Brown Case

This collection includes three different types of materials: papers related to Cubberly's historical research, documents from peonage trials, and certificates of his appointments to various government positions. There are many typewritten copies of short articles Cubberly wrote about various topics in Florida history, as well as a manuscript of the history of Archer, Florida, from 1880-1900. Also included is correspondence documenting his search for information about Judah P. Benjamin, a Confederate politician who fled the United States after the Civil War and escaped through Florida.

The legal documents are from two different peonage trials, Clyatt v. United States and Alston Brown and Mose Brown v. United States. The Clyatt case was tried in 1901 and was the beginning of Cubberly's involvement with peonage. This collection includes correspondence from writers from McClure's Magazine and Appleton's Magazine, both of which were doing research for articles on peonage. Also included is a letter from Alexander Irvine, a writer from Appleton's Magazine, to Theodore Roosevelt praising Cubberly and recommending him for the position of Attorney for the North District of Florida due to his work on peonage. Roosevelt's reply also is included.

The documents relating to the Brown case are more extensive. There is correspondence between Cubberly and investigating agents in the Justice Department, as well as numerous affidavits from the investigators. Also, there are letters and telegrams between Cubberly and Howard P. Wright of the U.S. Bureau of Investigation, the predecessor of the FBI. Copies of affidavits from victims of peonage and documentary evidence used in the Brown trial are included, as well as two newspaper clippings regarding the case. One of the clippings is a letter from the accused Brown professing his innocence.

The final group of documents in this collection includes certificates Cubberly received after his appointments to various government positions.