New-York tribune., 1875-02-02
ALABAMA INVESTIGATION.
EXTRACTS FROM THE PRINTED EVIDENCE


The large mass of testimony which the
Alabama Investigating Committee has published does
not contain ANYTHING especially new or interesting
The testimony the great number OF witnesses ex-
amned has a strong partisan eoorng one side deeiar
ing that there was boodshed and intimidation and the
other that there nothing OF the kind The extracts
given below are taken at random from the $50 printed
pages made public being taken only to giYc iar
representation TO all parties:
PENALTY OF VOTING TIE DEMOCRATIC TICKET.
Robert Bennett tcoored) witness for the minority
sworn and examined live in Opelika, and have been
here for 10 years. @ state If you know anything aoon,
any threats attempts to do violence TO the colOen
men here who voted the Democratic ticket ~ don
know Of body except mysel have been yonH 9e te
Democratic ticket for the last four years belong 10
our church here and have been trustee ana stewaru
for eight or niue years past Tor taxing s'de wiz" ON ne
Sunday before the election they sent cOnhttee VI 5
brethren to my house ney were ha Cnrc on Thurs
day night hut / afraid TO tell them when w0uIu
CO. knew had enemies nay went ds sneg mmnp on of
the people were laughing and whispering and d
making light OF me for being ,SrG pe%ccFaf snd aGd
nothing to them, because knew 1t was against the
rules the church before the close OF the services
went up 10 the committee and asked TO speak with te
on side aud spoke to them about the advantage tney
had taken OF me. Tho minister told me that II " %oa @
back and should stand as well as ever had toa
them haye @ thn ganfsd 20 vote the Ticket
because thought 1t was TO nv Interest; tod thcm
WOud do much Tor the CDuTcn as AWAY uOho
they would get and make statement tha they were
satisfied WAS working for my own interest ana had
nothing against them Tney SAG No; we nsu raSner s
you would MT vote at all ana If You Wont go with Us
10 vote with are against us the Bible says So
The preacher and four or 1--WE OF the came
ou after me as left the church and said, We eau go
and nave you arrested. We have got YOU you won say
that You wont vote, or VIII vote win US We VIII nave
you arrested told them to do as thty PLEASED ana o
ing afraid went away aud dldnt return Atter tnat
OF their political meetings athongh dun ~
know whether they would let me STAY or no, ihvy M
vted me in, and one OF the trustees, crawford MINT
field asked me TO say somethng. He SAID ne thought
heard enough 10 convince me anu MAKE e eo WIN
them told them that had nothing to say; was not
political man, or one who made speeches; ana tiat
would rather vote the Democratic ticket. Mr. Smlth OF
dered me down and told Tie rest OF them 10 ploW ne;
that wasn't fit for any hing else They abused me lCf
admit me afterward. Crawford Minnihed says, " All
those who won't with us will Kick out OF the So
cietv and turn them out Of the church, Mr.. smith
savS indorse that" They did ana have been to
the church but iu four or five months nave
20" o. How many colored men belonged that club
A. There about 98 who belonged 20 II. whose names
O. Were any kept from Joining by their colored
brethren A. o, yes; there are more whose names We
have separate book, ana whose names We Gon
read out, so that the Radicals don't know awning
about II. We promised them We wouldn't publish their
names About 80 or 40 colored women belonged TO
club here in town. Some Of our wives ana women went
to the first meeting they had to see Wnat they were
going do They found out the object OF tue meeting
O state the object OF the meeting n you know a.
TIE women to 20 around and talk 10 lhe % %De,Io
cratic aud get them to assist that cihe ana .neS
couldn't prevail they would get the men 10 tax 10 te
O. What is your estimate OF the number OF eolored
men who voted the Democratic ticket heref A. thlhk
there were less than 500. think there were even
more than that because know number took those
tickets. know they carried some bacon over 70 our
church to their supper-, and the Republicans od me
voted their ticket ohou!d get some, retdSe 20
O. Doy You know OF any 0ttem%t 10 divorce man and
vile because VI their on'nOns the subject of poicsi
A. YCs Sir; krow women to-day who are away from
their husbands because they voted the democratic
ticket. They belonged TO the WOmeh's club.
