The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-06-04
FEDERAL FRAUDS.
Judge Mackey's Story of the South Oar
DINA 0utrages.
Voters Compelled to March to the Poll
Through Lines of Troops - Deputy
Marshals Appointed From PEN
itentiaries and County
Jai1s = Radical
Rascality.


Jails = Radical
Rascality.
Washington POST
The Wallace committee met yesterday to
resume the investigation of election frauds.
There were present Chairman Wallace and
Senators Garland, Mcdonald and Herman,
of the Democratic members and Messrs.
Cameron, of Wisconsin. Teller and and Plat,
of the Republicans.
SOME STARTLING EVIDENCE.
Judge 7. ]. Mackey, the only witness of
the day, being sworn, testified that he was a
resident of Chester, s. c., aud had been
circuit judge nearly eight years. He affil-
lated with the Republican party until 1876.
and, in fact, still held "that creed;" he was
q native of South Carolina. He was present
at Chester in 1876 when elections were pro-
crossing for State officers, presidential
electors, and members OF Congress, and was
called on to interpose his official authority
to check interference by the military and
deputy marshals with voters at the polls
Several of the deputy marshsls had declared
their purpose to carry the election for the
Republicans; adetachment of the Eighteenth
infantry had reached Chester the day before
the election, and at the same time so men
wearing the badges OF deputy marshals
appeared, and made headquarters at the
military encampment; the marshals were
colored men, but were IN charge of James
Canton, a white man of Columbia. He
heard some of them declare they meant to
carry the election for the Republicans; they
had printed instructions, signed by Attorney
General Taft. directing them to disregard the
processes of State courts. Judge Mackey
opened his court and issued an order direct
ing the arrest OF any deputy who attempted
to exercise the authority claimed, or who
committed breach of the peace.
Early on the day of election deputy mar
shall assaulted a colored man for voting the
Democratic ticket and knocked him down;
witness issued a warrant for 16 deputy mar
shals; they fled to the military encampment,
but the four guilty ones were arrested; at
O'Clock on the day of election the chief dep
uty marshal. at the head of band of colored
men, assaulted voters at Carmel, tearing
from their hands the Hayes and Hampton
tickets, and several voters who refused TO
surrender their tickets were knocked down;
subsequently witness saw the military-19
men of the Eighteenth intantry-march into
the. Court House yard forming in two lines.
The voters were required to pass to the polls
under fixed bayonets. On complaint made
to the witness that voters were interfered
with by the milltary. he issued a warrant for
the arrest of Lieutenant Hinton, who COM
manded the detachment The sheriff made
a verbal report that Lieutenant Hinton
stated he had been summoned by the chief
deputy marshal to bring his troops to the
polls, the chief marshal stating that
BREACH OF THE PEACE
was imminent When confronted with the
warrant Lieutenant Hinton informed the
sheriff that there were Sno breaches of the
peace except such as were committed by the
deputy msrshals who had taken ballots from
voters; and, further, that he was informed
that violence was imminent at the polls, and
that there had already been a breach of the
peace. The lieutenant asked to be saved
from the disgrace OF arrest, promising that
he would remove his troops to the rear OF
the Court House. The witness this having
been done, instructed the sheriff to take no
further action. Several of the deputy mar
shals were engaged in distributing tickets,
and charged the colored persons having
line with the whites, with betraying their
race.
Judge Mackey saw some of the instruc
tons to deputy marshals; they were signed
by United States Marshal Wallace, and at
the head of each paper the words stand by
your party" were printed.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
Witness was at the polls several times and
the conduct of the deputy marsh s was
outrageous; and they cursed and abused
colored Democrats, and threatened thea.
Q.-Do you know the character of these
deputy marshals?
Al do. They were men of the very
lowest character; many were ex-convicts.
Cassells, who was a lesder among them, was
an ex-convlct had been convicted of grand
larceny and sent to the penitenti was
convicted before a Republican judge and by
a Republican jury. Major Brown, another
marshal, had been convicted of rape. Alex.
George, another one, of larceny twice, and
so in this way witness mentioned a number
who had been in the penitentlary.
Odd Marshal Wallace know the char
acter of these men?
Ale did, thoroughly. He was person
ally acquainted with every one OF them
they were active agents of his. l saw deputy
marshals tear Democratic tickets from the
hands of voters and threaten them. The
election was entirely peaceable, except the
assaults committed by the marshals.
Judge Mackey said that he issued an order
from the bench pronouncing the commits
sions of the deputies illegal and invalid
that no such officers could be legal except in
cities of 20 900 inhabitants and over. In bis
order he directed the sheriff to arrest any
men who attempted to exercise authority by
virtue of the marshars commission; the
sheriff had 80 or 60 deputies and did arrest
such marshals as broke the peace, and even
pursued them to the military camp and took
them.
In 1873 the conduct OF the deputy mar
shaIs did not fall under the eye of witness
Witness had ruled that the commissions O
deputies were illegal, and the United State
marshal knew that if he sent any within
the witness jurisdiction they would be ar
rested Speaking of the appointment o
election deputies, the judge said: II regar(
it as q conspiracy under the forms of law.
RADICAL INTIMIDATION.
He knew that colored Democrats wer
intimidated in 1878; witness tried case in
Sum- ter county where two colored Repub
Iicans we're convicted for burning the barr
of a colored Democrat because he voted tn
Democratic ticket; on the day of election