The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-11-25
LOUISIANA.
Dem ocrntic Intimidation Of Witnesses.


leans special of last night says many witnesses
summon ed here by United States commission
ers state that after they sbave given their evil
dence they will not be able to return home.
They will be killed if they do so. Because of
these fears aud violent threats made by Demo-
Gratis in the interior. it is very difficult to get
some of the most important witnesses here d.
Some days ago the commissioner summoned
men from Richard parish to testify as to in.
Limitations in their districts. They replied
that they dared not come; that they would be
killed if they did. Today file of United States
soldiers was sent to their homes to give them
safe conduct to New Orleans. The city is quiet
but business men express great anxiety to have
the Presidential question settled one way or ar
other.
Session of the Returning Board.
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 24-The returning
board met at IL 80 All the members were
present. For the Democrats appeared Messrs.
Palmer, Trumbull, g. g. Smith and Julian.
For the Republicans Messrs. Stoughton, Hale,
Van Allen, Gen. White and W. A. McGrew.
The minutes having been read Governor
Wells stated that after the adjournment he had
received communication from the supervisor
of Natehitotches, stating that the names OF no
electors had been left off the tickets.
A report from the supervisor was read in
which it was stated that in ward II the vote for
Hayes electors was 542 and Tilden electors IL
that it was thought only necessary to count the
vote for electors at large and the elector for the
fourth congressional district. The report was
from the United States Supervisor.
Judge Spofford asked that the day for taking
up the contest in East Baton Rouge be fixed.
Governor Wells said he would fix Monday.
1t was further stated that st. Martins would
be considered today and Ouachita opened there
after.
On application of Judge Spofford the board
directed an officer to go in seach of the rest of
the returns from MOrehOuse.
Thn hnor1 int iua
session.
The following communication was delivered
to the returning board to-day:
Hon. Madison G. Wells, President of thu
Board of Return Oficers:-At a meeting Of
newspaper correspondent held in this city last
night, the following journals were represented
New York Stats Zeitung N. Y. Herald, N
Y, Sun, New York Tribune, New York World
New York Times, Boston Herald, New York
Evening Telegram. Philadelphia Times, Gin
clnnati Enquirer, Cincinnati Commercial: Chi.
cago Times, Louisville Courier.J Journal, Balti
more Gazette, Wilmington (Del) Every
Evening, st. Louis Republican and others
Mr.. e. C. Haycock of the New York Herald
was called to the chair, and Mr.. M. P. Handy
of the Philadelphia Times appointed secretary
On motion the following resolution was unani
mously adopted:
Resolved, That for the proper discharge o.
| our duties in the collection and transmission Of
| news from New Orleans in reference to tht
matter now engaging the attention of the coun
| try, it is essential that we be admitted to tht
| daily sessions Of the board of returning Officers
| of Louisiana, with view to reporting its pro
| ceedings.
Resolved, Second, that a committee be ap
| pointed to await upon the returning board ant
| respectfully request this customary courtesy a
the hands Of that body. Adjourned. w
(Signed) E. G. HAYCoCK, chairman
M. P. HANDY, secretary.
The board refused to entertain this commu
| nication giving as a reason that special CORE
| spondents in dispatches had reflected upon the
board The article read of which they com
| planned was written two days before the boar.
| met
The returns from three contested parishes
| East Baton Rouge, st. Tammany and Iberia
| were taken up. East Baton Rouge has fourteen
| polling places. The returns were from ONLY
seven. The law requires the commissioners a
| each polling place within "a hours after thu
! close of the polls to make return of the vote
cast to the supervisor of registration of the par
| ish, who within "a hours after receipt of the
| returns from the polling places is required tt
| consolidate such returns to be certified as cor
| rect by the clerk of the district court and for
ward the consolidated returns with the origi
| nails served by him by mail to the state return
| ing board Statements of violence or intimida
| ton at any poll when alleged are required to bt
attached to- and forwarded with the consoldat
| ed returns.
East Baton Rouge is - hours distant from
New Orleans The returns from that parish
were not sent by mail and wern not filed with
| the returning board till November 23d. Many
of the affidavts accompanying the charging in
timidatiOn were sworn to in New Orleans, some
of them as late as November 3d. The total
vote of the parish as ascertained from the re
turns of the commissioners at the polling
places, was 2,238 for Tilden, and 1925 fol
Hayes, but the supervisor of registration by
consolidating the returns from only seven poll
ing, leaving out the other seven and omttine
to send up the original returns from some
makes return of only 1,102 votes for Tilden
and LAT for Hayes.
Afidavits have been filed stating that the su.
pervisor in this parish and in every parish in
the state is Republican, and that returns
from IA parishes are still missing; that severa
of the missing returns were and had been in
the city of New Orleans for days in the hands
of persons who were not supervisors. Till the
returns from East Baton Rouge were opened it
was not known to the Democrats what affida-
Wit accompanied it or from what polling places
the returns were rejected.
The Democrats complain bitterly of the
action of the board and supervisors in regard
to this parish.
After much discussion the returns of East
Baton Rouge were laid aside. The only parish
finished to-day was St. Martins, Tilden 1923,
Hayes 1897.
The counsel for the candidates on the Demo.
cratic conservative ticket asked permission to
name three persons to witness the process of
tabulating the returns for other officers than
the Governor and electors, which is being per-
formed by clerks in another room. Without
action thereon the board adjourned till to-
morrow.