O. what the reason they quit themi A. Because
their husbands joined the club.
N X the treatment and the feeling OF the Wnlte
men, the farmers, and the population generally low rd
aG dv 10 G the SSfaS ScE men, Gt ns H e EaSS
whatever they promise to pay they pay. No coiorrd
people who go to get anything from the whe men uele
are re fused If there is anything wrong going on dnoIg
them don't know it, and nave been here for the last
fifteen years. No whte mau Dothers me.
MARKET PRICE OF VOTES.
O How long dd you vote the Radical ticket a.
hoxe heen voting Democratic ticket for three
Q State whether you joined the Democratic party
mon conviction whether vou were induced To Jon
Ly brprs or offers of service \. VIII tel you What
did il for. The Radicals have promised me 50 much
every time would vote for them voted Tor them ana
dd everything COnld for them; WORKED as nara ~ |
could TO eject them ana tney promised me sre3t
salary for it, Thoy never would pay me Tor H. Of
course taev would give 81 or -. III Mr. Grant, elec
ton got s. for voung for hn; ,.,.
q The who was elected senator A. Yes, SIR;
reason changed voted the Democratic ticket
that they had promised me so nuch ana never ala any
thing for me After voted ana elected them they
would pat me tho shoulder aud tell me to 20 back 10
INV white friends; that they would help ne. felt
bath 10 mem dlltT Hdu NOietl
them and concluded woIld ne best ana knew II was
I'm INV interest leave the Republicans. After having
doctors bill when was SICK. and VINO would credit me
when was in need thought 1t was best to vote Tor
them. -- -- ,. =. .
along you were sick A Any Of the Democratic
rulI-nlen but asked Mr.. Smith and Mutch over here
M the store half busnel OF meal once and couldn't
get il ; they were R"puplicans.
O. was there any disturbance here among tho people
IN Inc country 4. None a; all, that saw
q Were you at the election A. | was.
q Yon spoke about some bacon which they gave you;
tel rs what you know about 1t yourself as
can; did you haG Of that bacon yOursefl A. No,
Sir was near tue wagons once, and saw 1t ON The
O, Wnerc was it going TOT a. To the supper; there
% O. D Won know whether 1t was shoulders hams, OF
what it was A. l did not see inside of 1t; the man
that bad 1t told me that would get none OF IT, he said.
II you viii and do right, Will get two
three shOulders judged from tnat that it was shout
O. How long was that before the eectioni a. 1t was
on Monday evening, the day UefOre election.
q. Where did they have the supperi A. OveI here TO
O. We're there many persons there or were you therel
A. There was heap OF them there dld not see the
afeared 10 20 there after 1t got dark
o. Can you readl A. Not much.
q. DO you know what name there the hogs
headi A. No, Sir; | never noticed that, bat noticed
what big cask IL was.
@. what was it who was hauling itl A. 1t was
Charles LipscOmb's wagon; he lives here in town.
q Do yOu know how that meat herel Did yOu
hear anything a3out taere being any meat sent here for
there was sent down herr, Dut heard it
The Democratic people; the old woman who has a blind
daughter went to about IT, II they would give her
enough 10 feed her child afer.s back she said
that she could ge 1t she put off until after the
election; that she would have 10 wait until after the
election TO get 1t that is what she told me.
DEMOCRATIC RULE TIE BEST FOR THE NEGRO.
Edgar X. Kellogg, Captain of the 18th Infantry Uni
ted ates ARMY, stated that he in command nj
Opeika election day, ana that he adedin persuading
the negroes 10 FORM III double nhc and thus vote,
avoiding confusion
O. Dd there seem to be effort the part Of the
t1t4rg yl
from voting, was IL in that directions A. / dd not
see any open violence used but thBk the excitement
and the talk heard at the time calculated 10 in
tmiddte ignorant and timid persons.
Y. Do you remember wnat was said, II anythngi A.