New-York tribune., 1878-11-21


which characterized the late election in the
South. The story of how the County of Hampton
in South Carolina was dragooned is related,
and mention Is made of the dangers which
surround witnesses in Louisiana. The Presi-
dent is said to have secured emf
nent lawyers to assist in prosecuting
the violators Of the law in Louisiana. Gov
| ernor Nichols, of Louisiana. is about to inves-
tgate the election disturbances in his State.
THE ELECTION IN HAMPTON COUNTY.
An EXTRAORDINARY NARRATIVE OF EvENTs-How
STRONG REPUBLICAN, REGION WAS MADE TO
60 $500 DEMOCRATIC.
lBr TELEGRArH THE TRBUNEI
WASHINGTON, Nov 2O.-A narrative of events in
Hampton County ). c., has been written by an eye
witness to and participant in many of the scenes re-
corded, and is given herewith. The name of the
writer is withheld; but both the narrative and its
writer are vouchcd for with emphasis by Congress
man SnallS, VINO has just arrived from South Car
olina.
This county, the baby county.as our Democratic
! friends call it. has been dragponed by the red
riders of Hampton for months in preparation for
the farce OF a free election on the 9TH; andextTaor
uinary exertious made to carry 1t for The De
mocracy. Even Hampton himself spent a week in
| our midst in settling a feud IN the ranks of his
party and the county has been frequently raided
| upon by the rcd-snirtcd white liners of Barnwcll
| County, and even Georgia has furnished her quota
| of armed pcrsuaders. II is therefore no surprise
! that a county that in 1876 gave a Republican ma
! jorty of 800 should now be carried by the Hcmoc
racy by 1900 majority.
This Is the first election in this county, it having
been created a county by a division of the County
of Beaufort for purely political reasons. As part
| ID
and early IN the present campaign the leaders Of
that party IN Beaufort was warned not to interfere
with, or canvass. OF assist the Republicans of
! Hampton County at their peril; and me only two
meetings that prominent Republicans from Beau
| fort attended showed that the threats
! Of the leaders of the Democracy of
/ Hampton were not idle words. At LawtOn-
| vile, at one of these meetings two proml-
nent Republicans from Beaufort attempted to
address the meeting. but only one succeeded in
doing so; and a scene of blOOdshed was only pre-
! vented by the other gentleman making retreat,
| and all this while Governor Hampton was but
! eight miles away on a hunt. The other instance
was the attempt at Gillisonville of Congressman
! Smalls TO canvass the county in his interest. The
place was thronged by armed men, oflcercd by
aides on the Governors staff; and officer,
Colonel Kirkland. of Barnwell, with his men
had been riding three days under orders.
SO he said, to be present at the TAX
| ing of of Smalls When trouble seemed Inevitable
Mr.. Smalls retired to the house of u. L. Morrison.
| aud with few cOlOrcd men was penned up in the
| house during the entire day, while the red shirts
| kept up continuous fire on the building from the
sixteen shooters, State arms, with which they were
armed. The house was ridded with bullets, but as
I darkness closed over about thousand negroes who
had heard of the affair came to the rescue and in
| l,b. Mr aHa Way inf Haanf ft
| County and took the cars for home.
"It was impossible for the Republicans to make
| canvass of this county. aud during the entire
| night preceding the election the roads were pa
| trolled by the armed Democracy, who visited the
quarters of the colored voters, fired into their
| houses and by every means conceivable sought to
terrfy them into remaining away from the polls
"On the day of the election arrangements had
been made among the Republicans for massing their
strength at certain polls so that their numbers
| might be Il means Of protection. Matthews Bluh
was one of the places decided upon, and some four
hundred colored men arrived there soon after
| daybreak. In the election of 1876 this poll gave
l7s Republican 10 43 Democratic votes. They
found no managers there. but about 10 o'clock III
! the morning tho managers put in an appearance
| but finding q larger number OF Republican voters
present than they had anticipated, they refused to
| open the poll, and prominent white Democrat OF
the vicinity broke up the ballot-box and now
makes a boast OF the exploit The colored men,
many of them, decided TO go to the next poll Beech
| Branch "A distance Of ten miles They went In
squads. The first to arrive were party OF six, who
! were Immediately surrounded by the red shirts,
who drew revOlvers upon them aud compelled them
at their muzzles TO vote tho Democratic ticket.
This deferred the others from making the attempt
| 10 vote at this poll.
AT Black Creek over 300 Republicans voted; but
on closing the polls to count the votes they refused
to admit any one but few rcdshirs to see the bal
lots counted. and the only gives the Repnb-
hcans 100 votes. At Nixvle awhile man named
| Upchurch, who was running for Sheriff. was COM
PEELED to hide in the house of his brother-n-aw to
escape the violence OF the redshrts who threatened
his life for allowing the negroes to put him on their
| ticket.
at Lawtonvie the poll was held in room over
a store. with narrow pair OF stairs leading up TO
| it outside the building. These steps were occupied
| all day by armed red-shirtcd Democrats, who scru-
tinized every vote that passed them and turned
back large numbers of cOlOred men who had kepuD-
| hcan ballots in their hands. Many OF these
went to Staiiords Roads and tried
| TO vote, but were refused because tiieS hau
come from LawtOnvilIe and favorlte device Oh
! the Democratic managers 1T lawtohNHlc was 10
refuse to receive the ballots Of colOrcd men unless
they would bring cetliiratc from he managers at
| Stafford Cross Roads, whch Is eight miles away,
! that they had not voted there that day. AT
| Stafiords some cOiored men desired to see the
| ballots counted but they were surr0nnded ana
fired into and one of them had his ear cut OIL ana
votes counted without a single Republican
witness. 600
AT the last election, in 1876, only, 5000 votes
| were cast in tins county all told, and the
| heavy vote tins year and the refusal to
| allow Republicans to witness the count conhrm
the suspicion that tho boxes were stiiileu' ,
THE scene that took place at Brunson mas al
| ready been published.