more thar 800 negroes living n
huts scattered over the place, all of
whom worked for him. They were the
only human beings l saw there, except
the officers who came for me. While
was investigating the hut wherein l ex-
pected to reside, I saw what / believed
to be a bundle of rags in the corner.
but upon going over and pulling away
an old blanket, imagine my horror at
beholding the corpse of an old negress
lying on the floor. Pender called some
ro-~oox oxl lol H. IA1xy rap1pYpH
"Then | pleaded with him to take me
back to the village, but he only laughed.
Appealing to the negroes was useless
That night, after l had retired, he came
to my room, which he said he intended
to share with me. The only weapons
/ had at hand were my hatpins, ard,
grabbing them, 1 flew toward him and
threatened to jab him IL he did not
leave the room. sHe seemed to haves
some fear of me and backed out. Then
| heard the bolt on the door slide and
knew that l was a prisoner.
1.-THE following morning, Thanksgiv-
ing Day, he called me before the sun
was up and told me that I was to milk
the cows and feed the horses. / obeyed
through fear, and, although | knew
nothing of farm life, did the best /
could at milking. Our Thanksgiving
dinner consisted of corn bread, a little
salt pork and potatoes. That was the
best l had to eat during my entire stay
in his vile den.
Fortunately there was a rural de-
livery box just in front of The house.
and l dropped a letter addressed to
Mrs. Lange in it on Friday, November
20. That, l now learn, has resulted in
kmy de~liveranee. From what Mr.. Lange
tells me today there must have been
eight or ten letters mailed to me, which
Pender intercepted at Weldon, about
ten miles distant.
I'm that way he must have learned
that l was in communication with my
friends. for on Monday last he came to
me, bringing a mar named as
witness, and forced me, by threats
against my life. to copy a statement
which Mi. Broderick has brought bach
with him. 1t was addressed to J. Fl.
Harvey, the marshal of Halifax, and
reads:
al write to inform you there is not
a word Of truth in the report that
Thomas T.. Gender locked me M aud
took my money. MIR. Pender has not
my money. and ] am not in distress.
Respectfully,
"'oLGA SJOSTEDT, Nurse.
THE money he referred to in the
- - - So.