The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-11-11
ELECTION RIOTS.


Dispatch from Annapolis, Md, Novem-
Der Z, says;-A sanguinary riot occurred
to-day at tho polls in the Eighth district
of this county. Benjamin Leech, con-
stable, was shot three times and killed.
The murderer was negro, who escaped.
From gentlemen who left the polls of the
district at 2 o'clock it is learned that the
trouble did not end with the killing Of
Leech After that occurred there was
another shooting affair, in which several
negroes are said to have been killed, and
a number of both blacks and whites woun-
ded. This may account for the non-re-
ceipt of returns from that district, which
should have arrived here early in the
evening. The origin of the trouble was
that the polls were being crowded, when
Leech pushed the negro back, whereupon
he drew his revolver and fred three times,
with the fatal effect stated. The name Of
the murderer could not be ascertained.
A letter to the Baltimore Sun Of
Thursday gives the following particulars
The disturbance in the eighth district
of Anne Arundel county proved to be a
very serious affair. 1t arose when large
number of colored people were at the
polls, and but fifteen or twenty whites
The colored voters were pushing the
whites aside, when Mr., Wells, one of the
deputy sheriffs, spoke to James Allen,
colored, to keep quiet Allen immediate.
ly struck Wells and felled him senseles.
to the ground. Mr.. Benz. Locch, another
deputy sheriff, then caught hold of Allen
to arrest him when Allen drew his pistol
and shot Leech in the breast and killed
him, Allen then ran. He was pursued
but not arrested until afterward, at hi.
own house, the arrest being made by
Deputy Sheriff Wells, whom he first at
tackled. He was searched and on his per.
son was found slung-shot which weighed
about half pound Allen wanted Sheriff
Nutwell who votes in the district and was
there at the time, to throw away the billy
as matters were bad enough against him
without that. Sheriff Nutwell was forced
to hide in the woods and swamps with his
prisoner until two o'clock this morning to
keep the crowd from lynching Allen
Deputy Sheriff Nutwell and Deputy Wells
arrived here at ten o'clock with Alien,
and he was lodged in Jail. After the
shooting of Lecch the enraged whites
attacked the colored men and wounded
some eight or ten of them. None are re.
ported killed Allen is about five feet six
inches in height, is of copper color, and
aged about twenty-five or thirty years.
AN ELECTION TROUBLE AT WILMING-
TON, DELAwARE.-Mr. Whitley the Dem.
ocratic Mayor of Wilmington, Del. become
involved in dispute with the federal
officials in regard to the interference with
the election in that city, and was arrested
by deputy United States marshal. The
Wilmington papers give the following par
ticulars of the affair, from which it will be
seen that Mayor Whiteley was not really
arrested, although the papers state that
the report that he was arrested caused
great Excitement in that city, and caused
several thousand persons to assemble about
the eustom-house, where the mayor was
comforting with the federal officials:
About 10 o'clock Mayor Whitley was
coming along Sixth street, returning from
mailing letter at the postofiice, when he
met United States Deputy Marshals Sculy
and Carberry with man in their custody.
The mayor stopped them and asked what
they were doing with the man, and they
said that they had arrested him for trying
to vote illegally. The mayor told them
they had no authority to arrest man on
such charge except on the order of the
election officials, and in that case they
were bound to take him before magistrate.
They said they would take him to the
custom-house anyhow, and the mayor said
if they did so he would go with them.
He turned and accompanied them to the
marshal's office, and there the man was
released and the mayor remained in con-
ference with United States District Attor-
ney Spruance, Marshal Dunn and Super
wiser Valentine.
The mayor insisted that no United
States marshal, as such, had any right to
arrest any man for illegal voting and it
was not their business to preserve the
peace, that being the duty Of the police.
There was quite a debate as to the
respective rights of the two sets of officers,
but it was finally agreed that both sets of
officers should refrain from making any
arrests for illegal voting except at the re-
quest of an election officer, under which
request any citizen would be authorized
to make an arrest under the State laws,
and it was the understanding that where
any such arrest was made the party ar
rested should be taken before State
magistrate for hearing.
SERIOUS RIOT AND BLooDsHEp IN
CHARLESTON, S. CA Dispatch dated
November s, says A serious riot broke
out here about dusk this evening. Broad
street, from the courthouse to the post.
office, was crowded with blacks and
whites, oil excited, and the blacks much
angered ut the returns being unfavorable
to the Republicans. An alteration be-
tween a Democrat and Republican was
followed by a general outbreak of the
blacks, who were largely superior in num-
bers to the whites, and who opened gen
eral fire with pistols and rifles upon the
whites, taking complete possession of the
street for time. The whites soon rallied,
and sharp firing occurred. Intense ex-
citement reigned throughout the city for
some hours. The companies of United
States troops in the city double.quicked to
the scene and dispersed the crowd, and
now have charge of the streets. Casual.
ties One negro MORALLY and eight
Others seriously wounded, and one white,
son of Geo. H. Walter, prominent
cotton merchant, killed, and about a dozen
whites wounded.
DISTURBANCE IN HAaERsTowN.-A
disturbance occurred in Hagerstown. on
Wednesday night. Stones were thrown
from colored Republican crowd into the
rear of a Democratic procession, and sew.
eral men struck. Part of the procession
halted while the remainder moved on