Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-11-09

Jury of the United States Court
Under an Enforcement Act.
There was quite a commotion in town
Friday evening caused by the arrest of
Messrs. F. NJ. White, J. S. Hatcher and
W. o. Harvey, three of our business
men, on the charge Of discharging negro
employees on account of voting the Rad
ical ticket at the August County election.
Our legal commissioner visited United
States Marshal Eaton, Commissioner
Garrett and the United States Court
clerk this forenoon and dug up the fol-
lowing particulars as to the sensational
affair: The Grand Jury of the Septem-
Der term OF the United States Court
found indictments against the following
persons under the sections OF the En-
forcement Act which we publish below:
w. o. Harvey, of Ely, Harvey L Rich
ardson; J. S. Hatcher, bookseller, etc.;
F. NJ. White, of F. NJ White & Co.,
wholesale grocers, etc; John Crider, A.
S. Carpenter, VIM. Clayburn and Ben 81.
Hayden, the four latter residing in the
country. The sections of the Enforce
ment Act of May 81, 1870, are as follows:
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representive Of the United States Of
America in Congress assembled, That
all citizens of the United States who are
or shall be otherwise qualified by law TO
vote at any election by the people, in
any State, territory. district, county,
city, parish, township. school district,
municipality, or other territorial sub
division, shall be entitled and allowed TO
vote at al such elections without dis
tinction of race, color or previous con-
dition of servitude, any constitution,
law, cHstnm, usage or regulation of any
State or Territory, or under or by its
authority TO the contrary notwithstand-
ing.-SectioR l, Act of Nay 81, 1870.
And be it further enacted, That if any
person, by force, bribery, threats, in
Limitations or other unlawful means,
shall hinder, delay, prevent or obstruct,
or shall combine or confederate with
Others to hinder, delay, prevent or OBJ
struct any citizen from doing any act re.
quired to be done to qualify him to vote,
or from voting at any election as aiore-
said, such person shall, for every such
offense, forfeit and pay the sum Of five
hundred dollars to the person aggrieved
thereby, 70 be recovered by an action on
the case. with full costs and such allow
ance for counsel fees as the court shall
deem Just, and shall, also, for every such
ofense. be guilty of misdemeanor, aud
shall. on conviction thereof, be fined not
less than FIVE hundred dollars. or be i'm
prisoned not less than one month, and
not more than one year, or both, st the
discretion Of the eOrut-SecfiOH 4, Ibid
Belt further enacted. That if any per
son shall prevent, hinder, control or
| intimidate, or shall attempt to prevent,
hinder, control or innmidate any person
| from exercising or IN exercising the right
of suffrage, TO whom the right Of suffrage
is secured or guaranteed by the fifteenth
amendment to the Constitution Of the
United States, by means Of bribery.
threats, or threats Of depTiUiHg such
person Of employment or occupation, or
Of ejecting such person from rented
houses, lands or other property, or By
threats of refusiHg 10 TeHeIo leases or
| contracts for labor, or by threats of
| violence TO himself or family, such per
son so offending shall be deemed guilty
/ of a misdemeanor, and shall, on convic-
ton thereof, be fined not less than FIVE
hundred dollars, or be imprisoned not
less than one month aud not more than
one year, or both, at the discretion Of
the court. -Secfioa 5, bid.
And be it further enacted, That. If in
the act Of violating any provision in the
preceding section. any other felony,
crime or misdemeanor shall be commit
ted. the offender, on conviction Of such
violation Of said section, shall be pun
ished for the same with such punish
ments as are attached to the said felo-
MES, crimes aud misdemeanors by the
laws Of the State in which the ofense
may be mitted-Secfi0n Z, Ibid.
And be ii further enacted, That the
district courts of the United States.
within their respective districts, shall
have, exclusively Of the courts Of the
/ several States, cognizance Of all crimes
and offenses committed against the pro
visions Of this act, and also concur
rentlg with the circuit courts of the
United States, Of all causes, civil and
criminal, arising under this act, except
as herein otherwise provided, and the
jurisdiction hereby conferred shall be
| exercised in conformity with the laws
and practice governing United States
courts, aud all crimes and ofenses com
mitted against the provisions Of this act
may be prosecuted by the indictment Of
a grand jury, or, in cases Of crimes and
olfenses not infamous, the prosecution
may be either by indictment or informa
ton, fled by the district attorney in q
court having jurisdiction. Section s.,
Ibid.
Messrs White, Hatcher and Harvey
gave bond in the sum Of one thousand
dollars each before United States Com
missioner Garrett, to answer the charge
before the United STATES Court, and we're
released. The above are the only in
dictments found. and the above persons
are only charged with the alleged ofense
against the act which protects the negro,
but which gives no corresponding pro-
lection 10 the white man.
1 Probabilities.