Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-05
TAL|AFERRO PEONAGE
REPORTS PROTESTED

Reports published last week that
night riding, peonage and brutal
treatment of negroes exist in Italia
ferro county brought sweeping de-
NAL Tuesday from Judge e. T. Shur.
ley, of the superior court of the
Toombs circuit, and Solicitor General
Marion L. Felts.
copy of which was sent to The Jour
nal with the request for its publica-
tion, Judge Shurley and Solicitor
Felts warmly defended Taliaferrc
county against what they termed
the anonymous and unfair aspersions
ernor that the published reports hao
been thoroughly investigated and
found groundless, and that there is
no county in Georgia where the Of
ficers are more prompt in handling
crime than Taliaferro county.
Their letter to the governor fol-
lows:
'Warrenton, Ga, May 2, 1921.
Governor Hugh M. Dorsey, Atlanta
Dear Sir: We beg to acknowledge
week of an unsigned copy Of a com
munication which you write was, sent
T4aiiaferro county pDlv,l9H and we par ar
ticularly note the hope expressed by
you III your letters TO us IudJ we
take charge of this situation and
bring these people to justice"
"Since assuming the duties Of the
offices we hold we always have
done our full duty, whatever it
might be, and wherever it was re-
quired, and SO long as we fill these
offices it shall never be necessary
for a request to be made upon US
in order to obtain from us a per-
Torrance of our duty.
Perhaps in the stress Of your Of
ficial duties it did not occur to you
that courts cannot act on informa-
ton given by persons who either
write anonymous letters, or insist
that their names be not revealed to
us, and we therefore beg to suggest
that the name of the writer of this
letter you refer to be furnished to
the solicitor general that this writ
err may lay before the next grand
jury such information as he may
possess.
I'VE are already familiar with the
principal facts of the occurrence to
which the writer of your anonymous
letter referred. On Saturday night,
April %, without the city limits of
ty, two men and two boys went to
the home of a negro by the name of
Oscar Edwards, and whipped him.
The reason advanced for this whip
ping of this negro is that he had
used to and about these two men and
these two boys an oath, one which no
southern white man accepts from
any person, black or white. They
gave this negro a sound threshing,
but did not injure him.
1--WE have had this negro before
us, and examined him. He states
Monday following the occurrence,
and has not lost a single day. He
has two scratches on his head, each
about half an inch long. He states
that it hurt while he was being
whipped, but he has had no pains
since.
"On Monday, April %, four war
rants were sworn out against the
four white persons who whipped this
negro, and were delivered to the
sheriff Monday night. By 10 O'Clock
a. m. of Tuesday, April 20, the sher-
ed these two men and two boys, and
had them in his custody. The &C
cused waived a preliminary trial, and
each gave bond in the sum of $500
for his appearance to the superior
court of Taliaferro county.
when the superior court of Talia-
ferro county convenes, these cases
will be handled in the usual legal
and orderly way, as provided for
by the constitution and laws of Geor-
gia, and each of the accused persons
when indicted shall have legal and
orderly trial in the courthouse-not-
withstanding such trials as they
eve have noticed the newspaper
accounts of this occurrence, which
accounts the newspapers state We're
given out by your office. We cannot
refrain from saying that we regard
it extremely unfortunate that you,
NP q
reason, possibly a good one, gave
the facts set forth in that anony-
nous letter to you to the press of
Georgia, without first making an in
vestigation, or holding the matter
in allegiance until it was referred to
"The press reports quote your
anonymous letter as saying that the
head of this negro was beaten into
a Jelly" We have examined the
negro, and that is untrue.
''The press notices state that there
is might riding" in Taliaferro coun--
ty. If you have any evidence OF
this we will be glad to receive it il
it is not anonymous, since we dc
not believe there is word of truth
in the statement.
zone press account refers to this
occurrence as terrible condition OF
peonage existing in this county. II
ditions, and they constitute viola
lions Of any law of Georgia, We will
appreciate your furnishing US with
it if it is not anonymous, for we
do not believe a word of it.
"The press accounts all quote your
ANONYMOUS letter as stating that
Sheriff Sturdivant failed to perform
his duty The statement of facts
set forth above shows absolutely that
no officer in Georgia could have nan
died this matter in a more efficient
prompt and conscientious manner
than did Sheriff Sturdivant, and we
denounce this attack upon him as I'M
justified, unWarranted and absolute
ly baselesS.
I'VE are familiar with conditions
in Taliaferro county, and know the
character of its citizens. No bet
ter people live in Georgia, and they
are justly indignant at the asper-
sions cast upon them, individually
and collectively, by this person or
persons whom you term a 'prom1-
nent citizen who are not willing
to sign their names to the letters
thew write or if signed, are unwilling
for the general public to know and
identify the authors of such under
hand tactics as they use to besm1rch
the official character OF the sherltf,
and the other court officers, as well
as the citizens generally OF that
county.
ssThere is no county in Georgia
where the officers are more prompt
or efficient in experimenting crimi-
nails. and in obtaining evidence Tor
their trials, and where the juries
are more prompt to convict, whether
the defendant be white or black, IL
the evidence authorizes 1t.
~