Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-01-02

prisoners, aud that was unsuccessful.
/ - -lievad that an honest man, who ri
tended to his own business and let otbe-
peoples alone, could live in RapiCel
parish and exercise his political riRhtss
! without regard to party; a son Of Matt.
Wells is cleIk OF the court; could not
say whether Wells was reiDstated FIR
the purpose OF signing the election Te-
turns, to make them legal; lhigk be
was reinststed but a short while bslOrs
be signed the election returns; saw lim
sign them; the M'EueTy recorder stll
holds his office, but told me he was VII
ing 10 sun endeT when called upon 30 a.
so; it don't pay anything. Laughter.
Mr. POttersaid: "IEat probably accoauls
for the place not having been demand
ed Of the M'Eneryite."
John NJ. B rrett, clerk for The lax
collector Of Rapides parish, testitiel. tnsi
he knew Of no Intimidation in any
shape or form; had not heard any com
pIaint about the conduct Of the election;
a great many cOlored people voted the
Conservative ticket; thinks the colOTed
people voted the Conservative ticket be-
cause of dissatisfaction with the school
board; they collect about twO-thirds of
the taxes; no more are collected because
the people are not able to pay; no one in
his parish would buy property at q tax
sale; no one was compelled to leave the
parish on account of his politics; is q
Conservative himself; heard some talk
about intimidation by threats to dis
charge negroes, but knew Of no case;
had not heard that auyoIse ss-.iis-
charged for voting the Republican
ticket.
John COnnaughton, cOiOred candidate
for the Legislature from Rapides parish
A body of men were riding about the
country calling themselves the White
League; that was what was reported;
never saw them himself; they iutmi-
dated voters by threatening to discharge
the cOlored people if they voted the Re-
publican ticket; not more than twenty
five or fifty cOlOred men voted the
Democratic ticket; not more than five
or six were Democrats from choice; there
were five or six hundred colOred persons
who did not vote because OF intimida-
ton; the Caucasian organization in
Alexandria threatened the lives Of all
the leading Republicans; knew Of no
| Conservative meeting in Alexandria in
dOrsing the Grant parish massacre; the
| CauCasians made these threats after,
IOl DGiOIS. JlIC il6 "ab lHliml-
dated, and they could not, for reasons
| of Intimidation, organize the Republi-
can party il Rtpides parish did not
hear any threats Of discharge himself;
gave no notice that be intended 20 con-
Test the election, but told Mr.. M Japus
| four days after the election that he would
contest it; never told any one pOIiti yeiy
| that he would not contest the election;
there We're about forty colored votes in
the parish pOlled against the two
hundred VINO voted; threats
were made that if he took his seat in
the legislature he would be killed, but
| he did not fear such result; dia not be-
lieve they would kiIl him; Mr.. Guiger
| told him that if he did not leave Alex
anGTia ne would be killed; nob)dy else
said anything Of the kind to hm; one
Of the mounted White Leagues came
up 10 him and Delacy and told Delacy
! that he (Delacy) had been arOuiing the !
cOlOred men and raising de7ilment
among them, and if he did not stOp il |
they would get rid Of him; the majority |
against him was about three hundred, |
but he has been counted in by the re, |
turning b jari; could name 3 few white
men, Germans and Jews, in Alexandria |
who did not vote for him because of in |
limidation.
Ben. J. Cooper, of Rapides Parish, q |
planter living eight mills from Alex
andria, testified: He never Jaw anv
White Leagutrs in his neighborhoOi: |
never heard Of any, except in New Or
leans. When asked to explain the rea-
son Why the negroes voted the Conserv-
ative ticket, he said: 'In my leighbor-
hood, a few days before the election, a
cOIOred preacher made a speech, telling
the UOiOred people tn at about ten thon.
sand dollars Of the school fund had beeu
deposited in the Freedman's savings
bank at New Or.eans, and the bank had
bursTed. This produced greaF dissatJs
faction among the cOiored peCple. and
after that about forty OF them told him
they We're going TO vote with him. He
told them that he did not think thev
could worst themselves much and that
if the Conservatives did not do better
than the Republicans they could return
to their old party" He knew of no in.
timidstion before the election, and made
no effort other than before mentioned to
secure cOlOred votes for the COnserva-
tives.
At noon the committee adjourned to
meet at eight o'clock in the evening.
Mr.. LecleIk, chief OF tbs police, {esti.
fled that he had information that those
persons who were elected, or claimed to
be, would go to the statehOuse, and in
such force as to be able to install them
selves; that if the persons attempted to
meet who were not duly elected bv the
returning board, difficulty would en-
sue; that we called General Brooks's
to the matter; knew of moth.
Ing to prevent such body from meet
ing.
Cross-questiOned-Only those declared
elected by the returning board were en-
titled to meet; men were drilling in the
street; knew of no law to prevent per-
sons from drilling; if the Democrats
should attempt to expel the Republicans, .
there would be trouble; if the Demo
Gratis went there claiming TO represent
the people, and nobody interfered with
them, there would be no diff ulty; knew |
Of 40 one who would attempt TO inter | !
tere; stated that they had over three /
hundred men, not including supernu-
meraEles; did not know the strength of l
the White League; they did not assist i
llm III preserving the peace; he never |
called on them to do SO. ]
DIR. Luckett, OF Rapiies parish, tasti- I
any he ever knew; many c0lCTed peo- l
Die voted the Conservative ticket; he |
the parish very thoroughly /
and devoted much time to the business, a
during the three weeks pre-. 9
;edIng the election; was favOrite with 4
lie negroes; they frequently requested !
lim to become a candidate on the Re-
publican ticket; he practiced medicine I
ana uld not collect more money than I
would pay for his medicines; in fact, he I
lid a charity practice among the ne I
yrOes; did not consider that intimida- !
ioni had heard that Captain Stafford +
and others had been indicted; knew
lOthing about Caucasian; according to \
lis Judgment the installation of the
MEnery officers in Rapides p p.rish did t
act have tendency to intimidate col t
bred voters; expected to influence more I
negro voters this year than last year, I
because they were tired OF misruia; /
Was indicted for participating in the |
Coliax massacre, but he did not take 1
1art in the massacre; the negroes sup s
ported MIN because they knew he had
nothing to do with the COlfax affair: he c
lad always paid his taxes in full, but 1
understood that only about two-thirds t
If the assessment Of the parish is paid; |
he people of Alexandria regretted the
necessity of the Colfax massacre, but re- q
yarded 1t as necessity; he approved OF 4
lie massacre because he believed it was a
necessary for the p~ptectiOn Of life and t
property, tie nes o having taken po,- L
session OF the c0ur.tOuse and defieG all q