Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 June 1903 — SLAVERY IN ALABAMA. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SLAVERY IN ALABAMA.

Sereranent Starts an Investigation Into Awful Outrages. The investigation of the peonage cases by the federal grand jury at Montgomery, Ala., has brought out evidence of more shocking crimes than existed in the ■lnTe days. Many negroes have shown scars from the lash and others showed where their bones had been broken with Clubs. One affidavit signed by six negroes told the following story of the murder of Sarah Nealy, a negro woman: “I was at Mr. Turner’s place. She came on Monday and stayed until Tuesday. She came down to Fletcher Turner’s. We were in the new ground. She could not pile brush like he wanted her to and he took her down and placed her across a log. I ■ held her feet and another negro held her by the head. Allen Turner whipped her with a buggy trace 100 lashes. Then he put a pair of handcuffs ou her and tied a ropg around iter wrists, and made me draw her up *o her feet would just touch the ground, and he let her hang two hours. “Just about dinner we lowered her and •he crawled over to some brushes. Mr. Turner told me to throw her a pone of bread. She said she couldn’t eat. After dinner I was told to go and tell her she must go to work. She pulled the lid of her eye down and said she could not see. She then crawled behind the brush pile and laid down and never got' up any more. Allen Turner beat her over the head with a pistol again and she died.” The principal offender against the peonage" law, John W. Pace of Tallapoosa County, has practically confessed. He did not believe that he could be punished. Indeed, he told Mr. Reese and Mr. Sternfeldt that he had committed no crime. There are others among the indicted men who have turned government evidence. Their stories disclose the conspiracy to violate not only the laws of Alabama, but of the United States for the purpose of maintaining a system of •lavery. They have trafficked in negroes to the extent of buying and selling them.

Jobe should not forgot for a moment that it has a reputation to lire up to in the matter of weather. From this time fosth only one presidential bee will be permitted to buzz officially in the Republican party. Summer resort advertisement writers are now throwing in all the thrillers that the breakfaet-food men have not used. Jett and White have been run in on a charge of having painted Breathitt County (Ky.) red. Officials hope to be able to round lip the other colors of the rainbow in a few days. Considering- how extensively some of the postoffice officials seem to have devoted their talents to “grafting” it is somewhat surprising that they found time to conduct the nation’s postal business •t aIL It appears to be the regulation way now for bad men who intend to shoot the President to-hunt up the officers, of the itw and tell them all about it ' Also It is the safest way. Those Washington teachers who were satirised by their pupils may pot have deserved such treatment, but the methods which they have taken to show their resentment do not hoar out the theory. That German naval ensign who was degraded and lined for killing a friend who failed to salute him was very modi annoyed that he was not promoted sad turned loose by the court marital.