Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-09-28

pie, with their wives and children,
had assembled in large numbers a
few white men were also there. The
negroes came to the meeting unarm-
ed, with their wives and children, en-
tirely unprepared for fight, and with
no expectation of any trouble. In
accordance with the recommendation
of the Raymond Gazstte, already
quoted, a committee of dozen or
fifteen thoroughly armed white men
from Raymond and vicinity attended
the meeting, and took seats in body
directly in front of the speakers stand.
Judge johnson, the Democratic
speaker, spoke first, and during the
delivery of his speech the meeting
was quiet and orderly. No Rupubli-
can interrupted him, no disturbance
was mace. When his speech was
concluded Captain Fisher rose to
reply. He commenced by coDgratu
lating the audience upon the good
order that prevailed, and expressed a
hope that it would continue but at
this stage, and when Captain Fisher
had spoked only about three minutes,
one of the Raymond committee ex-
claimed in loud voice, "that it could
continue" # he (Fisher) and other
Radicals like him would "stop telling
id lies"
Mr.. Z. B. Welborn, very intel
ligent man, who is called colored
but is seven-eighths. white, gave his
testimony regarding the riot, which
shows that VIXEN Captain Fisher
came upon the stand to speak, he
was standing about twenty feet from
him, in front of him, and there were
a couple of young fellows standing in
front of him, "Sivley and Thompson,
of Raymond" These gentlemen, he
understood, were a committee sent
from Raymond. In the event that
that the Republican speakers told
anything there that they thought
was not so, they had a right to con-
tradict them and make them stop.
When Fisher got upon the stand and
commenced TO speak, he had spoken
two or three minutes probably
when this Sivley says: "Come
down out Of there, you God id
Radical, you. We don't want to hear
any more your lies" He went to
young fellow by the name of
Aleck Wilson, who was one of thei:
officers, to keep the peace, and who
had about twenty Or thirty men
there that the magistrate had dep,
utized, and sent there. He saw
Wilson and said. 81 want you to
stand here and prevent trouble. |
see a difficulty brewing here" lie
then went and saw Senator Caldwell
and called bis attention to these
fellows. Thompson had bottle of
whiskey in bis hands; was drinking
and every now and then would hal
loo, "Come down. Stop your damn
ed lying there and come down" So
Wilson won't up to Mr.. Thompson,
and said: "Mr. Thompson we lis
tened very quietly to your speaker
here and you must not go on in that
way" Thompson asked him who
be was. He told him he was an
officer and would have to arrest him
if be did not stop. When Wilson
said that they all got right together
around Thompson, when he instant
IL drew his pistol out and shot VII.
son down, and when Wilson fell ov-
cry man in the line pulled out his
pistol and began to fire on the crowd,
the crowd running in every direction
women screaming and crying, and
they firing just as rapidly as they
coald. Many ran TO the woods, and
lay there until daylight when the fir
ing commenced again, 'just the sa me
as during the war" That was on
Saturday; on Sunday they hunted
the whole country. Every man they
could see they shot at, just as if they
were birds. They would go right to
the houses of colored men and run
them out if they were there and kill
them if they could. The witnesses
estifed that there was no fighting
on the day of election, but they could
hear cannons commencing to shoot
in the morning in every direction, all
over the country, and could see
white men with their sixteen shoot
ers buckled on them, charging all
through the country in different d.
rections. The election riot actually
closed the riot in Kinds county
THE BLOODY SHIRT.
Mr.. Cameron, in closing, says the
Democrats do not condemn these
crimes and outrages, but they do
loudly condemn this constant agita-
ton in regard TO them; they do not
object TO murder, but they strongly
nhjant To falling how. ~~--~' -.
it is perpetrated. They say it is
waving the bloody shirt" and they
ask in piteous tones, When is this ag-
itation to cease? |, for one, answer;
1t will not cease until murder for
opinion sake ceases; until every man,
South as well as North, is complete
ly protected in his political rights.
Then, and not till then, will this ag-
itation cease.
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a Suggestion.