The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-22
THREE INDICTED
FOR ALLEGED
PEOkA6E
Mrs. Quackenbos Back of the
Prosecution of Florida
East Coast Cases.

Mrs. Mary Grace Quackenbos, the
New York woman lawyer, who figured
here in the alleged peonage cases
against F. ]. O'Hara, who was tried
twice in the United States Court, and
acquitted, seems determined. to make
ii appear that peonage exists in the
State, Notwithstanding the people in
Florida here take no stock in these
stories, and feel that the States repu-
tation is being injured, thus keeping
away settlers, says The Jacksonville
Metropolis
Last Saturday Mr.. E. J. TRAY, OF
this city was arrested in New York
City on charges of alleged peonage,
and Sundays New York Herald has
the following account of the arrest,
and the part played by Mrs. Quack-
enbOs in it:
Mrs. Quackenbos Busy.
Charged with violating the peon-
age laws of the United States. Ed
ward ]. TRAY, of Jacksonville, Fla,
resident labor agent for the Florida
East Coast Railway, controlled by
Henry NJ. Flagler, and Francisco Sab
bia, who has a private bank and en-
ployment agency at No. 225 Bowery,
we're arraigned before United States
Commissioner Shields in the Federal
building yesterday. The men were
placed under a bond of $1,000 each
for their appearance before the Grim
inai branch of the United States
Circuit Court on March goth.
For several days Mrs. Quacken-
Dos, an assistant United States Dis
f<fn NO
the cases before the Federal grand
jury. She has been assisted by Clar-
ence O. Houghton, formerly of the
fee, who two days ago was appointed
with Mrs. Quackenbos.
Three Indictments Found.
There are three indictments
against Sabbia, and he is charged
with uniawfully enticing and per-
suading certain laborers to go to
Florida to work on the extension of
the Florida East Coast Railway from
Miami to key West The Indictment
says these men were sent south to
'se held there as slaves. More than
1000 laborers, it is asserted, have
been sent from this city through Sab
bia
TRAY, who acts for the railway
as its New York labor agent, was
indicted, charged with conspiracy,
with Sabbia. Two other agents of
the same railway, who live in JACK
sonville. are named as co-couspira-
tors, and their arrest will follow i'm
mediately. Although TRAY has his
Offices in the Standard Oil building.
No. 26 Broadway. he passes most OF
the time at the Office of Sabbia. on
the Bowery, where there lis a desk
reserved for him.
mfr. Sabbia stated that he had al
ways conducted a model employment
agency, and had obeyed -e laws of
this State and the United States. He
has engaged Frederick L. c. Heating,
the former head of the Bureau of Ii:
censes, to defend him.
1T was remarked that the arrests
of TRAY and Sabbia followed closely
the indictments and arrest of J. c.
Meredith and w. s. Krone, of Jack
sonville, last week Krone and Mere
dith are engineers in charge of the
extension work.
What Is Alleged.
at is alleged that men are forced
TO stay on the keys over which the
company is building line and work
against their viii. An attempt TO
escape means arrest and conviction
and a sentence to work in the chain
gang without pay. All this is done
under the debt law of Florida, which
holds the debtors body in lieu of
payment and which Judge Locke, of
the United States District Court of
Florida, has recently declared uncon-
stitutional. Some of the men say
they become indebted as soon as they
reach the place, that they ave to
buy their supplies from the East
Coast Railway Company, and that
they do not receive me kind of en-
ployment held out as an inducement
when they sign the contract with the
company"