The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-10
rORESlIADOWING REPORTS.
uu4TWAs LEARNED ny THE HOUSE
,OMMiTrEE ~ FLORIDA.


sa,1cr. Exhibittng landau. aud hains.
a. iutin,iduc the Crrdulous Negro Voters.
-v,sutSgrov, Jan. 9.-Tne special com
-.,,,.. .ont hy the House Of Represent itlves TO
v,o,isato iuyes;i9 tie the action OF the state
r,,.s.nc hoard. and inquire generally into all
III Al. .ul irt,ics connected with the Presi-
s.,,I election I'm that It tc. ,achcd here yes
-, morning. The Democratic members OF the
.,,,i,tre arc not Inclined TO give. In advance
,,,cir repott, the results of their Investigation.
rhov TAX. however, q lite freely ab put the con-
s,,,,n Of airs I'm Florida, and express their
200, surprise at the iortitude with which the
,,i,e rccule have borne the wrongs and oppres-
,,,n inflicted upon them by tue carpet oassers
and their negro allies.
The Republican members OF the committee
,crce with their Democratic associates In de-
pouncins the men who had control OF the Gov
,rnn,ent OF Florida. They do noi' however ex-
rress any opinion "a to whether the Deinocritic
mr. Republican electoral tickets received the sup
mort Of mai inty Of the people OF the state.
lhev do. however express very emph itically
their dlsapproval Of The frluis whicn were con-
rlu.iyely rroved to we been CON nj tel oy the
Republicans in one or two counties. They will
pfonabiy insist that In jackson county there
wasintimiIition rricticed ~ the Democrats.
and that negroes were frightened iuto Young
The Democratic ticket.
The committee was divided into two sub
,omn,it,ees and since thew concluded their
hb1r. the fIll committee h - ned no meetings,
and there has been no inte-ch ,nee Of views.
The MAJOR portion OF the testimony taken
IA. not been written out, ami AZ least ten DAYS
will be req iired 10 place II In the hands OF the
trnier Cn'il the evidence has been printed
the committee will not meet for consultation.
In the mean time, the members have asreed
among themselves not 20 indicate tie nature OF
their report. A great pressure, however.
has already been brought to bear upon the
Republican members TO induce them to define
their position. Their reticence Is interpreted
uniavorably by their radical friends. and from
this time until their repoft Is made thew will be
besleced on every side II they have the fortitude
10 r,sist the clamor which has ready begun
and preserve their nOn-confnittai silence Tor
ten days. II may reasonably tie expected that a
unanimous report wilt DO asreed upon.
The Democratic members Of the coinmitte re-
fuse To express an opinion about the intentions
Of their Republican associates. AID altolether
both sides are preserving q most judical-ike
silence. In answer however. to direct u iestions
the following facts In regard to alleged irregu-
lsrites and frauds In the different counties
hereafter mentioned were obtained from Demo-
crt'ic and Republican mem ers OF the COM
nlttee;
BALLOT box sTuFFfSG.
0nlv one precinct, No. II. In Leon county was
contested before the Sta.e Canyatstng hoard,
and the testimony taken by the House Com.
rittee sh VS. that a man named Bow ers. who
ats as the Correspondent OF the Ner York
ghn's 1t Tallahassee. Is Superintendent OF In
su4ction FOR the state. ana was formerly Clerk
a thc stnate, ADD always the intimate trend OF
C S'earns. was sent the ui,ht nef,re the cleo
TIN ten or twelve miles from Tallahassee to
hold tue election In Precinct NO. 10. He took
w'h Inn negro 20 act as clerk.
The polls were TO be opened. an night and
nuered them IN the morning before s o'clock.
tbs was done to keep out Democratic inspec-
DEL the time fixed by law Tor opening the
polls. and found them already IN operation. ms
place having been filled Dy Bowers. Bowers
and MS ceniencrates returned "a he vote of the
Precinct. ls1 for the republican and for the
Dtmlcratic ucket. Tue names 81 ali the candi-
dates for Presilenial electors, State Officers,
members Of CONGRESS. &, were voted
uron on, ticket, watch was nearly a foot long.
