Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-12-07

the cOlOred men around there had done
so for fear of losing their lives. lie LETT
home again, and when he started back
he was met on the road by the, man
Howard. 1t was dark night, but the
lightning occasionally made il bright.
He saw the man fire into the air tw ICE,
and he was afraid. The man asked
him who he was, and when he told
elm, he said: "Don't kill me, Massa
Howard, I'll go with ye right now
and jine the Democratic club" How
ard
SAID NOTHING, But COMMENCED To
at him until he fell. When he revived
he crawled to a colored mans house,
who was afraid to let him come in,
and when he tainted again he was laid
out on the back gallery for dead.
There are several other witnesses In
the party whose cases are nearly as
hard, and there are some parts of the
story Of Eliza Pinkston too horrible for
publication.
BEN. JAMES SWORN STATEMENT,
is substantially as follows: 81 lived in
Ouachita about 81 years. AT the last
election was appointed UHited States
Deputy Marshal at the Third ward
poll. As Constable OF the ward, to
which position / WAS ele ted in 1874, |
had charge of the ballot box. live at
Monroe, II miles from the polls.
started from home with the ballot box
at O'Clock in the morning for the polls
on horseback.
STOPPED.
"When i got about two miles from
town / VI ss halted at the end of the
lane by two men. 1t was bright
moonlight night. These men asked
Inc whereI was going. told them
l was going to LogtOwn with the
box. They said they had better
see Mr.. Head. They called him and
he answered. Two young men came
up and they had guns. The name of
one was Cook. Both were white men.
Head then came up. He asked me
where was going. made the same
reply that had to the Others. He
said: You can't go yet awhile He
asked what had in the box. i said
| had papers.
STARTED TOWARD HEADQUARTERS.
He said: You will have to go down to
the headquarters and have the box eX-
amiued.' Head ordered the two men
who were armed to get on their horses.
They mounted and said. TO me: Now
let's go right off, After We had gone
apiece, some one hailed me, and said,
Hold on A man named Rills then
came up and said: Ben, it amt worth
while for you TO take pistol down
there Heran his hand round my
body and took my PISTOL, and said: Il
will hand it back to you when you get
back said: Yes, would like to
have it, for am Constable at the polls
today He said, Go ahead, that will
be all right We rode on about fifty
yards and were halted again,sa voice
calling out, HALT who comes there?'
Que of the guards with me replied,
Scott One of them went ahead and
whispered to the man who had halted
US, who said, 'All right; pass through
There were two of them and they were
armed. We rode on a shot distance
and were again halted in a similar
manner and a similar response was
made, and short distance further on
We were third time halted, and, af-
ter countersign Scott had been given,
we were told to pass on. In front o:
Joe Mitchell's house we came upon
A LARGE BODY OF MEN.
We got off in front of n fire. Some oil
the men were standing up, some lying
down, and all were with arms. There
were about 10 or 80 in sight around the
camp. They whispered around awhile,
and then one of them rode off tow9rd
Joe MitchelPs house and left Buck
Mimms standing with me. Very sO0n
Joe Mitchell and Bob EndOm came uI
within about twenty-five feet of me-
and L heard joe Mitchell say, AL
rightn and Bob Endom rode off. Joe
Mitchell sand: Boys, get on your
horses He came up 10 me and said:
Il WISH HAD A. ARRELEI
GUM
and then marched on down the road
l said, Shall ride or walk? He re.
Piled, You may ride or let your pony
be there / turned away from the fire
and got about ten steps. l then broke
and ran, for / knew they were going
to kill NE by this conversation.
started for the wood. They then com.
menced shooting, and Joe Mitchell
was right after me on horse, shooting
pistol at me. l got about thirty ol
forty feet from Colonel Pdrgoudi's
fence, and Joe fired his gun at me and
hit me in the right arm. Idon't know
| whether | was shot before or not
THERE WAS so MUCH SHOOTING.
Joe Mitchell, who was between the
company and myself, was calling out
to the men, Don't shoot me! Be care
full, say! kept right on, and got
over the fence, but when / got to the
ditch fell in it. | crawled up on the
further side and was at the fence. He
said, Hold on, boys!
I'LL FIX HIM, DAMN HIMp
He cIimed over and ran round me, and
placed his pistol between my head and
the ground and fired. ] became insen-
sible then aBd did not recover for some
time, / don't know how long. The
ball had glanced from my temple, but
had not made a deep wound. Alto
gether, have five wOunds-two in the
arms, one in the back of the head, one
in the tempel, and one in the hip.
When 1 came to could sec, no one
around, and started away, but when
had gone a short distance l tainted
from loss of blood and pain. The
blood from the wound in my temple
ran into my mouth and nearly strangl.
ed me. l laid there until daylight
IN A DITCH.
At s or 8 o'clock in the morning went
back of Colonel Frank PargOudi's
stable and called for Lawrence Dun
more. u colored man. A parcel of wo-
\.
me. Frank Pargoudi came out and
asked me if | knew who had done it.
l told him / did. He said he did not
wish to know, but / had better make
affidavit OF it. Colonel Pargoudi is
A VERY LIBERAL, KIND MAN
and wouldn't allow any bull.dozing on