The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-02-29
A UPHELD L
BY STANDARD OIL
Has Locked Horns With the Gov
eminent and the Department
of Justice.
Some of Trusts Employees AL
ready Under Indictment in !
New York. .

southern states to break down the
peonage prosecutions by the United
States government.
This fight against the government
and the department Of justice began
in Florida and was organized and in
stituted by Henry M. Fiagier Of the
Florida East Coast railroad and also
the Standard Oil company.
Cause Of the Trouble.
The reason for this was that a num-
Der Of the officials of that corpora
ito mare actually under indictment in
New York City, while the labor agent
with whom they are charged with
peonage has run away and left them
to bear the burden of a trial in the
United States courts
1t is alleged that over 5000 ignor-
ant foreigners were decoyed away
from New York to turpertine camps
and for railroad work on the Florida
East Coast line.
A representative from Florida who
had openly defended Flagier on the
floor of the house of representatives
presented sevral resolutions, all in
tended to embarrass the department
Of justice. Following upon the recent
collapse of the peonage cases in Mis-
sissippi, where the local sentiment
was such that it was found impos-
sible to secure convictions, no matter
how strong the evidence, John Sharp
Williams and others Of the Mississippi
delegation have followed the. course
pursued by tho Standard Oil people
and also have begun an attack upon
the government officers who have tho
peonaee cases in charge.
House Committee to, Investigate.
AS result of this plan of cam
paign, the rules committee of the
house of representatives has decided
to hear tomorrow morning Assistant
Attorney General Charles w. Russell,
who prosecuted the cases in Mississ-
ippi and elsewhere, and who has had
general charge of the peonage mat
tiers on behalf of the government for
a long while. They will also hear
Mrs. Mary Grace Quackenbis, who en-
joys the distinction Of being the only
woman: eyer. regularly employed as a
special assistant to the attorney gen.
eral Of the United States
/ Between the two they are expected
to: detail a great DIAL of tn govern
ment side of the peonage cases. There
is in the possession of the department
Of Justice an immense amount of ma
terial Of this character. It. was pos
sfble at first in the southern sta tes to
secure a conviction and even a SEN
tence Of the men proved to have held
white immigrants in slavery. This
was particularly true in Florida and
Mississippi. In each case there have
/ been successful prosecutions in the
beginning.
AS soon as the local sentiment was
| aroused, however. it was found to be
impossible to secure convictions and
latterly the southern grand juries
ments.
Charges Against OILS Friends.
1t appears that some Of Mr.. Flagier's
highest officials are now actually UNI
der indictment and are out on bail.
They will have to answer before the
United States court in New York,
where the public sentiment is entirely
different. from that which exists in
the southern states, and where the
popular sympathy, if anything, is with
| the Ignorant immigrant and against
! the labor drivers who nav ebeen gull
ty of the worst forms of peonage in
the southern states.
First of all, there is E. J. TRAY, the
labor representative of H. M. Flagie1
in Jacksonville, Fla. He was indicted
in the United States court in New
York on a charge of having combined
with Francesca Sabbia of 225 the
Bowery, an Italian labor agent of
New York City. It was alleged tina
TRAY and Sabbia were instrumental
in sending 5000 laborers for work OF
:: the Florida East Coast railroad ant
that the conditions of work were mis-
: represented and the men themselves
forced to labor under duress and il
spite of their efforts to escape.
The second member Of the Flage
crowd was M. E. Harley. He was tn
representative of Tciay in Jacksonville
It was his duty to come north an,
escort the men to the camps in Flor
ida and to see that they did not es
cape from the train while en- route
These laborers, it may mentioned IL
this connection, were frequentl,
locked in the car and were not per
mitted to walk on the platforms ex
cept under surveillance.
Woman's Efforts Bring lndictmen hts.
The third member of the party wa
Ed Hough, runner and escort. H
came with Harley and TRAY to New
York to get the laborers. All four O
these men-Triay, the wealthy repre-
sentative of Flagier; sabbia, the Ital
ian labor agent and banker of Nev
York; Harley and Hough, escorts an
runners-were indicted through tn
personal efforts Of Mrs. Quackenbo.
and they are all now under bond t
appear for trial and their cases ar
Recently the Investigations made b
the department Of justice showed thu
francesca 'Cabbia had disappeare
from his usual haunts in New Yorl
All efforts to find him have faile,
The Italian colony Is in fermer
] ~,