Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-11-29
THE LOUISIANA BULLDOG
Fps


1t is q copy of an aflida-
Wit to be fled with the Returning
Board:
State of Louisiana, Parish of East
Baton Rouge.
+. A. Clover, being duly sworn,
states that he was the duly appointed
of Registration in and for
the Parish of East Baton Rouge, in
the State of Louisiana, during the
time of registration and revision held
and preparatory to the last |
held the seventh day of No
vember, eighteen hundred and sevcn-
ty-six. That as such Supervisor of
Registration, he conducted said reg
istration and revision of registration
from the 2Sth day Of August to the
2Sth day Of October, 1876, inclusive.
That during the said time of regis
tration and revision Of registration,
there were riot, tumult, acts of vio-
lcncc, intimidation and bribery and
corrupt influences at and near sever
al places of registration and revision
of registration in said parish, which
said riot, tumult, acts of violence, in
timidation, disturbance and corrupt
Influences did tend to prevent, and
did prevent, a fair, free, peaccablc
and full vote of all the qualified cleo
tors of said parish.
That by reason of said riot, tumult,
acts of violence, intimidation, dis
turbance and corrupt influences the
election held in said parishes on the
It'll of November, 1876, was not q
fair, free, full and peaccable election,
nor was there fair, free, full and
electors in said parish. That the
facts relating thereto are as follows:
During said period of registration
it came to my knowledge in my off,
cial capacity that large number Of
the qualified electors of said parish,
colored men, were forced to join DEM
ocratic clubs, and told that if they
did not vote the democratic ticket
they would be bull-dozed, or regu-
lated, by which words understood to
be meant armed bands of men. visit
ing said voters. and by whippings,
shootings, OF other violence, putting
them in fear Of their lives, and fore
ing them to flee their homes.
That some time prior to or during
said registration, colored man,
named Joe Johnson,a qualified cleo
tor of said parish, and a prominent
republican, was visited by armed
men at his house at night, and taken
prisoner by them. Said parties
poured coal oil over his person and
set him on fire, and then shot him to
death.
That some time near or during said
registration, a colored man, named
/ William Y. Payne, q qualified clcctor
of said parish, and a prominent re-
publican, was visited at his house in
the night, by an armed band of white
men, who took him from under his
bed, put rope or lariat around his
neck, and attached the rope to the
pommel of a saddle on horse or a
mule and dragged him to death.
That at short time before Or du-
ring said period of registration, a
colored man named Isiddore Heron,
q qualified elcctor of said parish,
Justice of the Peace, and rcpubli-
can, was visited by an armed band OF
men at night, at his house, and takcr
prisoner by them; said parties put a
: rope around his neck, attached said
rope to the pommcl of a saddle and
dragged him nearly to death ant
whipped him.
That during said period of regis
tration band of armed white men
masked, went to the house OF on,
Alack Gilbert. a colorcd man, quail
} fed clcctor of said parish for the
purpose ofkilling him, and not find
ing him at home, forcibly took Alice
Gilbert, his wife, out of her house
and placed a rope around her neck
threatened to hang her, for the pnr
/ pose of forcing her to disclose tn,
r whereabouts of her husband.
During said period of registration
it came to my knowledge in my oil
: cial capacity that bands Of armed
white mon patrolied the roads OF salt
, parish almost nightly on horseback
this for the purpose of striking ter
rOr into the minds of the colored peo
pie, thereby preventing them from
voting the republican ticket.
= Alta short time before or durin.
registration it came to my knowledge
in my official capacity, that in seyera
: instances armed bands of white mel
$ had visited the houses of colorcd re
publicans and voters, and taken then
from their houses and whipped them
! this for the purpose of striking terro
, into the midst of the colored people
5 and causing them to be in fear o
their lives and persons should the.
vote the republican ticket.
That at short time before, durin.
said period of registration, Their
came to my knowledge in my officia
. capacity several instances of whit,
men having shot and wounded color
ed republicans. This for the purpos'
of striking terror into the midst o
the colorcd people, and preventing
them from freely and peacefully ex
crcising their right to vote.
That during said period it ha'
, come to my knowledge in my officla
capacity that republican meetings
were being interferred with and dis
turbed by armed bands of white men
with threats of violence, abuse, oaths
cursings, and by following republic
an speakers and threatening them il
a violent manner, that by such dis
turbance and violence the peace Of
republican meetings were disturbed
Republicans were prevented from at
tending, and were driven away from
said meetings.
That during said registration The
colored republican voters of one Of
the largest sections of said parish
to-wit: that at and about the town OF
Port Hudson, where it had been Gus.
tomary to have poll at which abou,
800 voters have been voted, and re.
publican majority of about 300 OF
more, requested me not to establish
a poll at said town, and gave as theil
reason therefore that they would not
be allowed to vote the republican
ticket at that poll, but would be COM
PEELED by threats and violence to vote
the democratic ticket
That during the whole period oil
registration and revision of registra-
ton, there existed in said parish a
| continued state of fear, dread, intim-
I idation and terrorism. That this ter
rorism was caused by the facts above
/ stated, and other similar ones, OF
which proof can be given. That there
was general feeling of insecurity
among republicans in their lives and
property that republicans dared not,
at several times during said registra-
ton, canvass parts of said parish ;
that large numbers of colorcd rcpub-
licans did not dare attend republican
meetings that said intimidation and
terrorism was produced by white
democrats for the purpose of pre-
venting colored republicans from
peaceably and freely exercising their
right to vote, and did so prevent
them.
That the effect of said riot, tumult,
acts of violence, intimidation, dis
turbance and corrupt influences in