The Republican tickets were distincusned 10y a
fae printed In coiors at the top. nnd he Demo.
critic tickets IS the pictures of Iilden and
Henducks. The committee on opening The bal
1T uOx found In the bottom OF II seyenty-twO
tickets about an inch long. All the poll lists are
required to be numbered corIespondn, with
the number Of the precinct. The poll Hat for
Precinct No. ID was not numbered. SO THAT tae
committee had some d fculty in finding IL. as
TIE .aw In this respect was not observed by the
Itpuulican election officers IN many OF tue pre-
riuc;s IN Leon county; but the committee
found witnesses who testified that tuey had
voted early In the morning. and Ivy this means
they vere euaolei 70 INA the poll list for Pre-
cluci no. l3. When they got 1t they discovered
hat sheet hal been taken out OF the mi die
written seveniy-two names. ihey then cot the
registration list for the county. aud found that
u . the seyenty-two bames were, reSis,ercc
IL Gr-feut precincts. U tris the Republican,
answered that citizens could vote Ia any dis
iet ia the county. aud therefore they might
have voted az Precncf No. 10; but the commit
iee found from the pol iis.s of other pre- incts
10 these men. VINO were recorded ~ voting at
Precinct 50. b. had voted elsewhere. lney
al Ta4ll Ntl.nf a % -
q them. ard toes all testiied tnat they had not
VJied az Precinct No. Ii.
PERJURY AND FORGERY.
In A'achua county the return from Archer
pr inc was dipu'ed. lni- POOLING place Is
s1ou' lltecn mics from Gainesville. the county
teN ot Awchu. negro, who Il "A brignt,
smart fellow, was sent out from Gainesviie to
s'l "a, clerk IL the Election ~ rd Tor the Archer
precinct lie testified. however. that he did not
g. thefe Tor mat put"ose, but tnat having ousi-
ness there lie was persuaded to remain and act
as clerk Of the Board. His perjury Was shown.
however. by tue Clerk OF the County Court
VINO testified that he mad come TO him on the
uui De ore tho election, aud had taken the
oe'h as an elec'Jn clerk Tor Archer pre-
thi'' he CLERK produced tue oath be
nau snvsef,bed to, ana the negro ad-
liVted that tie signature was genuine.
he LOOK WIN him another smart negro, and
ine-e Two put ~ an ignorant negro to act as tue
Drmoe' tue INSPECTOR A wnite Republican
named Green X. Moore WIS the Republican in-
tpeclur, lacy made Out Tue returns. giving the
hepunlcau .ieket ~. votes aud the Democratic
W. correct. They were asked II the tctal Of
tae votes for PresidentAl electors $50 was the
-hest number received. 4ney answered that
tu'u was Tue total numOer of all the votes re-
telFed AT hat precinct. be returns he weye, for
CONGRESSMAN showed for BIS ee. the RepuDl-
cAu indid ite' so votes, ana Tor Finley. Demo-
eIaI fl votes making a tOtal of b4O votes. Inc
.esIo sen gu, from gainesville To ACT as clerk
.estnea thht the Returns weie made out and
signed On the nignt Of election, that the Demo
.'aNc gro VINO acted az ono Of the INSPECTORS
luofLed them To sign for hini, and Green H.
eloJIe the wulte Republican Inspector, signed
We returns sent to the County judge,
huu authorized them to sigu for him the duult-
talv returns. Green X. Moore testified that he
ulu not s,gn either VI the returns, anu that
sheu Tie vote was counted On Tie Night Of
pubic electoral ticker, anu 1856 for tue Demo.
sIali ilchet, The Democratic negro inspector
.vs'ihrd 10 the sane. Inere were Two polling
va - ~ the mouse that IL, two precincts voted
tut same house. The rooms communicated.
Use OF ~ Inspectors in the al Joining room les-
aneu mat he heard the ANNOUNCE
nelt ot the vote for Archer precinct
maze on the night OF election, ana II was loO for
I've hei uhiIcaus and 1875 for the Democrats.
gentleman who had lived all MS life In the
,,uuhV' and VINO knew every man III Archer
pieeihct, stood 1t the window OF the polls all
dal' and as the men came up 10 vote wrote
,It"h lNelr names on poll book. lie Produced
.nnls Ugok before the committee. He was shown
no p"l llst IA made out by the negro clerk, al q
-, ~ polhteu out 2lJ names that had been al cd
~, lie std that he DID not know any
que OF these %ls men who were reDresented as
ppsuets' who were bona lde citizens anu voters
pclDhgng 10 that IreCinCt. The com IN o IA N