The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-11-20


required by the law; am not certain as to
| whether the clerli was sworn; l do not think
| he was. only when he went to vote, and we put
our ballots in the box; did not swear before
ANYBODY; have never taken any oath only
when went to vote; as intended every man
when he came to vote should be sworn, L
| thought it necessary to be sworn myself.
In reply to Alderman Whilden: Mr.. Read was
was NOT prese..t at our first meeting; there was
nobody but Mr.. Winner and myself; I saw the
announcement of the appointment Of managers
in the papers, aud believed that it made Mr.
Winner chairman; I met Mr. Winner on the
street by the Mills House; he caught hold Of
on the board; We then had little CONVERSE
ton; the next time I met him he said the col
ored man on the board had declined to serve,
and that he had o while man who would serve;
I said I had no obe .tion, that would just as
leave have white man as colorcd man; no
notice that know OF was sent to MIR. Re I'd that
he was O member of the board. and calling upon
him to meet for organic ltion; 10 not think Mr..
Read ever qualified as o member; think he
claimed to vet as manager the morning we OPEN
cl the books for registration for tho general
election: he acted on from that time; I went
with NJ. Winner to Mr.. Corbns office to qualify;
l signed some paper, and Nj. Corbn asked me
il it was my signature; repiei IN the aihrma-
tive: he then told me that it was necessary to
take that to the Office of the Clerk of the Court;
l considered it as being swcrn, although was
not sworn; Mr.. Read was not there 10 my
knowledgc; never saw Howard there until he
came up to vote; in the registration for the
Municipal clectionthe three managers acted as
registers; our clork did the Writing and the
managers asked thu questions; we asked many
questions, particularly where tie parties lived;
the other managers decided hat it the party
took an oath 1t was suffirion; I allowed many
to register and vote without swearing them
because I did not want them to per-
jure themselves; there Was difference
OF opinion between the other managers and
myself in reference to allowing parties to
register. The other two gentlemen thought
il the party coming to register took the oath
it was sufficient; did not think go; would
rather let them vote OF register than to take
false oath and perjure themselves; was satis-
fed that numbers of them would perjure them
selves by swearing falsely, particularly young
fellows whom knew to oe under age; one, who
doubted, said he was twenty-one month be-
fore that; he said he voted last spring for the
constitution, and after that for Mr.. Mackey as
sheriff, and thought would le. him register;
that was but one instance Of number or
class of cases; I believe they would
periure themselves if forced to swear, and
+ did not want them to do il; so l
let them register without; there were several
who came up this way; Iprotested in several
cases, but they ovcrruled me and said II the
party would swear, his namo or vote should be
received; it did not occur in so many cases in
voting as in registration; it occurred several
times in registration; did not think 1t necessa-
ry to have any difference with the other mana
gors, but tried on the contrary to avold it; thero
were one or two challenges by the ctlzons
while registration was going on; there was one
case in which Iquit tho bar to go and fnd
where the party lived; he took me to the corner
of King and Tradd streets, and said he lived
little below there; he then took me to the en-
glne houses, but no one seemed to know him; L
went with him to Prices alley, and when got
there, he SAID he lived on the Battery; was
tired and quit him; he was not alloweI to regis
ter, as objected.
Question-Werc objections made ut the
time Of registration By any other person than
the managers?
AnsWer@Thcrc were two challengers there;
The Democratic party had q friend there, and
there WAS colorcd man on the other side;
some little objections were made by both par
tics; there wcro good many votes challenged;
whcnever any objection WAS made it was very
soon settled; the other managers allowed any
who took the OATH to register.
Question-When you say many, do you mean
by skies, dozens or tftIes!
Answer-The members of the committee
made objections and challenged voters.
QucstiOn-To what oxtent2
Objection was made to this question by the
counsel for tho claimants, and long discus
sion ensued thereon, but the objection was
finally overruled by the Mayor and the witness
continued.
In reply to Mr.. Miles: I think great many
persons were allowed to vote at my precinct
who we're not legally entitled to vote; there
we're great number registered from certain
houses that, ieel conf Jont, did not 1.-Two there;
among them was one who came to register
and said ho lived ut the corner OF Tr.dd and
KING streets; he was about to register when
protested, because the man did not seem to
know whero tho corner OF King and Tradd
streots was; he went off in company with
Sheriff Mackey and Mr.. Rayenel to show his
residence; when they came back they said the
nan was no. entitled to vote; am satisfied if
the register book was taken round to many Of
the houses moro than fifty would be found
registered who do not live whero they register
from; ON Thursday afternoon, after tho city
election, Captain Mulvaney, who had small
precinct to canvass, and myself, went to tene-
mcnt house opposite the MEDICAL Colege,
where number OF cJlored men were register
ed from; there was not o coored man living on
the promises, and the kitchen was occupied by
women who had no husbands; there were seyc-
ral who registered and voted from that place;
doubtod the legal registration oil the parties who
gave it Us their residence but did not think my
business to search into it; I have gone through
there since and found they never did live there;
one old man came who was satisfied WAS not
entitled to vote; he gave his place Of residence
as III the second Ward; l happened to SEQ him
sinco the election at the corner of East Bay and
StolPs alley he said he lived in tho alley; saip,
Daddy, you voted in Ward No. 81 "yes," he
said, ''and voted in Ward No. 1; another man.
ager showed me paper that the Same man had
voted in Ward No. g.; he was very respectable
looking old fellow, too; I could not say
thero were any persons rejected by the mana
gers who were legally entitled TO vote; there
was q colored man who used to belong to alr.
O'DonnelI was gong 10 vote the Lesesne ticket,
but crowd composed principally OF deputies
got around HIM, threw up their clubs, and that
was the greatest row l saw during the elec-
ton; could not say that any voter was prevent
ed from voting by actual force or by threats OF
violence; counted every vote for Mayor on both
sides myself; the return and ballot box, with
the ballots, at the close, were taken to the
MAYORS office; went with the other two mana
GERS into the Mayors room; the box, on the
night Of the election, was placed IN the Guard
house; taken from there next morning to the
place where the votes were taken and counted,
with all the managers present; tho votes were
first counted by Read, then by MIR. Winner,
then by myself after tho counting the ballots
were tied up and put into the box again, anu
The box brought over to the Mayors; have
no doubt all the ballots were put back, except
four double ballots, which were torn up; the
poll list and register book we're brought over
with the box and left: remember that the votes
-, ~ Ha1 N