Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-04-21
HARVARD UNIVERSITY OPEN TO ALL
New York Times Lauds Action Of Board
Of Overseers in Its Liberal Decision.
KANSAS CITY STAR SAYS HARVARD RENDERED A
PUBLIC SERVICE IN RAISING BAR OF COLOR.

FLORIDA GRAND JURY
GETS PEONAGE CASES.
Witnesses Will Tell of Many
FloggingS in the Camps.
Madison. Fla. April 13.-Former
convicts, who assert that they were
flogged, and former guards In the
camp where floggings took place, will
testify here tomorrow before the Madi
son County Grand Jury. The juror
are all ready to begin in the morning
an investigation into the death of Mar
tin Tabert North Dakota youth, who
died while serving Il prison sentence
in this State last year.
G Crimson States Attorney OF
North Dakota. and Judge w. j. Knee
shaw Of that State, who are to assist
In the prosecution conferred here to
night with Florida officials with re-
spect to the presentation OF the case to
The Grand Jury
The State, Il Is understood will con
tend that Tabert was a victim of j
whipping administered ut the camp OF
the Putnam Lumber Company at
Clara, Fla. and will ask for the indict
ment of Walter Higginbotham con,
Wet camp boss who is held on a
charge Of murder in connection with
the case. Higginbotham was brought
here today from Dixie County. where
the whipping Is said to have been ad
ministered.
Tabert died soon after he had been
convicted Of beating his way on .
train. He was sentenced to thres
months and later leased to the lumbe,
company to work out the time. ON
Gals of that concern assert that death
resulted from a complication Of diseas
es. The State it is said, will introdu e
witnesses to show that death was due
to severe whipping administered by
Hfgginbotham while Tabert was sick
and too weak to work
ALLEGE PLOT TO GET Poems
The representatives Of North Dakota
1t is said VIII submit evidence to ths
Grand Jury tending to show that Shef
III j. X. Jones of Leon County, and 9th
er county officials had entered into a
collusion with railroad detectives to
arrest men riding through that coun
ty On freight trains, have them sell
fenced by the Court and then leased t. -,
the lumber camp.
Attorney Crimson asserts that he
has evidence to prove that Sheriff
Jones had arranged with the Putnam
Lumber Company for the payment OF
$40 side money for all able-bodied
men that he could pick up and deliver
to the lumber camp in the swamps for
ninety days.
Higginbotham denies the charge
against him. He did not deny applying
the lash to Tabert or other convicts.
but he declared the punishment inflicy
ed upon the North Dakota boy was
light and not sufficient to have caused
de ath.
former convict named johnson
who was in the camp with Tabert 10
expected to appear before the Grand
Jury. He is said to be one of the
States principal witnesses. 1t is said
tina, he prepaI ed Tabert's body for bur
ial.
witnesses. both convict guards ami
prisoners are understood to have de.
SERTED Higginbotham as man with
out mercy and to have said that he
logged both black and white prisoners
until they were helpless just for the
sport of it "
LASH WEIGHED SEVEN POUNDS
H:gginbotham according to some
witnesses, used lash weighing seven
and half pounds and at times would
administer as many as 100 ticks 10
one convict. AT the County Jail, afte.
his arrest, Pigginbotham, who ap.
pears. to be Of pleasant demeanor. de
clined beyond q general. denial that he
caused Tabert's death, to discuss the
case.
Il may have statement to make
later he said. 81 remember Tabert
and l admit 1 whipped him. A fello "
can't handle bunch OF convicts with
Kid gloves. but the punishment given
him was within the law and instead OF
flashing him severely | merely gave
hlm few light taps Tabert died OF
pneumonia according to the camp ply
stefan. who made thorough diagnosis
or the case. That's all / know about
II it,"
Another effort was to be made to
day to locate Tabert's grave. Some
say he was buried in a cemetery near
Perry, while prisoners and former con
Wet guards contend his body was
shrouded in the striped uniform of an
escaped Negro prisoner, crammed in
to an old bacon box and buried OH the
edge OF lumber swamp. The Putnam
Lumber Company in reporting Ia
bert's death to his family. assured his
relatives that che was given Chris
tar burial and minister was pres
ent," according to letter now in thc
possession Of the State.