Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-11-06
ELECTION TROUBLES IN
GEORGIA.

RIOT at Augusta Anclted by kSadicalS-
The Radical Sheriff KIIIed-One Ne
gro Killed and Several Wounded.
From the Augusta ConstitutiOnalist, Nov. 4.
The election yesterday promised in the
morning to pass without disturbance Of
any character, and until about half-past
two O'Clock everything seemed working
well. The polls, three in number, one
up stairs and two down, were under the
charge of Democrats and Republicans,
about equally divided. There were
about thirty deputies appointed by the
Sheriff, fifteen from each party, and the
entire crowd ofvoters was kept outside
the city Hall lot and only allowed to
enter in small numbers at time, the
whites using one gate, the blacks the
other. After voting, each person, white
and black, passed through and went out
at the back gate Of the City Hall. The
challengers from both parties were sta
toned at the various polls doing the duty
assigned them, when about hslf-past two
the quiet was broken.
From the best information we can OBJ
tain the facts of the difficulty are as fol-
lows:
While one Of cur oldest and most
highly respected citizens was in the per-
formance of his duty, as manager at one
Of the polls, administering and explain
ing the oath to colored challenged voter,
the military Mayor Of the city, in a
wantOn and unprovoked manner, objected
to his act and used toward him some
very opprobrious and abusive language.
The report of the trouble was borne to
the City Hall front gate, where the
crowd was waiting its turn to enter, and
caused considerable excitement among
both white and blacks, eliminating in
negro cursing an Irishman. The negro
was instantly shot-by whom it is not
known. The row then, of course, be-
came general, pistols being drawn and
fired by both parties the negroes, how
ever. running away in large numbers.
In the fight the Irishman who received
the Cursing, we understand, was NOR
tally wounded, and three or four
negroes wounded slightly. Most of the
pistols Of the white men were fred in
the air, which accounts for the small
number of casualties from forty or fifty
shots. In few moments, however, the
efforts Of the Radical Sheriff, A. G. Ruff.
fin, to rally the negroes having failed,
quiet was restored, and the company of
Federal Soldiers, under command Of q
gallant and high toned officer, took con-
troll Of the City Hall yard, not, however,
I Mt n,afa~ hol
this time, the Sheriff advanced towards
the front gate of the yard, in company
With Federal soldier, and directed him
TO arrest young man whom he (Rufin)
pointed out. The young man said he
had done nothing to be arrested for, when
the soldier turned to Ruffin and said: If
you wish me to arrest him, you must get
orders from my superior officer whereup-
was considerable kissing and jeer-
ing OF Ruflin by the crowd which sur
rounded him, and in the midst Of it dull
sound was heard, and Rufin said to the
man to whom he was speaking at the
time, Il am shot" The man told him
no, that he was frightened and even
when he fell, no one supposed it anything
but faint, until. they picked him up and
found that he was dead. The ball en-
tered the back, and must have passed
near the heart, if not through it.
No one knew whence the shot came,
nor who fred it, as no weapon was ex-
posed and every one supposed the diff
Guilty ended.
The military held the control Of the
polls until their close, and while We go
to press the city IS under command of the
Major, who is the ranking officer Of the
Federal troops at this point, and the citi-
zens, by his direction, are patrolling the
streets and reporting to him. We have
heard Of no disturbance, however, since
the one at half past two, and believe that
had the negroes been free from Radical
that would not have occurred
to mar the day with its blood.
We are sincerely rejoiced that the day
is past, and think that the Democratic
party has not only done its duty by be-
ing moderate, torbearing and temperate,
but it has risen nObly to q man, and cast
a largely increased vote for RIGHT, TRUTH
qul rTprpTy