The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-05-14


to secure Spencer's election was pro-
vided, and in 1.-THE hands ofsHinds.! It
was said tha. the tLowni1es County dele
gates. except Major Hunter, we're ,dieaf-
footed. This would defeat Spencer's 3
election, and we were informed TINT
$3, 900 had been raised to disaffeot these
members, and that it had been deposited
subject to the order of Senator Jones.
This we afterwards found to be un-
true, but not knowing any better
then, wns instructed to say to
Senator Jones that we had S2,500
subject to his order, conditioned
upon his holding the Lowndes County
delegation in the Court Room Assembly.
Learning that Jones was attending n CO.
lored ball, sent j. N. Beach to inter-
view him and report. Sandy Bynum,
John c. Hendrix and myself were Sc
lected to watch tho Lowndes County
representatives. Just before day Assist
ant Sergeant-at-Arms Dan Norwood came
out of the house where they were stay
ing, and I gave him five dollars to re-
turn to wake them up, and tell them
that wanted to see them. They came
out, and wo went to the Madison House,
where Spencer had ordered breakfast
for their especial benefit. 1 then went
to Spencer's room and informed him
that hnd them. He told me to conduct
them to his room, which 1 did. 1 told
them that Spencer had made up his
mind to give each of them an nppoint-
ment, and Spencer, who was present,
promised them route agencies. During
the night left Bynum on the watch and
went to Spencer's room to suggest the
propriety of sending to Lowndes County
for Bryant. Bryant arrived the next
day, and, III understood, received $500
from Kinds, This seemed to fix the
Lowndes County delegation NIL right.
The Legislature convened that morning,
tho Lowndes County delegation were
present, and voted for Spencer. Many
members from other Counties were pro-
missed offices. I was authorized by
Spencer to promise the members ns many
offices as l might think necessary to
secure their support. 1t WAS under
stood that Calvin Goodloe WIS to get n
Federal appointment, and that ut the
proper time he was to join the Court
Room Legislature and vote for Spencer.
Meanwhile he was to remnin in q posi-
tion to have access to, and the confidence
of, the Capitol Assembly until his vote
was necessary at the Court Room Legisla-
ture to elect Senator Spencer. He nscer-
tanned NIL he could of their movements
by going to the rooms of members of
that body and leading them into con-
versations and reported to Spencer We
tried constantly to defeat quorum of
the Capitol Legislature, md was given
to understand that the plan had sue
ceeded by disaffecting two members and
drugging another to insensibility.
was given to understand that Mr.. s. was
to be drugged, and was afterwards in
formed thot ha hoI hoan Il nv 4
was lying somewhere insensible. This
was the night before the day fixed
by low for the election of United
States Senator. Witness then pro-
ceeds to detail how Parker and Chisolm,
two men from distant Counties generally
known to have been not elected, were
sent for and induced by the promise of
office to enter the Court Room Legislature
as Representatives of their respective
Counties, and proceed Oh follows: Par
ker WAS appointed clerk of the House
Committee on Internal Improvement.
He told me that he had also been pro-
missed Federal appointment, and he
was afterwards appointed United States
Marshal for the Northern District of Ain
bama. After the consolidation of the
two Legislatures, Chisolm was appointed
to position in the Custom House in
Mobile. In the Miller Martin contest for
seat in the consolidated Senate, it was
decided by the friends of Spencer, the
managers before referred to, that Miller
should be seated. This was to be accom-
plished by sustaining Lieutenant-Go-
vernon Mckinstray's rulings. whatever
they might be. In order to secure the
success of this plan, and get McKinstray
to make such ruling ns would seat Miller
before the absent Democratic Senator
could return, it WAS necessary, we
thought, for McKinstray SO to rule as to
cut off all debate and secure n final vote.
1t was thought that if McKinstrny so
ruled, the Democratic Senators would
either bolt or fight. To provide for the
latter contingency, picked men were, by
agreement, placed in the lobby of the
Senate chamber Among these were H.
II. Belts, Charles Pelham, Sam. Olin, w.
G. Candoe, Milo Barber, j. j. Kinds, a
rough from Georgia, whose name 1 did
not know, and some five or six Others,
whose names cannot remember. don't
know that hcKinstray knew our plans,
but he knew the men we had stationed in
the lobby, and we believed that hc would
30 rule rs to seat Miller at nll hazards,
and that he would be strengthened by
their presence. Thepurpose was to show
him that he had friends there who would
back him. We apprehcnded some dila-
tory action by the Democrats, which
would prevent final action until tho re-
turn Of the absent Democratic Senator
Edwards 1t wns, therefore, necessary
to have hnal action that day, and seat