The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-03-03
try, but believe they were.

Leagues in Abheville7
a. They patrolled for them, bu
could not find where any were held.
Q.--Were there any other instruc-
lions given to these committees by the
Democratic clubs in relation to tho
election TO be held on the Sd Of Novem
Der?
A.--Yes, sir, the day bofere the elec
tioh the tickets were taken away from
the Republican party, from those wh~
had charge of them, by these commit
tees. The committees we're riding fol
them the night before the election. tax
ing them wherever they could find them
was one Of The gangs myself. Ten OF
eleven we're with me. was mem
Der Of the committee myself. Destroy.
cd the tickets. All Of US were ernl-
cd.
Q.-W hat were your instructions, il
the persons having the tickets in charge
refused to give them up7
A.-Shoot them, and take them by
force.
Q.-Have yon the means of knowing
and do you know, what was the pohtr-
cal sentiments Of the negro population
in Abbcvllle County, and how they
would have voted if they had been al
lowed to vote :
A.-Thcre were at feast four colored
votes to one white vote IN the County.
They would have voted for the R"puh.
lican candidate-for yon (Jnige Hogc)
at leust ninety nine out 0: each hun
dred.
Q-Where were you on he day OF
election, November 3, 1852
An the for. part of the dav at a
voting precinct, Greenwood, in Able.
vile County. A courier came M from
White Hall precinct, Ahbrv,llc County.
saying they were fighting there, (ns
was about ! | O'Clock aud that lhD r =
pnblcans were ahnn, whnpng. \
squad Of ns. armed, about 30 N. runh"r
besides myself, was sent there When
VIC got there, the Republicans were al
gone, except oE", who was lying there
dead. Heard that others were weumlch
There had been some shnnlng Dms''
know il the R"plblicans shot. No
white man was shot Only two cnlorrd
men were allowed 10 vote before shonr.
ing commenced. fon- 10 I'VE ilnnur"d
coIored men usually vo ed at tlis pre-
cinct, who, il allowed to vote, would
have voted the Rchubl,can ticket.
Q.Did the Democrats cpme to. the
White Hall polling precinct armed on
the day Of the election?
A. Every one, so far as + knew.
It was general understanding through
out the County, that all were to g.
armed.
Q.-SLate what occurred at Green
wood precinct up to the time you left to
60 to White Hall7
A.-Wrll, the negroes, to the num-
Der of about four hundred voters, assem-
bicd about one hundred and fifty yards
from the polls the white men, Dem,.
Gratis: were all around the door; Capt
J. G. Boozer was sitting right by the
door, to examine the tickets. Two
Republican colorcd men came up TO
vote thcycamc from The main body.
tle said, "het me see your papers,
They pulled ont the Republican tickle,
with Hoge's name for Congress lie
told them they could not vote them sort
there they would have to go some-
where else to vote those papers. Booz-
er was armed. The negroes turned
back to the main body, who saw there
was no chance to vote, so they dlsband.
ed and went home. There were about
four hundred of them, all voters in Alb
bevillp County The official return
made the Democratic majority 1920. |
There was a Gear understanding that
the Democrats would force the Rcpubli-
cans from tho polls if they undertook to
vote-force them by arms. We were
all armed, and intended, If they rushed
in, we would rush them back, shooting
into them.
It was not safe for Republican
speakers to canvass the County. The
general understanding was that they
were to be shot, killed, stopped. He
knew Of four THAT were shot. One
got over IL; three were killed. SeVe-
raj others wsre shot and wounded, but
he does not know the persons. They
were killed, because Of the influence
they had in the Republican party.
The killed were James Martin, a
member Of the Legislature from Abbe-
vile, B. f. Randolph, and another
man at White Hall on the day Of
election. Randolph was killed at
Hodges Depot, on the 10th of Octo
Der, about 3 O'Clock in the afternoon {.
He (Tolbert) was present, was known
and recognized by the citizens living
at Hodges Depot, and TALKED With
a half dozen Of them--Fletch. Hodges,
Langdon Connor, Jim Cochran.
Q.--State how. you happened TO- be
at Hodges Depot the day Randolph
was killed? '.5@ 7hsl" t
Al heard Re was going to make
o speech there. and went up to hear
it. When I got thore, they told me
ne was not going to speak there ;that
he, had gone up to hbbeville, G. IT.,
and was going 70 Anderson that light
Ion the afternoon train. Joshua
Logan and j. w. T6lbert oame to the
depot with me-. Both were we'll
known ut Hodges Depot. When we