The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-12-21

1OOd or water. In adQltlOn 60 tnOH0
thus confined the court rooms of
the circuit court were crowded with
other prisoners waiting the slow
process of having their cases dis
posed of by three Commissioners
Davenport, Deuel. and shields.
There were several other Crlnmis-
sioners in the building, or where
their services could have been OBJ
tanned, but these cases were only
brought before these three, one
being the instigator Of the whole
proceeding aud tho other two clerks
employed by him in his office as
clerk of the United States Circuit
Court, and therefore subservient to
his will. In addition, il was physi-
cally impossible for these threo
mon to hear the vust number Of
cages brought before them during
election day.
pAvENPoRr's PRoOEsa
The process pursued in the ma
jority of the cases was uniform and
evidently agreed upon beforehand.
The men were called up one by one
and asked q number of questions,
particularly if they had voted. If
they had and if their naturalization
was regular according to their state
ments they were informed that if
they VOWED an examinatinn they
would be released upon their own
recognizances to await the action Of
the grand jury, and were according
ly discharged. If it appeared not to
he regular they we're held to bail.
II they had not voted they wero
toll that tloy would be required TO
give bail varying from $1,000 to
$4,000, unless they would pledge
themselves not to vote, being also
told that thoy would be arrested q
second time ii they broke ti,oir
promises, It having been previously
announced by Commissioner D ven, !,
port that ho would exercise, what he
termoa has legal rigGt, OF taking
twenty-four hours to eI,emino into
the suiiiciency Of any bail which
might be offered, and would commit
the party arrested in the moantime
This was equivalent to Informing
those meA thoy would ba locked up
for at least day if they refused to
give the required pledge, and,
with more or less demur, it was
given by all. Nor was tue threat
of punishment for It's violation IN
idle one.
Patrick Wheelan, who voted after
arrest Was re-arrested, and although
he offered bail justified to largely in
excess of the requirement, WAS kept
in Jail two days.
All through tho dny the cxanina>
ton dragged along as slowly as
possible, ten men being brought in
undor arrest where one man Was re-.
leased, until after the closing of the
polls, when tho remainder we're re-
leased in u mass. ..a. ....N.
CONSEQUENT HARDsHIps.
With scarcely an exception the
persons arrested had gone to the
polls with the idea Of only being
there for a few moments, and their
arrest caused great hardships. Some
had sick and -even dying relatives
who needed them, or were sick
themselves others would lose their
situations by their absencs several
were cabmen who had left their teams
standing in the sire ,ts AM dill not
know what had become of them =;
many were lightly clothed and suf~
fered from the exposure. In short,
ever possible injury that could be
imagined, from the sudden arrest
of this great number of unsuspect..
ing citizens in great city, was suf.
fered by these men.
., AGAINST DEMOCRATS ONLY.
It is unnecessary to say that, this
intimidation was directed against
Democrats. A few Republicans
were arrested, but it was by mis-
take. and they were generally re-"
leased by tho marshals. For exam :
pie, Thoma Keyworthy and John
Sparrow were both naturalized in
the Superior Court on the same
day and in the sumo manner, and
both registered. The former who
is we'll known as a Democrat, was
arrested and kept a prisoner for
several hours. The latter, who is
equally we'll known as a Republican,
was not interfered with. A number
were told that that would not be
arrested if they would vote for some