Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-18

rooms. GDV. GampD was InentlO0eu.
do not remember that he mentioned any
other member, but was satisfied that there
were others there. The meetings were
held somewhere in the city. My brother
might have told me who were at the meet
ings, but if he did | disremember it. /
suppose there were no Radical at it, but |
don't know. NV brother had resigned be-
fore he got the letter from Mr.. Cooper or
any one else. The whole sum and sub
stance of il is that there was general un-
derstanding among them to do all they
could 10 break up the House. Well,
don't know, positively, but that is just my
opinion, from what could gather up
BY Mr.. Trimble. The caucus / spoke of
was made Of Conservatives. | did not un-
derstand how often they met.
TESTIMONY OF ABRAM SMITH.
Abram Smith (colored). live at Nash
Vile. In July, 1866, was porter at the
Capitol. | was present when a party of
men came to take away Mr.. Williams and
Mr.. Martin. l was not present when they
arrested Capt Heydt. The dOers we're
locked when the Sheriff came up to get Mr..
Williams and Mr. Martin out, and the
watchman would not let them in, and they
threatened TO break in. 1t was about half
past six in the evening. Mr.. Martin was
asleep. They did not wake him up. |
was down below when Capt. Heydt was
arrested. The window and door that lead
into the Federal Court, and the door that
leads into the hall were broken open.
Mr.. Shaw and Mr.. Davidson were the only
persons among the party that | knew. |
did hear such talk in the lobby that there
was an attempt TO keep away quorum.
/ think they were outsiders-not members.
/ heard that sort of talk two or three times.
People were in consultation with members
but | did not know them. | was about
town a good deal. There were not many
strangers belonging to the city present 1
know Mr.. Jones, of Green, and Mr.. Martin
kept away to prevent a quorum. Mr..
Jones afterwards came back. l do not
think he came till after the amendment
was passed. He then came in voluntarily
WADE HECKMAN's TESTIMONY.
Wade Hickman (colored): / live in
Nashville. | was at the capitol in July
1866. ! remember Mr.. Williams being
taken away. | know very well that | was
in the Senate chamber. 1t was 10 the
evening. The doors were closed and l
could not go out. The reason was, the
Sheriff was there TO arrest prisoners in the
capitol. Mr.. McElwee came in and then
they got in too. The next morning they
came and took Capt. Heydt and Mr.. Mar
tin. They forced the hasp of the door.
That was between six and seven O'Clock.
When they took out Mr.. Williamsthe sun
was down. Mr. Martin was asleep. Mr..
Martin looked to be in good health. They
did not wake him up ! tried to wake
him up bat ! could not. There was a
demiiohn in the room, but | don't know
whether that put him to sleep or not. |
do not know whether there was any effort
made to prevent a quorum. Some of the
members told me that they would not be
there Mr.. Williams was one. and Mr.
Jones of Claiborne, told me he would not
be there They did not tell me whether
any one was operating with them. | do
not know whether any caucusses were being
held with that purpose.
RUCK LEWIS TESTIMONY.
Buck Lewis, (colored), being next ex-
amined bv counsel for the prosecution,
testified | live in Davidson county. / was
employed in the House of Representatives
in July, 1866, as porter of the House had
been so employed from the beginning of
the session. l was there regularly during
the sessions of the Houses. | do not know
whether there was any effort made to de-
feat the getting of a quorum. ! know a
coed many members went away. | do not
think any Of them returned voluntarily. |
did not hear any of them say the reason
why they went away. remember
meeting Mr. Dunnaway in Church
street, with a carpet-bag going home.
| told him they were hunting him
up. He said he was going home.
He did not say why he was going
home. | was not much round at the mem
bers' rooms. do not know anything about
caucuses being he'd in the city. saw Mr..
Watterson of the Banner one day, speaking
with Mr.. Williams in the Speakers room,
saw Mr.. Colyar, also, about the House
speaking to members. think he is a law
yer who used to live about Winchester.
think | heard he was practicing law in
Nashville now. | heard him say that he
thonght they had done right they had
been imposed on long enough. | do not
know whether he had been a member of
the Rebel Congress at Richmond. Mr..
Watterson told them near about the same
thing. A lot of men came to my house
hunting Capt Heydt. Mr.. Alexander and
Mr.. Everett were the only men ! knew
among them. Mr. Alexander had been a
quartermaster in the Confederate army.
Mr. Everett, think, had been a soldier in
the Confederate army. | was present at
court during the hearing of the hubeas
corpus case. There seemed to be a good deal
r 1 ~ at the apprt hAnGa
at the time Judge Frazier left the bench,
after this impeachment began. An intima-
ton was made to me that there would be
no quorum. | was in Washington with
Major Lewis last June | saw Mr.
Cooper, and told him | should have
| to 60 home as the Legislature was
! going to meet soon. lie gave Inc
money, forty dollars | think to come home
/ with. 1 called on the President at the
| White House. He asked me why | was going
home so soon? i told him that had tC
/ 90 because the Governor had summoned
| the Legislature He said the Governor
had damned sight Of use for a Legislature
L | saw Mr.. Colyar in the Capitol. | never
saw him before that time in the Capitol
He was with Mr.. Williams and Mr.. Mar
| tin. / remember seeing him acting as theil
LAWYER. do not know whether he wa!
sent for by them, or whether he came by
hv his own will. Watterson was there a
the same time that Colyar was. i hap
pened to be in the presence Of the Presi
dent, because | always went to the Presl
dents honse when | was at Washington
He was an old acquaintance of mine. III,
addressed himself to me. ! was in a room
with him alone when he said that. Tht
President and Mr. Cooper were not to
gether when the President said that to me
Mr.. Cooper was in his own room.
| TESTIMONY OF +. II. GoEN.
f. II. Goen, examined by Mr.. Maynard
| | live in Davidson county. | was Clerk o
the House Of Representatives. was pres
ent and acting in that capacity in the ex
ira session of 1866. There was a difficult,
in obtaining a quorum Of the House
There was an effort on the part Of SOM
members to prevent them from getting
quorum. They vacated their seats | sup
pose for that cause do not remembe
hearing members express a purpose OF pre-
venting quorum. No persons unconnect
ed with the House were, so far as l know
in the conspiracy with those members.
know nothing Of any caucus. Severa
members left their seats after they had beef
here. Some returned, but whether volun
tarily do not know. One or two peIhap
returned voluntarily. Mr.. Jones, OF Green
| think did. Williams and Martin wer
arrested By Capt. Heydts officials who wer
acting under his orders as Special Deput
sergeant-at-arms. They we're kept in IN
Committee room. No unnecessary restrain