b ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁continue ▁le asing ▁prisoners ▁on ▁his ▁word ▁that ▁conditions ▁would ▁be ▁improved , ▁an ▁anonymous ▁group ▁of ▁business men ▁in ▁Mac cl en ny ▁took ▁up ▁a ▁collection ▁and ▁paid ▁the ▁fin es ▁ow ed ▁by ▁the ▁conv ict s ▁held ▁at ▁the ▁K nab b ▁camp , ▁as ▁reported ▁in ▁the ▁Florida ▁Times - Union ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 2 3 . ▁Three ▁days ▁later , ▁a ▁fire ▁destroyed ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁business ▁district , ▁and ▁the ▁Hotel ▁Mac cl en ny ▁bur nt ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁ ▁Further ▁ab uses ▁exposed ▁at ▁William ▁K nab b ' s ▁tur pent ine ▁dist illery ▁ ▁T . J . ▁K nab b ' s ▁brother , ▁William ▁K nab b , ▁operated ▁a ▁large ▁tur pent ine ▁dist illery ▁at ▁Mac cl en ny ▁employ ing ▁several ▁hundred ▁black ▁workers , ▁which ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁national ▁press ▁coverage ▁when ▁similar ▁ab uses ▁there ▁were ▁exposed ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 . ▁According ▁to ▁Florida ▁historian ▁Jer rell ▁H . ▁Sh of ner , ▁William ▁K nab b ' s ▁camp ▁" was ▁as ▁repr ess ive ▁as ▁any ▁reported ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁since ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁century ." ▁ ▁The ▁camp ▁was ▁unf enced , ▁but ▁gu ards ▁were ▁posted ▁on ▁all ▁roads ▁leading ▁out ▁of ▁town . ▁Men , ▁mostly ▁African ▁American , ▁were ▁held ▁there ▁against ▁their ▁will , ▁generally ▁paid ▁from ▁fifty ▁c ents ▁to ▁a