New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-24
THE HOUSE INVESTIGATING CON-
NlTTEE.
Eleventh Days Proceediuss.


The committee was called to order few
minutes after eleven O'Clock, and the first
witness placed on the stand was
A. NJ. e. Hearsey-Was q commissioner
at poll No. 6, eleventh ward; there was no
disturbance at the poll until near midnight;
l wanted to take q reress from counting;
Mr. Lei6ig would not permit it; he told rDe
that must get q Doctors certificate If l
wanted to quit; he said must 60 away
dead if weni; one OF the deputy mar
shals was run out of the Office; Officer
Boy le told me he was going to take the box;
l sent to the police station for assistance;
Kempton, the supervisor, was sick, and
put Mr. Putnam in his place at the tally
sheets; that was satisfactory to me; Leidig
took the box at the poll, while We were
making out the tally sheets; l signed the
tally sheets in order to get away, and
Leidig told me that if went away would
20 away dead; feared that my life was in
danger; l have been threatened, and was
told only last night that had better leave
this city; Leidig said, before the tally
sheets were made out, that the box should
be sealed whether the tally sheets were IN
or not; was bound to have the tally sheets
placed in the box; kept the box; the tally
sheets were kept very irreguiarly; Kemp
the outside men keeping the tally; l
was very sleepy; was not instructed to
delay the counting until it would be too late
to get the count in; l toll Backers that l
di0 not believe the tallies we're correct and
said that would not swear to them; do not
believe they are correct to-day; nobody as
sisted Kempton and myeelf to make out our
protest, and nobody instructed US to make
it; Dibble did not give me Instructions; re-
ceived several uotes while the voting was
progre ssing; showed soms of the notes to
the other com mmissiOnere; did all IN my
mower to make the election peaceable; had
INV pistol with me; four or five OF US took
tbs box to the supervisors office; some OF
the men told me l must 60 with the box;
did not wish to &C; one OF the notes that
received told me to close the box 1t there
was any trouble; there was no trouble;
took the ballots from the box while the
counting was going on, the Democrats had
a majority at tnat poll; the men who were
tallying could not agree in their count.
70 Mr.. T0wnsend-I sent to the police tor
assistance; was told that the outside crowd
intended to take the box; was in fear OF
my life; Leidig took the box OF the table
crowd of men outside, having clubs and
sticks; somebody locked the back door;
made the protest q day or two after cleo
tiop: signed the statement that the election
was fair and just before the polls were
closed.
Direct-Received about Sc 50 for my
services as commissioner; am at present
corporal on the Metropolitan Police force.
A. w. Kempt0n-1 was commissioner OF
election last election day in the eleventh
ward, poll No. 6; all was quiet up to the
closing of the poll; consented to Putnam
takinS nv place at the tally sheet; Leidig
said that the work must 60 on, or he would
take charge himself; he, then, having his
hand in his pocket; did not then know that
Leidig was . commissioners, bnt understood
he had . right to be there; oid NOT see
% on. and he and bis friends jumped up
and showed their hands into their pockets;
when I was sick, ono of the mon said,
..Stick him up to it and make him go;" You
know what that means; Leidig said that
the count must be finished by fve
O'Clock that morning, or he would take
charge himself; Mr.. Barke visited the
DOLL several times; signed the tally enee0 e
FOR the purpose Of getting out, fearing that
r., = wnnlf he harmed: entertained fears be-
c.nae ef the demonstrations made; Putnam
took his pistol of the table and put 1t into
h;s nocket: Leidig said unless the count
vent on he would take charge OF the box;
when I started to seal tho box the men
made me stop; ono of them put his hand
On his pistol in his pocket, wh!cn demon,
stration put me on my guard, ior W. wnen r. =
bart of the day did not know that Leldig M
was commissicneI; signea a, the Ine .sfest ss,y
sh;nS for me to do just then; think that all
80 RannhlicAp tickets were not counted;
.nu .no namocratic tickets which were found
to"..her t~w we're not counted; there wes mis-
~unSerstanding u about keeping the. the tally tally
sheets: I believe there would nave peen
srn1 sronbls had / not signed the tally sheets; !
have been on the police force mere siS severa, 81
months; before came mere ;H other serIJs nIacea m
Quincy, in Kansas Cisy, y,h;af IN 1S" "f ro,ice cain in
chI cs1veston: "a was indicted for something in
Galveston. rha resnlt of the