Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-12-02
No Adjournment Yet.
Proceedings of the Returning Board.

Proceedings of the Returning Board.
TALLAHASSEE, December 1.-The board of
canvassers met this morning, and the Repub-
cans introduced witnesses In the Alachua
cases. Vance, colored clerk at the Archer
precinct, swore that the election was fair and
regular and that 535 votes were polled; and
that the certificates were made out to show
this number of votes, and were regularly
signed by Moore and Dukes, the inspectors.
He described with great particularly the
method of conducting the election and count.
Upon being cross-examined he swore that
he was employed as clerk Of the county
commissioners about one month before the
election in the Office o! Mr.. Dennis, and that
talfy-sheet was kept. He dom know what
became of the sheet; said that the ballot-box
was taken to his Vance 's) house on election
night and kept there till the next morning,
when it was tlken in basket to the court
house; witness was born In Canada and edu-
Gated at Buffalo, New York, at common
school
P II. Black. colored, was introduced. He
testified that he was inspector of election at
Archer; that FIVE hundred and thirty-fve
votes were counted and put IN the certificate,
regularly.
The Democrats then filed objections to the
vote of Duval county, on the ground that
Glty-three non-registered men voted, that
thirty-three men voted twice, that sixteen
under penal conviction voted, that thirteen
inmates of the county jail voted, that the
registration list was padded and packed, the
only Democratic member of the board of
county commissioners being removed just be-
fore the election to make room for fraud
there.
The Republicans fled objections to twenty
nine votes m Nassau and twenty-three in
Duval, on the ground that two paymasters of
railroads gave Democratic tickets marked
with certain numbers to negro employees and
told them they would be discharged if these
numbers were not found In the box; that
these negroes, through fear, did vote the
numbered tickets; and various other
grounds of intimidation and violence.
The Republicans objected to Jacksog coun-
| ty on the general charge Of intimidation, vio-
lence, and fraud. The specifications assert
| that Democratic inspectors drove Republican
inspectors from the polls, and then refused
| to receive seven Republican votes; that the
ballot certificate was signed by the inspectors
| that they did not announce the vote to the
crowd or to any one else as ZIG votes; that
the ballot-box was taken to Vance house,
| and that a party of Democrats came there
and endeavored to induce him to take it to
some other place; thathe refused to do so, and
that he did not put illegal votes in the boxes.
Witness was born in Philadelphia and .edu-
Gated in Edinburgh.
Ex-Congressman Walls, colored, testified
that he did not offer Duke twenty-five dollars
or any other sum to sign the affidavit intro
duced by the Republicans; he did not go to
Dukes s house with Belton to'persuade Dukes
to sign it. Dukes said that he would sign
them in town when they reached town. Bel
ton and Dukes retired to Belton' Office, and
Belton came out after while saying that
! Dukes had touched the pen and signed;
Dukes cannot write his name; he touches the
pen and the mark is made for him.
Major NJ Cane, colored, swore that he was
in Belton' Office on the thirteenth, and saw
Dukes put his mark to an affidavit that was
read to him. 1t was something about the
Archer box being placed on a low bench
where the voters could not see it;
then the inspector took a handful of tick
cts out OF the box and put in
his vest-pOcket; that all of the Republican
votes were taken from the ballot-box at one
precinct during the dinner hour, when 1t was
left open and qnguarded.
The board then adjourned for the day,
! Papers in other counties will be fled to-
morrow, which is the last day for filing pa
| pers.