The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-16

1
days afterwards, was confined to my
house by injuries received in the late dis.
aster. | Immediately sent orders to the
several station-houses to surrender all city
property to Mr.. Ellyson, upon demand,
which was accordingly done, and Republi-
cans ceased to hold Office in the city Of
Richmond. The city election came off on
the fourth Thursday in may following.
| The Democrats nominated Mr.. Ellyson for
Mayor, and the Republicans ran me against
him. With the whole machinery and
strength of the city government, the entire
control of the registering and election
offices in their hands, and the prestige of
having carried the city for the Democrats
IN the last election, powerful and most
| UNANIMOUSLY, Inscriptions attempt was
made to secure Democratic victory but
when the ballots were counted, it appeared
that the Republicans had elected their
whole ticket by an average majority of
2S3, the ticket having received over five
hundred more votes than were ever cast
for any other Republican ticket in Rich
mond. With chagrin and surprise all OF
the Democratic papers admitted their
defeat on the morning after the
election, but said that, +" this was
the fairest election ever held in Richmond" I"
The result being different from what was
anticipated by the Democratic party. A
conference was held, when it was resolved
that the ballot-box containing the largest
Republican majority must be captured, and
the Republicans elect deprived of their GER
tificates of election. William Corners and
Phil. Hinchman, who were very prominent
in the city during the May elections, one of
whom was subsequently hired to shoot,
and did shoot and kill, Mr.. Richard Ken
nedy, were employed, through John Wren
as agent, to capture the ballot-b box from the
third precinct of Jefferson ward. The ar
rangement was as follows: A police force
was detailed to guard the box, the police
were instructed by their officers to be un-
armed, and told that when they got on
Franklin street they would be attacked by
two m N therefore they must get frightened,
throw down the ballot-box and run away.
This order was followed, the party was at
tackled at the place designated, the box was
captured, the police pretended to get
frightened, but unfortunately for the DEM
ocrats the ballsts had all been counted and
certificates Of the result made on the poll
books, and Comers and Hinchman forgot
the poll-books, which found their way to
the clerks office of the Hastings court,
where they belonged. The policemen who
had charge of the ballot-box were summoned
before their officers on the next morning.
and told that their action would probably
be investigated by the grand jury, and
they must swear chat they were not present
and knew nothing about the case, which
they all agreed to do, except policeman Ea-
gleton, who insisted that if forced to testify
he would tell the truth. A night or two
afterwards Eagleton was shot in the back,
while on his beat, but fortunately has since
recovered and can be had if wanted.
The facts in regard to the destruction of
the ballot-box have never been considered a
secret in Richmond men have openly
boasted on the streets of the part they took
in the matter, and the grand jury that in
dcted me were furnished by two gentle
tlemen, of unquestionable yeracity, with
the names and residences of the witnesses
who would substantiate all, and much
more, than | have stated above. Judge
Alfred Morton has now in his possession
the written statement of a policeman, COW
ering the above facts, which was made in
the Judges office in the presence of Messrs,
Ernest Wilt, Barnard Cunningham, Rob-
ert j. Allen, Judge Morton and myself
John Wren stated in the presence of Mr..
Stephen Mason and other gentlemen, that
if the Ellyson party did not give him an
office he would "let the cat out of the
bag" Wren was Immediately afterward
appointed city detective. Wren also
made statement of the part he took in
this matter to Mr.. r. D. Mitchell and my
self. The chief of police and other police
officers were afterwards summoned be-
fore the grand jury, and swore that
they were unable to ascertain the names
of the policemen who had charge of the
ballot-box; but no effective measures were
ever taken on tho part of the prosecuting
officers to investigate this matter, for rea-
sons that will probably be made public if
honest men ever gain supremacy in Rich
mond. To the surprise of every one, GER
tifcates Of election were given to the
defeated Democratic candidates by the
commissioners of election. Though this
fraudulent award of the certificates occa-
stoned considerable popular indignation at
the time, there was but one Democratic
paper in the city of Richmond that had
the manliness to denouuce it as peice of
infamous rascality.
The Republican officers elect determined
to demand their offices from the courts and
contest the right Of the defeated Democrats
to hold their places upon certificates thus
fraudulently obtained. This contest was
made before the judge of the Hastings
court of this city, who is an ignorant, weak
and bitter partisan, to whom the law gave
exclusive jurisdiction in the matter. The
facts as stated above were not denied be-
fore the court. The contest was protTacted
until the Democrats had an opportunity
of qualifying upon their fraudulent certif-
Gates, after which the judge claiming to
have discovered some informality on the
part of the Democratic election officers,
decided that the election should be set
aside, that new election should be held,
and that he would appoint officers to act
ad interim.
The defeated Democrats then procured
some of their friends who received these
appointments with the understanding that
they were not to qualify, and they were
accordingly appointed by the judge, and
did not qualify ; SO that the defeated DEM
| ocrats continued to enjoy the profits Of their
ill-gotten offices. Fearing, doubtless, that
the greed for office might get the better of
some of his nominal appointees, the judge
made the appointments at night, and before
the next morning he had left the State and
did not return until after thirty days, the
time fixed by law in which all officers
| rnuct qualify The paw e1pctioO was