New-York tribune., 1878-11-09
ELECTION RIOTS IN CAROLINA.
THE COLORED MEN AT BRONSON DRAGOONED ALI
pAY-oPEN FRAUDS AT THE POLLS.

THE COLORED MEN AT BRONSON DRAGOONED ALL
pAY-opEN FRAUDS AT THE POLLS.
rBY IELEGRAPH TO THE RIBUNE.I
WASHINGTON Now S.-GOvernor Hampton tele-
graphed Oh Tuesday night: Returns from sixteen
counties show that the election was perfectly quiet
and orderly. Large Democratic gains everywhere
Colored voters went with heavily The sub
ioned extracts from letter received to-day furnish
striking illustration of the state of affairs which
Governor Hampton denOminates "qaiet and order
w. The writer Is n cOlorod man well known to
several Republicans now In Washington, and is said
to be both honest and intelligent. He says;
BRONSON S. c., Nov. 8, 1878.
DEAR SIR: Tho election at this place tOqay was The
most riutuus thai | ever saw. As wrote you
last night TINS place was thronged with wearing
red SHIRTS ami they rode ana over the town. aud
to a few plantations in the vicinity. Thry hrcd on my
house several tmcs somo uf the balls piercing through
the walls ana entering the house. They also shot
OF the houses OF c9Iored people ~ Tue country
When the poll opened tn morning 1t was opened
amid round after round OF Yels Of The CROWD OF white
Republican party I heard to-day tnat Nj. John Rob
appointed Supervisor for the Republican party
Tho wni.e men kept the place crowded for several
yards around wtH horses and could not see What was
gOirg on IN the house wneTc the OOX was Ater u ho
or 80 OF tho horses were cleared away, but the
house WAS stlll packed with men who were using nl
sorts OF boisteious iLhSna-o ana acting as
as they could. We had to press our way 10
vote While pressing through this crowd at least dozen
coorcd struck nt by wnite men, but most OF
tic blows struck with the open hand now and tnen
hal: Gozrn votes a crowd OF white Into the
house and commenced striking the colored men
OF the white men lvi' z IN and around Bronson
very promptly quelled what II seemed was gong TO De
row. and told the cOlOrod men 10 come Uack and vote
We were about making minds not to try to vote
=, ali but those who told rs 10 come back and vote
seemed very earnest in their allow us to
vote aud noy worked hard all day to Keep the peace,
but could not control the crowd TINS dsordefly crowd
were ary AL strangers 10 me- and to all the colored
From tns Things comparatively quiet for while,
ami about twothrds tie COUred voted tne ba-
lance being challenged 10y DemOcrts. Some Of the men
were challenged on the ground That they asa mol lVe
In the county, one OF wnOm, lOr instance u Israel
DAVIS has been living and pay ing taxes IN Beaufort
County for toe last ak or seven years Ihis ne sWoreo
ami proved it by several colOred men Dnt coIored
evidence rcJccta IN every case by the manases.
ana We could no. nid any Wllte ulh VINO Will @ sS
tna he knew where Davis lived. therefore he was no.
allowed 10 vote good many were rejected on account
OF axe. They would swear that they acre, ond some
white man who, ~ some cases. never saw the cOlOIeu
man before, would sw ar that no WAS not old enough,
and the white mans word being sufficient without eVl.
dcuce would in every case deprive the colored man OF
Bu the worst had not come yet. small crowd OF col
aryd men WAS coming frOm sthe neghbOrneOd of BIOx-
tons u, u cn en- on sorseS wnS with sticks in nand
ran IntO the crowd, haing right ana lett and lew Oi
made me think agalu that the time for peace
was up. This was also stopped by thOse
of the batlecd showed January Robinson 10 be badly
gashed in tue head with stick, aud few others TO
have received eli tcr brulSrs Their heads and arms.
THIS was FIRST time the colOred men showed any dis
position help their brethren, but they held under
Alter this peace regned for two IOr three hours but
oniy to give way to the crOwning act OF the not TIE
woes OF Cato and James Rivers havus been challenged
OF having been trlUd fO larceny, but they
having proved tnat they had hot been convicted their
brother Th0u.as grumbed at the Managers and soine
white say had ls kne out and would not put IN
his pocket They jumped or Thomas with sncas.
lie tined 10 run but they covered him. James
and Cato run TO him and caught anu tired TO
pull him ont. They turned on them and nearly every
otner colorcd they couid hnd. with sticSs aud
psOs svcra shots were hrcd, one ball striking james
Rivers in tne back ana passed through his body. and
nhicng 1t is th0ught, fatal wound Several cOiored
men GOT painfully wounded in the row. Dawson Null
drow got his ear nearly on. aud painful cash on
the otner side OF his uead. Thls was not done by
the strangers above referred TO- but by men who are
we'll known here. james Rivers got away. aud rau some
distance from be crowd before was hit some wnitr
man threw bottle the crowd and struck another
white ian on the head aud cut him bad On one 0cca.
sion was standing among crowd OF coiOred men. and
those strangers In charging toward us on horses
and u few OF into store the Others ran uUon
the platform VI the depot and the hOrsemen followed
them on the platform running them around the depot