Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-12-28
Louisiana.
TUE SENATE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. PROOF
OF DEMOCRATIC oUTRAGEs.

THE SENATE INvEsTIGATIoS-NoRE PROOF
OF DEMocEATIc oUTRAGEs.
NEW ORLEANS. Dec. l2-When the SEN
ate investigating committee met to-day.
an effort was made by Senator Mcdonald
to have the members OF The returning
board subpHnaed. Action was postponed
until tomorrow.
James Gallagher testified: Lived in
OuSchlta. during last election; first disturb
ance known was on 4th OF July last al a
Methodist sunday School. When the re-
port was received of the uprising of the
negroes on the island, some OF the rife
companies LETT and went TO the island and
Bastrap that night After that learned
that three rifle companies were organized
under Caps. Mcleod. Huntingdon and
lheobold. Squads of them visited Mr.
Whited, on whose plantation | worked. to
induce him TO join the Democratic club
few days afterwards nine armed bull
dozers followed Whited and wife from Cor
dou's station and made numerous inquiries
about him, and next day portion OF Me
LeOd's company visited the plantation and
stAmpeded the hsnds and frightened all of
Is; two weeks before the ele,tion attended
Democratic barbecue; Capt. Farmer and
Col. richardson made speeches; AFTER they
nnished they commenced TO organize col
ored clubs; they said G2 colored men join
ed them; some were willing, but others
were reluctant and were dragged up. Went
to The polls OF ward 4 about IL O'Clock
election day; remained there about three
hours Everything was peaceabe a. il
was all one sided and the Republican tick
cts were not allowed to be distributed
Bill Stoyer stood at the door and made
the negroes show their tickets: they were
OF different color and were easily distln-
gulshed: when the officers adjourned at
noon the Republican vote was announced
as 81. but when the polls closed it was an
nounced AS =. Only three other whites
voted the Republican ticket there.
James K. Hall testified 10 the formation
OF rifle clubs and that Capt. Theobold said
10 Mr.. Jones, planter, "You ought to
have every man join; the way is TO make it
too damned hot tor them to stay out"
After this they began Ia ride about at
night, but seldom in the day time. This
company was known as the colored guard
hey visited my negro quarters at all hours
| OF the night; the negroes were all Repubi-
cans and the rife club would shoot into
their quarters. Witness also corroborated
Gallssher's testimony and continued; AT
ter The barbecue some of my men told me
sao yoiiicu thc Dtip /.
but don't intend to vote the Democratic
ticket; heard OF the murder of Henry
Pinkston and child. Bemus johnson, DIR.
| Dridkgrave and James J. Jackso aud the
shooting OF Eaton Logwood, Geo. Sheldon
and other Republicans; no white Demo-
Gratis were killed during the campaign.
Alter election was asked 10 come to the
school house and take an affidavit, being q
justice OF the peace; did so and number
of colored men signed affidavits setting
| forth that they had voted the Democratic
| ticket without fear or reward. One Of the
party, alter / had read it to him, said 1t
was hard to take it. | told him not t. take
it then. The whites told me that was not
part of my business. After looking around
as if for a means of escape he signed il.
Afterwards one of them told me he had
voted the Republican ticket. l asked him
why he had sworn that he had voted the
Democratic ticket without fear or reward.
He said he could not held it. l do not ex :
pect to return to Ouachita again. have
a letter advising me not to return as ii
would hot be safe am interested 10 plan
| tation there for which pay $500 rent. DIR.
Young and two others brought me af1da-
Wits to sign after the election. setting forth
that the election was fair and peaceable
one. | declined positively to do SO and
was advised by friends to leave II could
not sign and so left for Monroe.
Geo. b. Hamlet. ex-sheri6 of Ouachita,
testified at some length to instances of per-
sonal violence and systematic intimidation.