Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13

Trapped in Texas peonage ring
that forced scores of men and boys to
toll like slaves in the broiling sun of
the cotton fields or serve long senten-
ces in Jail or trumped-up charges. two
Washington youths who set out to
"fivVer' across the continent plickily
turned the tables on their captors and
helped to have them convicted in a
Federal court.
The boys are Allen II. Nichols,
whose home here is at 1851 Church
street and who served as a page in
the House Of Representatives, and
Leonard Swanson, his closest pal"
They left Washington last July, hop
ing their "bus" would hold out until
they reached Galveston or Houston,
where Nichols had some relatives, and
then hike the rest of the way
Trouble started before they had left
the State of Illinois, but their story did
not become known here until yester-
day when the tale of their court fight
was sent to The Star from Corpus
Christ1, Tex. The case came to an
end January rs. with the conviction of
five officers of Wilacy County.
Flivver Gives Up Ghost.
At Danville, ILL.,, their oliver
emitted its death rattle and gave up
the ghost. Then the hike began, and
Houston was reached in due time.
The visit with relatives completed,
the boys encountered a smooth
voiced employment agent who as
sured them they could have a picnic
In the cotton fields, picking cotton at
Sl.2o hundred pounds and keep"
Positively told they could make
about Sc day and board, they were
| 6rnnnnd n yyfor fx,
by wheeling train and had their first
glimpse of cotton country. Then they
learned that the promise Of keep
was false one. They were given
credit at grocery store and floor
space in a seed house for lodging.
The rest of the job they would have
to do themselves, and pay the bill out
of their wages.
Nichols was elected by six of the
mislead pickers to be their cook. Home
economics having been neglected as
one of his school studies, Nichols pro
ceeded to drop the first dinner from
the frying pan squarely into a square
yard of Texas sand and thereupon de.
cided to resign altogether With
swanson, he set out for Lyford with
the next mornings sun.
They Accept Ride.
Before the town was reached, a cal
drove up and it's occupants offered tc
give the lads a hop" They accepted
with alacrity, but when it stopped
again they were in front of the Jail
A magistrate gave them one of -four
alternatives: Repay the farmer who
paid the railroad $7.S5 as their fare
work out the debt in the cotton sfields
| pay fine of 1870 or go to Jail unit
| the debt was paid.
They agreed to work It out" anC
discovered then that their job was tc
be on the farm of the Justices brother
! in-law. Here, however, friendl,
| lawyers interviewed and the boys were
| told they were free. The lawyers ar
ranged a legitimate job for them, al
$1.25 a hundred pounds and keep.
| After one good meal at this plantation
| however, the officers appeared ant
again arrested the boys as Migrants.
| This time the friendly lawyers OBJ
| tanned bail for the boys and succeeded
| in having them exonerated at a sub
| sequent trial. At this point Clarenc,
Kendall, assistant district attorney fol
the Southern district of Texas, inter
ested himself in the case and on tn,
basis Of the boys experience ordered