Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-10-29
montgomery tAla.) Cor. New York Tribune.l

| knowledge OF the Facts.
Montgomery tAla) Cor. New York Tribune.l
Failing to find Gov. Lewis at his post,
and in the absence of any official in
formation in regard to the "war of
races" said to be waged in the western
part of this State, have been obliged
to pursue my inquiries here at the cap
ital of Alabama through other channels
1 have, therefore, spent the last three
or four days chiefly in conversation with
leading men of both parties. / have
listened to what they all have had to
say. 1 have invited them to show me
the evidence of the truth of their as
sertions, and my sole aim has been to
sift from the mass of contradictory state
ments the precious grains of truth.
The principal witness to the "reign
of terror in this district, so far as the
North is concerned, is Mr.. Charles
Hays, the man who represents it in
Congress, and who is a candidate for
re- election. Gov. Hawley has intro
duced him to the world as ga man of
unimpeachable honor" About his
| huOW very uc
Democrats here say that before the war
he was VIGOROUSLY cruel to his slaves,
and on that account lost the respect of
decent people The Republicans whom
l have asked about him have little to
say. One of them more candid than
others replied to my question on Satur-
day: "Well, I'm afraid he don't
amount to much" But Mr.. Hays
character has really nothing to do with
the questions at issue. He said in in
PRODUCING his letter
Il shali be particular to relate no rumors,
to color no atrocity, to set down naIght in
malice but simply to give you well authenti-
Gated IA cts. with dates, names and localities,
so that every man in the land may himself
verify the accuracy of my statements, if he
deems it necessary"
The Democrats of Alabama, the
people who were accused of the atroci-
ties enumerated in the letter, did deem
1t necessary to verify the accuracy of
his statements, and 1 am indebted to
the editor of the Montgomery advertiser
and the Chairman of the Democratic
State Committee for the evidence that
Mr.. Hays did "relate rumors." and
that he did not confine himself to
"well authenticated facts" Some of
this evidence may have been printed in
a fragmentary form in the North, but /
have brought it all together and snail
give an abstract of it. The original
affidavits are now before me.
Mr.. Hays begins his letter with long
accounts of the assassination of Billings
and Ivy in Sumter county in August
last. These murders are well authenti-
Gated they have been alike condemned
by Democrats and Republicans. as !
showed in my last letter. The United
States Marshal has already arrested
four men who are accused of having
been concerned in these outrages, and
has taken them to Mobile for examina-
ton. If they are guilty and the proof
against them Is clear, / believe that
public opinion will sustain the govern
ment in Furnishing them to the full ex-
tent of the law.
THE FIRST LIE SET DOWN FOR MR.. HAYS.
AS sequel to the Billings assassina-
ton, Mr.. Hays says that a hotel keep
er named Allen, Democrat, who had
asserted that Billings was murdered on
account of his politics, twas set upon
by gang of ruffians, who beat him un-
mercifully with their pistols and threat
ened to kill him if he didn't keep his
mouth shut about that id Yankee,
Billings" Now Mr. Allen has pub
lished a card in which he denies that
mis- house was invaded or that he was
set upon by gang of rHffians," says
that he does not know any Northern
man or Republican having been killed
in Sumter county on account of politics,
and that he did not believe tina. Bill
ings' death was the result of a con-
spiracy. The whole story grew out of
personal difficulty, which Mr.. Allen
describes as follows:
Shortly after the homicide Of Mr.. Billings /
had conversation with a gentleman of this
town which WAS misunderstood by him, and
which believe led to the personal difficulty
referred to. The gentleman who
afterward assaulted me was actuatsd by a
belief that had accused him of crime that
l really did not believe him guilty Of.
A slight scratch on the face was the only hurt
1 received.
Mr.. Hays next next report was gath
cred from letter to the Meridian Mer-
curry, and was an account of the killing
of five negroes in North Sumter on the
night of Aug. d Mr.. Hays says:
Nothing is known as to why the negroes
were killed. They were all shot, The CORE
spondent of the Msseury facetiously remarks
that 90 two went dead in cornfield" This
Democratic correspondent concludes his ar
ticle as follows 4" All these deaths occurred
J on the night Of the Oath, except the negr,
woman, who was killed On the morning of the
, 25th. Mr.. Vincent (the gentleman who gave
the correspondent the item OF news) being
asked If il was good night for kiln, an
swered. "No, i. had been dry for som,
weeks"
Now perhaps it accords with the sun
Improbable honor" of a member O.
/ Congress to suppress facts that do no
exactly accord with his theory. HI
says he got his information from a let
ter to the Meridian Mercury, and mus
have had the letter before him when b,
: wrote, for he quoted from it. He says
Nothing is known as to why Ties,
: negroes were killed." The letter from
which he quoted reads:
D 1t appears that two negro men went dead il
D q cornfeld, for stealing corn, at the hsnds O