Monroe County AlArchives News.....Nine Indicted for Peonage June 3, 1909
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Elizabeth Lloyd  Marsden marsdenfam@hotmail.com October 9, 2007, 9:30 pm

Monroe Journal From Mobile Register. June 3, 1909
Indictments were returned in the U.S. Court yesterday against nine prominent 
Monroe County citizens, charging peonage and conspiracy to commit peonage, and 
the returning of these indictments caused quite an excitement.  The 
indictments grow out of a tragedy of Jan 1908 when H.C. Walston and Edward Lee 
English were both killed.  Dr. B.R. Bradford, Julius P.Farish and O.B. Deason 
were tried in connection with the killing but acquitted.  The man English was 
well known in that he was the man who killed Mr. McDuffie*
The beginning of the cases which will grow out of the indictments returned 
yesterday was that H.C. Walston was alleged to have been holding a number of 
negroes in peonage.  A couple of them wanted to leave and work for English, 
which they both finally did.  English it is said, offered to pay Walston what 
the negroes owed him and went to do so, but it is said Walston refused to give 
the statement, an altercation and a tragedy followed. 
The indictments returned yesterday as follows:  
William Shannon, seven counts, three for conspiracy and four for peonage.  The 
aggregate of Shannons' bonds is $3500.00.  Shannon is a planter.
Joe Holloway, six counts, three for conspiracy and three for peonage. Holloway 
is a Justrice of the Peace, and it is claimed issued warrants for the arrest 
of negroes held as peons. bond, $1500.
Barney Dawson, three counts, one for conspiracy and two for peonage, Dawson is 
a planter. bond $1500.00
G.A. Fountain, four counts, two for conspiracy and two for peonage.  Bond, 
$2000. Fountain is a Justice of the Peace.
J.L. Courtney, two counts, one for conspiracy and one for peonage. Bond, 
$1000.00 Courtney is a constable.
Dr. B.R. Bradford, two counts, one for conspiracy and one for peonage. Bond, 
$2000.00 Bradford is a doctor and a planter.
Neal Andress, two counts, one for conspiracy and one for peonage. Bond 
$1000.00 Andress is a planter.  
Julius P. Farish, two counts, one for conspiracy and one for peonage. bond 
$1000. Farish is a planter and a merchant. 
 O.B. Deason, two counts, one for conspiracy and one for peonage. Bond, 
$1000.  Deason is a planter.  There are numerous cases intricate and 
intereting in these indictments. These indictments in some cases charge actual 
holding of peons and other cases conspiracy to committ peonage-Mobile Register 
of June 4. 



Additional Comments:
*Killed McDuffie in 1904

Peonage is the practice of holding persons in servitude or partial slavery, 
as to work off a debt or to serve a penal sentence. (From www.dictionary.com)

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