The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-12-28
TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

TELEGRAPHlC NEWS.
NEW ORLEANS, December 20.-
House committee testimony-George
A. Branstoph, colored, testited-Vuted
the Democratic ticket; was afterwards
knocked down and beaten; then ar
rested and sent to the parish PRISON for
ten days; beat him because he voted
the Democratic ticket; he named the
parties who attacked him, and made
complaint TO the police, but they re-
fused to protect him; WAS beaten be-
fore the election; women went around
telling the cOlorcd men they would be
returned to slavery if the Democrats
succeeded.
Cross-examined-Was not troubled
during the election; reiterated he had
been attacked, and reiterated the cir
cumstances of the attack; after being
attacked, he made complaint to the
police, and they arrested him for dis
turbing the peace; be was tried by q
justice court and condemned to pay $5
tine or ten days in prison; was sent to
prison; was formerly q Republican :;
changed politics because he had moth
ing to do and wanted work.
Charles Cassanve, of the returning
board, testifed-Was born IN New Or
leans; Is recorder of births, deaths and
marrisges; has been a member of the
returning board since 1872; all the
members of the board belonged to the
iIepublican party; there was recon-
Reudstion to fill the vacancy, but the
board could not agree; Mr.. Kennedy
vas propos witness refused 20 an
swer the g As to whether or not
a fayorr- L-- ctIon of Ken
nc1y o. member the board :;
s5-'e retu..s s. tl- -5 isors were
geSgrre- dlrz,, 20 the Sose,, hers to
SsCra'N.- o'.5.s-c- The IL ,'re yge-e
opers~ f9 sae -Pressacs Of -evt1sea. .s-
tives ci ooia parties, siI Enai acc.u-aa
were made IL private session, Jne
board made up the returns srorn ths
consolidated statements of supervi7ofs;
never allowed any additions to be made
by supervisors; statements were re-
ceivsd by the beard, and in few cases
they sent for bsllot-boxaS, but don't
remember in what parishes; didn't
CANVASS Grant parish, received some
iNIgulsr returns; threw out Ess, Fe-
pa because of great intimidation
e taNo Apring election; dom re-
srshaving acted upon any charge
pf lntimidationp previous to the
lSska gistrstion. When asked if he
inteH Il to bring for the inspection of
the conNnittee the original returns of
supervisors, he said he had not brought
the papers, and could not bring them
without the consent of the board
would consult the other members of
the board and bring them if they con-
sented; don't know whether the Til
den or Hayes electors had-8 majority
of the votes cast according to thc su-
pervisors' statements; never heard any
member say who had q ma jority; knows
they threw out two parishes and sew
eral polls IN other parishes; thinks the
votes thrown out aggregated several
thousand; could not say how many;
thinks probably four or five thousand;
don't recollect the number of parishes
in which votes were thrown out, thinks
it fourteen or fifteen.
The House, refusing to receive
statement from Gen. Anderson, of the
returning board, he testified: He
was asked whether TiIden or Hayes
received majority of the votes cast,
and replied that he did not know; Kev-
er added the votes of parishes until
ready for promulgation; never heard
any member of the board say who had
majority Of the votes; the final de-
cision was made in executive session
sometimes affidavits were not read
contestants were not admitted; the
vote of East Felieiana was thrown out
because there were no legal returns;
he favored counting Grant parish, but
was Overruled.
The committee adjourned with the
understanding that all members of the
returning board be present tomorrow.
The question of fcontempt comes square
ly up.
Thomas G. Anderson was recalled,
and handle a statement to the com
mittee, saying 1t was the original
statement which was signed by all the
members of the returning board, show
ing the vote fer the presidential elcc-
tors in the State. The statement con-
tanned the aggregate vote-not by par
ishes. Anderson stated: " We or
dered the clerk to make out complete
statement of the vote by parishes, to
be filed before the Secretary of State,
but don't know whether that was done !
as we got through parish we sent it
to the clerk, marked compiled, to be
Immediately entered on the list; when
the polls were rejected those polls
were marked rejected and sent to the
clerk; we could not make q complete
list of the vote by parishes IN time to
promuigate according to law, but
ordered the clerk to do it afterwards;
was absent when three parishes were
being complied by the board; the
clerk made the addition of the votes.
leaving out the polls rejected the
board revised these additions, In the
statement handed to the committee, it
was evident that the figures and letters
had been changed, which was ex-
planned by Gea. Anderson saying that
some of the parishes had been mis-
placed by the clerk, but that he did
not remember very well kow the mis-
take occurred; that tie clerk had sat
explained it at the time no
one was present IN the room where the
board was at work on the night before
the promulgation, except the members
of the board; a~memorandum was pro-
duced of the polls rejected by the re-
turning board, with the reasons
therefor; the list shows fifty-four polls
in twenty parishes thown out and the
parishes of Grant and East Felicians."
In answering interrogstories, Ander-
son testified: eve made our compila-
tion from the consolidated statements
of supervisors of registration, and did
not consider any returns made by COM
missioners of election. II supervisor
made returns with three or four polls
left out we counted only those returned
considered no returns of commission
ers; refused to receive evidence of GER
titled copies OF the returns of commis-
sioners of election. In counting the
vote for electors in Madison parish we
had the evidence OF the commissioner
of election showing that those electors
received the number of votes given
them; don't know which party received
a majsnty in the polls thrown out; do
not know that every poll thrown out
gave & Democratic majority; don't
know that the supervisor of East Baton |