The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-02-15
THE MISSISSIPPI OUTRAGES.

DUPLICATE KEYS TO BALLOT BOXES-HOW
DEMOCRATIC VOTES WERE TO BE MADE.
WASHINGTON, February 3.-The inves
tlgation into the conduct OF the late election
in Mississippi was continued before the Sem
ate Committee on Privileges and Elections
this morning j. r. Leicester, President Of
the Hines County (MississippD Board Of Reg
listers, who refused to testify before tho COM
mittee yesterday, was recalled, and testified
chat there was conference Of the leading
Democrats Of Hines county held at Raymond,
q short time before the election, at which it
was proposed to furnish one Of the Demo
cratic Judges Of Election at each polling
place in Hines county with duplicate key
to the ballot-b box at their respective polling
places. Witness furnished about fifteen OF
these duplicate keys to different men, all of
whom were white men, and who, he thinks,
were Democrats. No one called on him for
key; he does not remember the name OF
any man to whom he gave key; he remem-
bers that he slipped q small parcel into the
vest pocket OF one Of the judges. remarkins
as he did so, ''Here is something which may
be Of use to you." Witness does not remem-
Der who this man was; he thought, however,
that he was a man who he (wtness) could
trust. In giving the keys to the judges wit
ness did not tell them what use was to be
made Of them; he thought they were all
smart enough to find out how and for what to
,,as thauo Wituasl fiI NOT f,se. one Of tI.
keys, and does not know that any Of the
judges did. In answer to a question from
Senator Teller witness said,s'I suppose my
idea was that IL there were too many Repub-
lican votes in the ballot-box the key was to
open the box, that the Republican votes
might be taken out and Democratic votes be
substituted in their stead" Witness admit
ted that the Republican Judges of Election
In Hines county were generally ignorant ne
groes and that il was an easy matter to get
them intoxicated on election day. He adj
United further that duplicate keys to ballot
boxes were furnished to one Of the Demo
cratic Judges In every polling precinct in
Hines county.
At this point tie committee excused the
witness until Monday.
Henry Outlaw, Of Aberdeen, Munroe coun-
~, Mississippi, testified that all the political
meetings which the colered Republicans at
tempted to hold in this county during the
late campaign were broken up by armed
Democrats. Witness was at meeting in
Aberdeen during the month Of September
last, and at that meeting seventeen colored
nen were shot, some Of them killed outright
and others were so seriously wounded that
they have since died. Witness stated that
the Democrats had practice Of riding
through Munroe county at night, taking col
ored men from their beds and whipping
them, and that he and many of his race had
slept out Of doors for several nights previous
to the late election to prevent being dragged
from their homes and whipped. Witness
was wounded In the shoulder by bullet at s
political meeting in September last. Upon
taking the witness stand Mr.. Outlaw asked
to be excused from testifyipg, for he said he
should not dare return home II he told the
whole truth.