The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1923-04-07
NORTH DAKOTATO
DEMAND INQUIRY
INTO H0CC|Nc
North Dakota Charges Convict
Labor System Responsible
for Boys Death
SLAVERY EXISTS, CHARGE
Agitation May Result in Aboli-
ton of Farming Out" La
Dor to Prison Camps.
CRUSADER Service.)

WI 1uoduSI Del
Langdon, N. D., April 5.-Out of
the death in Southern convict camp
of a white farmer boy who started
out to "see the world" has arisen the
extraordinary situation of North Da-
kota, as a state, protesting to Florida,
as state, against the conditions
which made the tragedy possible.
Virtual Slavery.
Tales of virtual human slavery in
convict lumber camps of the Florida
swamps where whipping bosses"
reign with a brutality compared to
which that of a Simon Legree or a
"Hard-boiled" Smith seems mere
Poliyanna stuff, were related by
Gudmundur Crimson, assistant attor-
ney general of North Dakota, who
spent Tuesday in the Twin Cities.
Mr.. Crimson is on his way to
Florida to demand an Investigation
of the death of Martin Tabert in a
prison camp.
The farmer boy who was the first
cause OF this unusual series of
events involving the first real pro-
tests by whites againost the system
which has for. so long victimized the
colored populations of the South, was
Martin Tabert of we'll known family
of Munich, Cavalier County. He died
Feb. 1, 1922, in a lumber camp in
Leon County, Fla. For six months
his death meant nothing to anybody
but his family.
In the fall of 1921, Martin Tabert,
twenty-two-year-old son of Mr.. and
Mrs. Ben Tabert of Munich, decided
he would spend the remainder of the
season in the Central States and the
winter in the South.
All went we'll with him until he
reached Florida "broke."
Sentenced to Ninety Days.
On Dec. Is, 1921, he was arrested
by deputy sheriff in Leon County,
Fla, for stealing ride on a railroad
train. He was then taken before an
official, who fined him $25, or in lieu
of payment sentenced him to serve
ninety days. He was unable to pay
the fine and wired his brother to send
him $50 to pay his fine and help him
come hom. His brother and parents
sent draft for $75, but Martin had
been EARNED out" to the Putnam
Lumber Co. before it arrived. In
February, in answer to letters from
North Dakota, the Putnam Lumber
company wrote that Martin had died
while serving his sentence. The Tab
erts never suspected that anything
was wrong until recently, when,
through the North Dakota authorities,
formal charges that the convict sys-
tenn of Florida had resulted in the
death Of the boy were made.
Beaten to Death.
"Afidavits of fellow prisoners and
other evidence will be presented
which will prove that Walter Higgin-
botham. whipping boss, was directly
responsible for the death of Martin
Tabert," declared Mr.. Crimson. "This
case already has attracted nation
wide attention. In addition to pun
ishing the guilty parties, we hope to
arouse public opinion to a degree
which will demand the repeal of all
laws permitting the farming out of
prisoners. Leon county, from which
Mr.. Tabert was sentenced, has dis
continued this practice as the result
of our investigation and we propose
to continue the fight until this out
rage against civilization is entirely
wiped out. =
Prisoners Worth $40 q Head.
"My investigation has disclosed
that j. r. Jones, sheriff of Leon
county, who arrested Martin Tabert,
received $50 head for the delivery
Of prisoners to the Putnam Lumber
company. Mr.. TaTbert was charged
with riding freight train and SEN
fenced to pay fine of $25 or spend
ninety days in Jail.
Friends of the Tabert family al
ready have subscribed over $1,000 to
carry on the investigation and to per-
NIT tMr. Crimson to take his witness
es to Florida. Judge w. j. Knee
shaw, of Pembina, N. D., will assist
Mr.. Crimson in prosecuting the case.