The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-03-15
A REMINDER OF THE DARK AGES

That we have not progressed any
too far from the dark ages is shown
by the experience of Bertha Manning,
a white girl, who was kept and treated
as a slave for months in twenty-five
miles of the up-to-date city of Jack
sonville, and in sight of the homes of
people supposed to be able and will
ing to put an end to such an outrage
at their first suspicion of it's ex-
istence.
Joe Williams. the brutal white man,
who held the girl in the worst de-
scription of slavery for several
months. was fatally shot from am
bush Tuesday evening, and on search
ing his home the officers found the
girl fastened to his bed by a collar
and chain. OF her life in this den, the
Metropolis says:
Beaten and Starved
Beaten almost to death, starved for
days at a time, chained at night to
the mans bed to prevent her escape
and forced to work in the fields with
the negroes, has been but a small por-
ton of the many ignomies heaped
upon her, and the girls body bears
mute testimony of the truth of her
narrative. Through information fur
Inished Williams some time ago, he
found the Manning girl, who was then
residing in Jacksonville. The man
stated he needed a girl to work for
him at his place near Baldwin, and
made Miss Manning good offer to
take the position. Not suspecting it
was only to get her into his clutches
that Williams was pretending to be-
friend her, the girl agreed to accom-
pany Williams to his home. She bade
her friends in this city goodbye and
this was the last they heard from her,
the white slave driver even preventing
the young woman from writing letters
to Jacksonville acquaintance. Soon
after getting the girl to his home Will
liams forced her to go into the fields
and work. as il she had been a negro
la borer Only last Saturday the young
woman states she was forced to help
build fences, and because she became
exhausted and was unable to do as
much work as Williams thought she
should, he is said to have tied her UP
by her hands for three hours. The
marks of the thongs, where the cruel
lashes cut into the flesh, were plainly
visible to the officers.
Tried to Escape
AS her mistreatment continued Miss
Manning planned to make her escape
from the house. She says she started
for Baldwin, where she expected tc
tell of her experience, but was captur-
ed by Williams and taken back to his
| house and beaten. She again tried tC
ESCAPE and was once more prevented
This time Williams took her out into
the woods and showed her a grave hi
had just completed.
| This is where I will put you If yor
| try to get away again." he is said tt
have told her. To Substantiate thi:
story. the girl took Detective Der
Crawford to the place where the grav,
had been dug.
/ Chained to the Bed
In order to prevent any further at
| tempts or the woman to escape, Will
Jams secured leather collar attached
Ito a chain. and with this he chained
her to his bed every night The chains
in which she was forced to spend he
nights of sorrow were shown the of
ficers to prove the claims OF the girl
According to the officers. the girl
body is one mass of cuts and bruises
showing she has indeed received jus
the treatment she tells Of furthe
investigation of the case brought t.
Hight the fact that people who resid
in the vicinity had mistrusted that al
was not well with the girl at VIII
Jams hands, and an investigation o
her condition had already commenced
The girl is said to have relatives Il
) the city, and Detective Bert Crawfor,
is making an effort to locate them L
the meantime she will be placed In tn
tender hands of friends who will at
RI hal hor