Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-05-09
copies of this affidavit arc in oxistcnco-ono
in New York aud ono in this city.

L
The most important admission is mudo
by Dennis, tho little giant of Alachua,
who hos confessed in writton statement to
the fraud of Archer number two, whcro
2l0 votes were added bodily to the Alachua
vote. Dennis says that he secured election
returns signed n blank before the election
That night he had Vance and Black at his
house, and they destroyed the real returns
aud filled out those that wcro signed in
blaak, adding 2l0 names. Tho whole
details of tho work are given in tho confess
sious. hayo not seen this paper. The
mysterious agent, am informed, failed to
get it, and it is denied that it is in existence,
l have tho most positive information that
there is a copy scaled and in the hands of a
prominent Democratic Official, awaiting
certain contingency hayo seen two mon
! who havo seen this confession. am told
that Denpis disclosed it to Gen. Butler (who
is his iriend in Wushiugton), and that ho
possibly has q copy of it.
am also reliably informed that Dennis
road it to Senator Sergeant, and demanded
good position at tho hands of Hayes.
! Threatening to publish it if lo vas not
satisfied, hc received, n fow days ago, o
commission as revenue agent in Ohio. In
the meantime, there wero seven indictments
against Dennis in tho State courts, which
his friends claim were political prosecutions.
Against thcso cases nolie proscqni was
entered on tho 10th instant, by State At
torpey Hooker. About this timo full
confession of Dennis as to Alachua wc6t
into the hands of prominont Democrat,
and is there yet. It is said that Vance,
tho negro member, who sworc stoutly in
| tho Alachua case, has also confessed and
made statement l cannot vouch for this
| however. Vance is now in department
in Washington. Dennis lawyer claims
that he did not want tho caso suspended,
und that tho State did so bccuuse it could
do nothing with them. 90
A few days after tho election a sealed
message was sent to Dennis, asking him to
"add more names TO tho list, as thero isn't
enough" IIo said, impatieptly, "ryc
added all havo to it already, aud [ can't
add another name." I have this from
the most undoubted source, and it is part
of Dennis confession. Green Il. Morire,
who swore in this Alachua case to the fraud
and then denied it, and then resworo it,
was killed the other day. Floyd Duke, a
negro, who sworo oil tho time that it was q
fraud, still sticks to it; SO do Black and
Bolton. The Alachua fraud, therefore,
plain and proven fraud--wheD fret brought
before the board, now stands confessed or
avowed by every one of those who partci.
pntcd in it,
The Baker County case is shown up
quito as completely. 1t will be remembered
that this county, reliably Democratic, and
near to tho capital, was lcld back until the
very last. The official return gave tho
Democrats nincty.Gvo majority. by
strange coincidence, the State was Just
evenly balanced on the prima facic returns
without this county, so that as it stood Til
don would havo had tho State by ninety five
majority, or just his majority in Baker
County. 1t was, of course, important that
Hayes should have the prime fac;c victory
80 that there would be no appearance Of
changing the verdict of the people. Ac-
cordingly new justice of the poaco was
appointed and new return made by drop
ping out two precincts, so that it gavo
Hayes an apparent majority of forty-threo.
The Democratic managers wcro astounded
at this disclosure, made only on tho day of
tho count. A dramatic scenc occurred
whom tho false return was read. McIin
wasdorccd to produce tho original return,
UuG tuO tuISC lCCulu WuB uuuCIeu W. uHU IL
was adopted in tho final count.
Tho whole story is now madc plain
through the confession Of tho participants;
at least two of tho three have mado written
aflidayits, and, think, the third one also.
Tho law in Florida required that tho
returns Of The various precincts in county
should bo canvasscd and certified by tho
clerk of the court, justice Of tho peace,
and either tho county judge or sheriff as
third party. In Baker County local
politician, go the confession runs, agreed to
hold tho returns back until it was decided
what was needed to carry tho State, and
thcn to 30 canvass the returns as to meet
tho emergency. 1t appears ho had perfect
control of tho judge and sheriff, so that
when tho clork and justioo, who had super
intended tho election, applied to oaoh of
them to assist in tho canvass, and certify to
its correctness, they declined. The canvass
wos thon made and forwarded by the clerk
and justice When it was discovered what
was needed, new justice was appointed
just for tho occasion, and a false canvas was
made and forwarded.
The new justice now writes confession
and says that hc was approached by a'poli.
tician, who asked him If he didn't want to
bo a justice. lilo agreeing, tho man pulled
out his commission ready made and handed
it to him. IIo then told him that unloss
the returns from Baker were properly doc.
torcd tho Democrats would boat thom.
After somc persuasion Green wont into the
schcmo. Tho threo mon oaucusod aud
wcro notified that difference of about ono
hundred and fifty votes was needed They
theroupon looked tho returns over and Sc.