Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-12-29

number Of their witnesses from all the par
ishes would reach 500. James Gallagher, OF
Ouachita, testified 10 bull-dozing In that
parish; at the election Republican tickets
were not allowed TO be distributed; negroes
were forced through fear to join Demo
cratic clubs. Jas. X. Hail. OF the same
parish, corroborated Gallagher; he was
commissioner at Poll 8; no white Demo.
ocrats were killed during the campaign;
knew Of colored men signing aflidavits,
after the election, that they had voted the
| Democratic ticket without fear or reward
they signed them through fear; had received
letters telling him IL would not be safe for
him to return home. Sheriff Hamlet, OF
Ouachita, detailed at length the circum.
stances attending DR.. Dinkgrove's assassina-
ton and his difficulties In getting posse to
pursue the assassins; armed men came to the
town and frightened the negroes; there was a
complete reign of terror; had been ad-
vised to leave or he would be killed;
soldiers were sent 10 the parish at his
request; gave list Of colored men who had
| been wounded; testified also TO the hanging
up Of two men and the whipping OF mum.
ber of Others by the bull-dozers; a large
number OF colored persons were driven from
home; had no idea who killed DInkgrove;
there was no rifle club on the road at the
time OF the killing.
Ex-Gov Wells, of the Returning Board.
testified at the meeting of the House com.
mittee. He declined TO furnish the original
papers to the committee because they belong
to the State papers; the board refused to
consider Grant Parish because the returns
| did not come from the Supervisors, as the
law required; did not know that all the polls
OF the State were represented by Democratic
commissioners, as required by the law; was
decided partisan, but would not allow
| politics to influence him to do anything un-
just; the board did not fill the vacancy in
their membership because they could not
agree; didn't vote on the question himself;
thought 1t the duty Of the board to I'LL the
| vacancy; the claims OF his family against
the Government did not influence his action
on the board. Abel, Secretary of the board
testified that no amended returns were re-
| ceived. johnson (colored), of Calabouta
Parish, testified that he was President
OF a colored Democratic club of about
! thirty members; knew of intimidation of
colored Democrats; quit preaching when he
| Joined the Democrats; they hired him out of
the church and took his license away. The
| committee in executive session instructed
the Chairman to report the members of the
Returning Board to the House for contempt
in refusing TO produce the records.
Before the House committee on the 22d,
| William Williams (colored), of New Orleans
testified that he had been accused of voting
| the Democratic ticket since the election
| Knocked down, beaten and shot; did not
| vote, because threats were made. Hogan
! (colored), Of West Feliciana, knew of intimi-
dation of colored Democrats; no armed men
| rode over the parish except organizations of
whites and colored, who whipped persons for
| stealing; signed statement at the Custom
House, but did not know what was in it,
| CroSs-e1dnlined-Wa formerly Republican;
was indicted for malfeasance in office, with
others; three colored men were taken from
| the plantation where he was and whipped for
stealing; one ran away and was shot at; could
not remember that he told anyone he voted
the Democratic ticket through fear; knew
of negroes being whipped since election be-
cause they did not vote the Republican ticket
Burke, of New Orleans, testified that at Poll
2, Eleventh Ward (thrown out by the board),
The Tilden electors had over 800 majority,
and he saw the tally sheets signed by all the
| officers, who afterward protested against tie
returns being counted on the ground of in
timidatiOn. Leidig commissioner at the
| same polls, testified to the same effect. Seven
other witnesses corroborated Burke. Lieut.
Holmes, Thirtietb Infantry, stationed at
Baton Rouge, saw both Democrats and Re-
publicans voting on election day; saw great
many colored people vote; saw no disturb
ance or intimidation. Price (colored), of st.
Charles, testified that he had been whipped
by colored Republicans and driven from the
parish. Two commissioners of election in
Poll 6, Second Ward New Orleans (thrown
out, testified that all the officers signed the
papers. The sub-committees heard testimony
in Orleans Parish and Baton Rouge.
The Serate committee discussed the ques-
tions OF requiring the Returning Board to
produce the original records of the vote of
the State, and by pPrty vote ii was decided
in the negative-the Republican members
stating that they were ready to agree at the
proper time to any motion that would throw
light on the subject, but thought at present
It was impracticable to require the produc-
tion Of the records. VIM. K. Hardy, candi-
date for Parish Judge in Ouachita, testified
to the assassination of Dinkgrave, Thomas,
johnson, LogwOod, Byman, and the shooting
of Burtill, Lewis and Dickerson; the hanging
Of Richards; the firing into houses; breaking
up meetings and other outrages on Republic
ans by bull-dOzers; saw colorcd Republicans
prevented from voting Bourges, of New Or
leans, testified to hearing McEnery say in
speech that Packard ought to be killed; he
denounced all Republicans as scalawags,
etc. Wood (colored), Of Ouachita, Super
visor: Was prevented from attending the
polls by armed men; his house was fred
into. Astwood (colored), U. S Deputy Mar
shal of Carroll Parish, testified to bull.do
ers attending meeting at which he spoke,
and trying to break it up. Delton (colored),
of New Orleans, testified that his employer
drove him and two other men from his place
for voting the Republican ticket.
John Culpepper (colored), of Ouachita,
testified before the Senate committee, on the
23d, as to intimidation by rifle clubs and
that reign of terror existed in the parish
after the killing of Dinkgrave; also testified
that his father was killed in his presence in
1868 for voting the Republican ticket First
Lieut.. McCauley, Thirteenth Infantry, sta
toned in Ouachita, testified that he attended
number of Republican meetings where
trouble was apprehended, and when the
speakers were interrupted he interfered and
the meetings proceeded; witness saw Log
wood and johnson after they were shot; the
former, replying to question, said he was
shot for voting the Republican ticket.
Demp (colored), OF Monroe, testified that he
was Obliged to run away because he refused
to join Democratic club. .....
Hearsey and Kempton, Republican Com
missioners OF Election at Poll 3, Eleventh
Ward, New Orleans, testified before the
House committee that they signed the re-
turns'and tally-sheet through fearof their
lives, Backus, Supervisor, Eleventh Ward,
testified that Maj. Burke made changes in
the ally.sheet-taking ten votes from one
Democratic judge and giving them to Re-
publican; two OF the commissioners told him
they signed the sheet under intimidation, and
he did not include the vote of Poll in his
report to the board; knew of white and col
ored men being discharged since election for
voting the Republican ticket. Maj. Burke
testified that Backus stated falsehOod
when he testified that witness changed the
vote, Ledg, another commissioner, testi-
fed that he made no threats, as sworn TO by
Hearsey and Kempton.
The sub-committees took testimony al
New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Monroe and
Shreveport on the Esd. The latter COM
mittee completed its labors and went to
Mansfield. ....., .........rr
Florida.
The Senate committee commenced Its
session at Tallahassee on the 18th. Re-
pOrters and the public were denied admis-
sion. The day was consumed in examining
the Republican members of the Canyassing
Board. '..s.... -....
The House Committee had before It
eighteen negroes whose names were on the
poll list at Richardson's precinct, In Leon
County, as having voted there, who swore
that they did not vote there and were not at
the precinct all day. There were votes in
the ballot-boX to accord with these names.
The Senate committee concluded the eX-
animation of the Canvassing Board on the
10th. The session was held with closed
doors.
The House committee examined fourteen
colored men whose names appeared on the
poll-list of Precinct l3, Leon County, and
who stated that they did not vote in the pre-.
H. ~