The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-01-16

THE TELLER COMMITTEE.
New ORLEANS. Jan.

THE TELLER COMMITTEE.
New ORLEANS Jan.
The Teller Committee met at 10 a. m. in
Surveyor Wells private Office of the custom
house. all the members present. Senator
Bailey thought that, as near as possible, some
definite plan of proceedings should be adopt
I-on the other aide. The chairman declared
that he wouid allow Al necessary time Tor the
production of such evidence, but no detailed
plan would be published.
J. Ernest Breda, of Natchitoches parish, was
the first witness called. He testified that he
served during the war In the Second Louisiana
Regiment; had always resided in the parish; I;
has been Republican since 1871; was driven
away from his home Sept. % Gave particulars
OF ward meeting which he addressed on
Sept 81, and how he was afterward compelled
to leave home; had not been back since.
Stated that there was no lawlessness among
the negroes; declared that they dare not
strike back and were murdered like sheep.
Gave much more evidence to the same effect.
DIR. A. 2. Brcda was sworn. He corroborated
the testimony Of the previous witness. v. A.
Barron testified that he resided in Natchito-
ches; was q native of Mississippi; served
throughout the war in the Confederate army I;
was Sheriff of Natchitoches up to 1876; was
compelled to leave on account of the part he
took in the ward meeting mentioned by
Breda. John G. Lewis (colored) testified that
after the adjournment of the meeting, Sept
81, his house was broken into by a party of
men armed with rifles and revolvers, but
he managed to escape and made his way to
New Orleans. Ruford Blount (colored) stated
that on the afternoon of Sept. 81, his house
was surrounded by body of 250 men; he was
arrested, placed in Jail and kept there until
midnight, when he was allowed to leave town
on condition that he would advise the negroes
to leave politics alone and would never return
to the parish; was man of property and
thought he was driven away ON account of
his influence with the colored people.
j. d. Mc(iill, Lucien Blount and
J. M. McGill, residents of Tensas parish, tes-
titled that before the election there were two
tickets in the field, a regular Democratic and
an Independent Democratic. The negroes
agreed to support the latter. Witnesses be-
lieved that the negroes were intimidated to
such an extent as to prevent the election of
the Independent ticket. They also believed
that there were frauds committed by stufing
the ballot-box. Witnesses were candidates
on the Independent ticket.
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 8.
j. N. McGill, of Tensas Parish, was recalled
and testified concerning armed bands from
other parishes, and from Mississippi. Said
he heard great many things, but the reports
were greatly exaggerated; in fact, inquiries
into many stories proved them entirely false;
armed bands did some things which he could
not approve; heard the leader of the militia,
Captain Cain, say: " The white man shall rule.
There is hostility between the negro and
white man; l won't try to disguise this fact;
show me a negro who votes Che Democratic
ticket and l will show you hypocrite or a
fool" Fleming Branch (colored) of the same
parish, said he was at Fairfax's house when
Captain Peck's party came; was in the room
with Fairfax when Peck rushed In and fired
twice at Fairfax, who ran out of the back
door; another negro standing near was shot
down; Peck knelt upon him and fired five
shots into him; man named Goldman shot
witness through the right arm; Peck was
shot and killed by some one In his own party;
Fairfax did not fire a shot; this was the fret
trouble that occurred in the parish last year.
Daniel Kennedy, who was one of the parties
wounded at Fairfax's house, testified, and his
story corresponded with that of Branch's.
He was shot while looking out of the window
trying to recognize the assailants; witness
got out of the house and ran home through
the cornfield, and, after having his wound
dressed, took to the woods; on the Tuesday
following the attack on Fairfax, the killing
Of negroes began; some eighty negroes were
killed altogether; ran away and went to New
Orleans, and has been there ever since. Viola
Wallace's (colored) evidence was corroborative
OF the previous witnesses, and testified that
she came away because she heard that the
white people said that all the colored people
at Fairfax's that night would have to leave.
New ORLEANS. Jan. 9.
VIM. D. Rollins, Of Tensas Parish, testified
that he is a Democrat, and was a candidate on
the independent ticket last election; saw no
outrages committed; saw a body of fifteen
armed men at the polls on election day, under
the Deputy Sheriff; thought intimidation
frightened the negroes SO much they stayed
away from the polls, and that If the negroes
had voted they would have had a majority of
1000; demanded count of the votes at PollN
l, but it was refused, and a band of armed
men took the box to st. Joseph. j. r. Losey,
Of the same parish, testified that he was one
Of the posse Of Sheriff Register, summoned to
disperse the negroes whom it was rumored
were massing at Boss Place for the purpose
Of attacking Waterproof; Register had about
forty armed men; on the way heard that the
negroes had massed, and that firing had
commenced between them and their
advanced guard of two men; an
ing was done in the direction of where the
negroes were supposed to be massed; the ne
groes were in their quarters, and when one
negroes were wounded. Frank Watson testi-
fed that he lived eight miles from Water
proof, and was told by Democratic friend
that the place was getting too hot
for him, and that he had better clear out (;
ran away, leaving his partly-gathered crop to
take care Of itself; that day fifty or sixty men
from Ouachita were in Waterproof; saw them
put a rope around a negro's neck to make him
answer questions; hid nine days in the woods
and then went to Plaquemnes; didn't intend
to 90 back because he thought 1t would not
be safe for him to do so. Other colored wit
nesses testified that on the day Of the election
there was a riot in Caledonia, Caddo Parish !;
and three negroes were killed.
New ORLEANS. Jan. 10.
BENJAMIN Williams and William Harper, Of
Caddo Parish, testified corroborating the tes-
timony of other witnesses as to violence and
intimidation in the parish, and placing the
polls at out of the way places without due
notice; knew but two colored Democrats in
the parish. A. H. Leonard, District Attor-
ney testified tina: he was confined to
dnrinO
the last campaign, prior to the election, was
told by prominent Democrats that they meant
to carry the election; asked them how they
would do it in view of the fact that the negro
voters were greatly in the majority; the reply
was that the negroes would vote the Demo-
cratic ticket; later a fixed determination on
the part OF the Democrats to carry the cleo
tion became evident this determination finally
Republican convention put a ticket into the
field which was really unobjectionable,
even to Democrats; 1t was conceded,
however, that this ticket would only
attempted to speak at meeting at Spring
Ridge, where joint discussion was agreed
npon, but the Republican speakers were in
terrupted and insulted and finally withdrew
altogether. Witness then detailed various
acts of violence, threats and frauds, and the
organization of cavalry companies throughout
the parish for the avowed purpose Of carrying
elections smso0 H anS kogfrs hrenpss%GsnSs
were called by the Democratic members of the
committee, and in substance denied the
statements of the previous witnesses as to in
timidation by the Democrats. They asserted
that where there was any trouble the negroes
were the aggressors.
New ORLEANS, Jan. II.
Judge L. V. Reeves, of Tensas Parish, Chair
man Of the Democratic Committee, testified
regarding the fusion organization in that
parish, which included such Republicans as
Judge Cordell and Sheriff Register; after this
his party declined to appoint a committee to
confer with Fairfax; the differences that sub