The Portland daily press., 1876-12-29
LOUISIANA.
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The senate Committee InvestigatiOu
NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 27.-Samuel D. Nc
Emery, brother of the famous McEnery, and a
leading Democrat of Ouachita, was recalled by
the Senate committee and gave additional tes-
timony. He said that one of the first efforts
of the Democrats was to break down the color
line by assuring the negroes that if they would
join the Democrats their general condition
would be improved In order to do this the as
sistance of leading colored men in various
wards was first enlisted, and arguments and
reasons were used to induce the colored men to
join, by both colored and white speakers. and
the efforts were generally successful Among
the earliest converts was Richard Dunn, a COL
ored man and president of Republican club
and Ike Randall, another leading negro. One
cause of the detection among the colored peo-
pie was that tax notices had recently been serv-
ed on them; in one case tax on horse worth
$40 of $13, and another of $3.50 on COW and
calf, which tax notices were read from the
stand by Democratic speakers. Capt. Farmer
Democratic candidate for Congress in that
district, was very popular with the negroes on
account OF his earnest and vigorous prosecu-
lions while district attorney. Witness then
narrated speaking at Logtown, where love
feast was held, and 70 colored men of Randall's
club joined under the eXhOrtations of Rev. Mr.
Cam, the colored men and whites embraced
each other. During the canvass nearly every
celored man in the Logtown ward Joined. In
addition to the mixed clubs, there were two
clubs composed entirely of negroes; large num-
bers of the colored men of that parish volun-
tarily. and without compulsion or inttmida-
ton, Joined tbs Democrats and voted with
them.
William Wade, colored, gave similar evidence
in regard to his neighborhood, land said that one
night the Regulators" came to his house and
called for him; they came to his wife's bed
pOked around with pistol under the cover for
him, took his gun and broke Invent to the cabin
of his hired man Bill Williams and put a rope
around his neck, and frightened the rope careless
like" Witness followed them to the house of
| Monroe Beechum, colored, whom they took
| from his house and put rope around his neck !;
he has not since been seen, either by his wife
or anybody else. Mr.. Sebrage was hung,
about a year ago; he was colored man; Hen
derson Parker, colored, was shot; witness sat
on coroner's jury.
NEW ORLEANS, Dec 2S.-The Senate inves.
| tigatDg committee today examined B. X.
| Shelby of Ouachita, whose testimony was SUBJ
| stantially the same as that of Samuel McEne-
| ry yesterday in regard to the condition of af-
fairs there during the canvass He contradict
| ed the statements of Esquire Hall in reference
| to c0lOred men being forced to join the club
and Eliza Pinkston as to James and Van Lo.
| gan being in the party who assaulted her and
killed her husband, as they were at his house
| that night. He corroborated Halls statement
| that two men stood by the polls and took down
the names of the voters, but didn't know what
| for.
Rev. Americas Watson, W. Fl. Hill and
Geo. Robertson, all colored, testified they were
Democrats and that the election was peaceful
and quiet.
Witness, Capt. Farmer and other Dem ocrat-
| ic speakers announced frequently, during the
| canvass that "u"-SS man would be afforded pro-
lection to vC whatever ticket he pleased The
| vote cast at ii q last election was larger than
that of previous elections in Monroe; it was
much larger, as the colered men had been told
| openly to vote there. This of course reduced
the Republican vote in the other wards. All
the polls in the parish except the one at
| were Democratic. Witness said that he and
| other prominent Democrats advised and coun-
seled peace and forbearance as absolutely es-
| sential throughout the campaign, and no efforts
to that end were spared. Rifle clubs were Or
ganized for the purpose of securing the peace of
! the community, and protecting cOlored Demo-
Gratis from the violence of colored Republicans
He had notified the Judge of the district that,
| If this intimidation of coored Democrats was
not stopped by the courts, they would be forced
to protect, them, and visit summary punish
| ment on the offenders. Judge Baker and Capt
Hardy, both prominent Republicans, endorsed
his action.
Mr.. McEnery's testimony lasted the remain
der of the session. On discrimination he
maintained that the Democrats had constantly
urged upon the men of their party the impor
lance of a peaceable election, and that every
act of theirs had this in view. He also stated
that he haze been member of the "Knights Of
the White Camelia, which was a secret and
oath-bound society. Witness testified that he
had never forced any justice of the peace to go
and take afidavits in regard to the election.
Had heard of six homicides and six persons
being shot in tbs parish, during the last cam.
paign. Never knew of that number in the
same period before, but didn't think the rifle
clubs had anything to do with them
The Senate subcommittee of which Wad-
leigh is chairman, examined Andrew Harrison,
(colored), of East Baton Rouge, whose testimo-
ny showed that while the negroes of the parish
were Republicans from choice, many of them
had been forced to vote the Democratic ticket
through threats and fear. He gave an instance
where colored meE had been hung up and
nearly killed for refusing to join.
The House Investigation.
The House committee of which Morrison is
Chairman, examined some half dozen colored
witnesses during the day on the parish of New
Orleans, who testified to being assaulted, beat
en- or lntimidated by their own race for having
voted the Democratic ticket.
At the evening session Albert VOORHEES,
member of the Legislature and chairman of the
Democratic State Central Corresponding Com
mittee, testified that every effort had been TAX
en- by the committee and himself to secure a
peaceful election.
The subcommittee of the House committee
examined six witnesses today in reference to
Placquemine parish, all oil whom testified to
irregularities on the part of the officers OF cleo
ton at poll and fraud in registration as we'll
as intimidation of colored Democrats by col
ored Republicans
Barricading tine State House-The White
League Ordered out Next Tuesday,
The Democratic state Senators, holding over,
Clerk Treserv ant of the House called on Gov.
Kellogg today and protested against the barri-
cadng of the State House and demanded the
removal of the barricades, which the Governor
declined to do. When asked if the contestants
and citizens would be admitted, he replied that
be would not answer, but if guards were placed
declared elected by the returning board and
they would be admitted In answer to Treser-
want, the Governor said that as the Executive,
he assumed the right to control all the APP
prOaches to the House of Representatives.
1t is positively asserted that the Democrats
have QurpQd onI In