Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-31
PEONAGE CHARGE IS
DENIED BY SMITH
Continued from Page Two.

-
the Negroes labor Some isolated cases OF
this kind may have occurred, but as q
general rule, it is a Islander on the farmer
to make such charges against him.
Referring to the testimony given in
the police court upon which your article
is founded, it is stated that BecKie Ruck-
Ell swore that she worked for me SO years
and l never paid her anything for her
labor. At least 100 reputable witnesses
can be produced who will swear in any
court that Beckie Rucker never worked
for me a day in her life Beckie must
have sworn as she was told to swear.
always knew she belonged 10 very low
type of the negro race, but hardly
thought she was so lost TO every instinct
of honor and impulse of truth as to
swear TO such an arrant AnG stupendous
lie. She lived by my charity. Often
have / sent and paid physician to treat
her when she complained or being sick,
fol- which 1 was never paid a cent.
ALLEGES FALSE TESTIMONY.
Morgan Bailey also swore in the po-
lice court Many years ago Morgan
Bailey was convicted of n nelnous crime
and sent to the penitentiary. After serv-
ing out his time he came 70 me to hire.
hired him and worked him the best I
could. He was always in my debt. He
was lazy, trihing, and an all-round mean
negro; besides. he was constantly steal
ing something; despairing OF ever getting
him out Of my debt l dismissed him and
pocketed the loss. He Is an ex-convict
OF the meanest class of convicts. and is
liable at anytime and anywhere. with
or without provocation, to swear to the
biggest lie he can think Of. He seems to
enjoy 1t. He appears to be constituted
that way. l do not think anybody per-
suaded hi INTO swear in the police court;
in all probability he volunteered. He has
not worked for me in many years.
Pearl Lee also swore in the police
court. She swore to too big lie for
anybody with an ounce of common sense
to believe her. She overdid the thing On
one occasion Eb Lee, her husband, long
John Williams, and some other negroes
combined together anu stole from my
fattening hog pen a fine hog. TOOK the
hog to Pearl Lees house, where she
helped to clean it, and then carried the
hog over to Frank Fortsons, who took
the hog to Athens, sold 1t for about So
brought the money back and divided 1t
among the crowd, Pearl Lee getting her
part. For this offense true bills were
found against the whole lot and these
warrants are now in the hands of the
sheriff Of Oglethorpe county, who, up to
this time, has not been able to locate the
parties.
Manic WINS also swore. Manic be-
longs to a negro family Of thieves most
of whom have served terms in .the peni-
tertiary. 1t was said that his father ran
away from Warren county for breaking
into smoke house. Manic himself would
have been in the changing long ago if
| had not kept him out This fact, Manic
himself has often admitted to me and to
rfh u = =
among mean negroes. He has often been
charged with gambling, drinking, blind
tigering. carrying concealed weapons,
breaking into granaries and corn cribs and
stealing wheat and corn and committing
other crimes. l believe the latest case
against him of which have heard, is q
charge that he entered an old negro
mans house BY the name of Dab Arnold
and stole from this poor old negro SIS in
silver. 1t was all the money the old ne
gro had. Dab had sworn out a warrant
against Manic for stealing mis- money and
this warrant is in the hands of the sheriff,
who is liable at any time tc arrest Manto.
1t is stated that when Manic left my
place he carried with him $500 in money.
l either paid him what was due him, or
he got the money by sosnc other way.
1 might go on telling the facts and the
true character of all the witnesses in The
police court and of others vino have not
yet testified in the police court, but /
forbear to do so, lest this article be of
too great length.
SOMEBODY'S MAKING MONEY"
I'm my opinion somebody is making
money out of these deluded and ignorant
negroes. They are led to believe that
they can. by telling and swearing t. such
lies as they did in the police court, gs
money out of me. / am sure they have
either gone crazy or been hypnotized. Not
one of them can say and tell the truth
that 1 ever mistreated or wronged a an
gle one of them. 1 helped them to raise
their chiudren. 1 also helped many of
them to send their children to school
When they had become old and decrepit,
1 nave without pay taken care Of many
of the parents of those who are now
reay to join any band of cut-taroats, who
would, If they could, assassinate my char
acter and rob me of my money For gain
or hatred or envy or prejudice, there are
white men low and groveiing enough to
help them. 1t is SAID the negro has no
gratitude. 1 believe it. 1 think I know
what the peonage laws are. / have been
Careful not to violate them. Since the
peonage laws have been put in force. /
have received many Matchmaking letters
endeavoring to extort money from me.
What l have written in this communi- !
cation does not rest alone upon my We !
racity. but upon indisputable records and !;
the testimony of hundreds Of other per- |!
sons both white and black whose charac |
Jers are above reproach.
1T seems to me that in the opinion Of !
some people the greatest offense which |,
have committed is that by a long life of !
intense application to business, the exer-
else of a fair amount of judgment and |
reasonable economy, 1 have accumulated |
a respectable fortune and am trying to !
take care OF IT, There is much more to be :
written along the lines of my present com