New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-08-14
SEEKING REFUGE m DEMOCRATIC BosoNS.
The Pfcayune's SOAK a "straw.

Of a Democratic association there.
Fltzhugh, colored man, occasionally
last year sent communications to the Re-
| PUBLICAN in relation to political matters in
Mississippi but Eore recently We have
received communications from Republic
ans in Woodville, where Fitzhugh has re-
sided for 4 year or two, relating to his
financial operations and expulsion from the
Republican party. The Picayl0,s says "his
letter is not straw, it is huge oak, which
the hurricane has torn up from Radical soil
and has carried completely over the ground
of the Democrats.
Our correspondents show that it is not
very huge oak after all that "has torn
UP from Radical soil in this instance"
From their letters we learn these points;
Fizhugh turned up in Wood
vile in the double capacity OF
preacher in the African Methodist Episco-
pal Church, and teacher Of a colored
school, He acquired some popularity and
influence, and was elected delegate to
the constitutional convention.
While at Woodville he collected money
to build a church, and the parties who con
tributed to that fund estimate that from
500 to $500 was paid to him. OF this
amount only about $50 ever found its way
into the channel intended, with which lot
OF land was purchased. The remainder is
unaccounted for by Fitzhugh.
A Republican club was formed in Will
hanson county. Money was collected, to
the amount of ST. SO, to print cards Of
membership. One thousand OF thesescar
were printed at the cost of about SIS.
When Fltzhugh, as President Of the club,
delivered these cards to the members, be
collected twenty-five cents from each of
nearly thousand members, and never
rendered any account of the money, some
$3.50.
When Fitzhugh and his colleague, Mr..
Gibbs, went to the convention last year,
each Of them borrowed OF colored man,
Dennis Ross, who resided six or seven miles
from Woodville, $780, TO be repaid from
their compensation as delegates.
Mr. Gibbs sent the hundred dollars he
borrowed by Fitzhugh to be paid to Mr..
| Ross, and some two or three weeks after
ward, when he himself went to Woodville,
he was surprised to learn that it had not
been paid over. Nor from that day to this
has Eitzhugh paid single dollar of the
5000 borrowed of Mr.. Ross, though he
! confessed before witnesses that Mr.. Gibbs
intrusted 500 of the money 10 him to pay
to Mr.. Ross. He was pressed hard by a
committee of the Republican Club, who
did not care to have his financial delin-
quencies made a public scandal, to meet
them and explain the transaction. But
though he promised several times to meet
them he never found it convenient to keep
his promise.
AT another time a prominent Republi-
can of the county furnished to Fitzhugh fer
himself and Mr.. Lott, another Republican,
$50 to defray expenses and to pay for their
time, to visit Amite county on political
business, with the express understanding
that he should pay S25 Of the amount to
Lott. He paid him one dollar only, and
never accounted for the balance.
Fitzhugh would make a good confidence
man, for he represented TO parties in
Woodville that Colonel Morgan. of Nat
EutL. udu hlUllCJ III HIS MINUS DClOhHluA "
him tFizhugh) while to Colonel Morgan
he represented that Mr.. Noble, Wood
Vile merchant, had 5000 or 500 in his
possession belonging to him (Fitzhugh).
The facts being that he owed Mr.. Noble
$3.50. and owed Colonel Morgan SO much
that be requested Mr.. Noble to retain for
the full or partial payment of that indebt-
edness any money he might have in his
hands belonging to Fitzhugh.
Fitzbugh had some watch transactions.
He went to Mr.. Hall, colored man, to
engage rooms in Halls house for his
brother, and his brothers wife. Mr.. Hall
told him that he lacked the funds required
to prepare the rooms properly. Fitzhugh
thereupon let Hall have twenty five dollars,
and the latter put into Fitzhugh's keeping
watch and chain, worth seventy-five dol
lars, as a guaranty that the twenty five
dollars would not be nisapplied. Neither
Fitzhugh's brother or wife occupied Halls
premises, and Mr.. Hall went to Fitzhugh
with $25 and proposed to pay that amount
back to him. FItzhugh told him to keep it,
that he did not want it then. Hall, trust
ing Fitzhugh as preacher and Church
member, did not then ask him for the
watch but afterward becoming alarmed
about it's safety, went to him second time
and rendered him $25, and demanded the
watch and chain. He did not get it, nor
has Fiizhngh ever explained what became
of the watch and chain.
Another watch transaction would do
credit to an able financier. Fitzhugh's
wife was engaged In teaching o school.
One of the sisters of the church let Mrs
Fitzhugh have her watch TO keep time in
school. Fitzhugh pawned the watch, but
when Intercepted about it declared that
whoever said he pawned ii was a liar. The
facts proved that the watch was pawned
for six dollars and sevehty-five cents to
Mr.. Schwartz, and that Fitzhugh, when the
owner of the watch insisted on having it
back again, managed to borrow FIVE dol
lars elsewhere and took the watch ''out of
SOAK owing the balance, one dollar and
seventy-five cents, which he still owes to
/ Mr.. Schwartz.
/ Fitzhugh bought horse Of a gentleman
for eighty dollars, promising to have that
amount allowed on an account due from
the party selling the horse to Woodville
merchant. The merchant declined to ac-
cept anything but money from Fiizhugh,
which was not forthcoming, was neither the
horse. But Fitzhugh lets the account
| with the party who sold the horse run
| on" The horse is still ahead however.
Fitzhugh was nominated by the Repub-
licans of Wilkinson county as one Of their
candidates for Representative 70 the State
Legislature. Between the time of bis nomi-
nation for this Office and the time Of the
election, the eccentric financial operations
OF Fiizhugh became 80 notorious that the
Republicans were thoroughly disguised,