, 1876-10-14
SOUTHERN METHODS.

ArTAcK8 or NE1R0RB uY IouN0 MEN Or Gpob
r*niI1Ea-EvHnT paylcn USED TO PREVENT :
DLAcK VoTRRs CA8TIN1 TuEH DALLota.
Es'o FORK TFttnnf, orf. TO-.
j. X. Draper who Ia a clerk with Decker d
To-, at No. 50 Greenwich street, in CONVERSE
ton with 1rtbnne reporter on Saturday, gavs ;
tho following Information concerning tho po1lt-'
cal situation South: :.
"Bcforc went South and saw how matters.
stood for mysclf, regarded all tho reports of j..
trouble between whites and negroes as mere
political do1ges anu a waving Of the sbloody
Shirt have changed my mind since, and
these arc tho reasons: On tho 1st Ut April, 1876,
l was South, and then for tho iirst tine gaincda
personal knowledge of tho civil and political
situation. One night Ii the carly part Of thas:.
month was standing At the railway station ID
Salisbury. N. c., waiting for tho midnight traln.:
1t wanted fcw minutes of o':loek, and as I.
stood there noticed 4 group of two or thrco :.
negroes near, md overheard their conversation
In part. They we're talking about singing md
soma sort Of Jubilee that theyh tal or wcre
going to have. Suddenly party of ten or
twclYc whito men rushed up, and, surrounding.
tic gronpof negroes, began to beat them uut-
raageously. Tho blachs made little Or no re-
feetly useless. Two or three pcrsons Who
were III tho vicinity, md I lnysclf, tried
to interfere, but Two or thrcu. knocks
from the heavy sticks with which, thu
whites were armed ulndc 1ls fall back. In the:
excitement tfc trnLn cntne along, and 1 wa8
obliged to leave, Tho attacking purity WIS not
composed Of ordinary roughs, but Of men we'll
dressed and Of good appearance. a day Or two
aud 1t was stated TINT the wllito lncn 1a1 Iccil
takcn before Justlce, fined IS, and discharged
About ten days later again had oecnsEon to
walt for train ut tho aa'no place, and then
boarlfng-honsc. told him Of thu outrage
lad seem. Hc remarked that such attacks wero
Of common occurrence, and, ns Ind supposed,
good faniiics, who lad boastcd Of tic atrair,
saying they had expected to pay fine Of 81, but
that It was cheap fun. So much for minor INIT
tcrs. Now for an clcctton-lay experience: -
election, / chaucesl to be ia Pctsfsburg, Va. on
some business. Having leisure, stroilcl about
the town aud visited tho only polls could Ind.
These we're situated tn q frame building Oh the
street, tiee window on the othe. Policemen
stool ut tic door aud prevented any blacks who
tried to enter, directing then, to fall Into tho
line Of negroes which extended from the win
po~ osed aea oa s9t lie ss VS. s not
whlto n,an In Il. Tho whites, 1 noticed, enter
cd at tho door, and I attempted to
60 IN thcrs. myself, but q policeman
ssa TSea @ ssi. was not m 's onared sdsss tsas must s
stand outslla. 30 l. took position on. the
| csrbstone, md there lad view OF tho fntciior
| OF the building, OF the ballot-box, md the In
| spectors Of election. These inspectors Wcro all
white. Tho white voters had no difficulty nbout
entering ut the door, oE about depostlng their
ballots Immediately. Tho inspectors took no
| tune to consult tho rcgister. / do not know
however, that registration is obligatory in Viz
gtnia- At all events, while tic whites voted In
| side, tho negroes hAd to walt the good time Of
tho inspectors at the window. After receiving
the white votes, tho judges would stop to cltat"
littlc, take bit Of tobacco, md then lcisurrly
turn to tho window.
"Let me remark tust here, that saw white
and III twenty minutes Or half and hour rc-
turned aud voted again. called 4 pollccmau's
attention 10 this, aud he told nc to mind my
business. Having thus watched the : true In
wardncs8 Of tho matter, l repaired to spot
ncar the window, to SEQ how tho negroes got
along. heard substantially the following con-
versation between ono Of the inspectors aud atl
remember II almost word Tor word. Tho IN
spector asked numbcrless questions that tho
black n1n11 could hot AEsWcr, and It did not AceIl
| 10 be- expected TINT he would do SO: sArr you
q years Of agc1 Where wcro you born1 Who
were your parents, and were tlluy mnsricl3 Are
yni sHre thuy wero tnarrlcdl' To this last, when
tths negro replied 'Tss,' I, tho Judge added,
cd to dcsiantl II he himself was married, huw
many children ho had, md tho nsual questions
~ to rcsl1cucc. This was evidently nofhing
but clail to kill time anu 10 keep the line wait
Ing. The conversation had been Interrupted
several times, however, to takc whtto votcs. II
the negro who waa being questioned showel tho
east i1pat!c',ce, i, I1sa,'ncs only, policeman
tho window, nnl madc hlsn fall in At tho rear III
tho line.H ...''-"