The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-01-13
She 9ailg Arsns,
ROCK ISLAND, ......... .1LLrEoIs
THE TELLER COMMITTEE.
The Evidence not Such as Blaine Ex-
pected.

-
NEW ORLEANS. Jan. IL. The Teller
committee met to-day. Judge L. V.
| Reeves, of Texas, chairman of the demo
cratic committee, testified regarding the
foreign organization in that parish, which
included such republicans as Judge Cor
dett and Sheriff Register. He said:
| Alter this We declined to appoint COM
mittee to confer with Fairfax. The differ
ences that subsequently arose | am con
WINGED did not arise from political causes;
Capt. Peck visited Fairtaxs house for no
political purpose; IumOr spread that the
color line was to be drawn; the people felt
alarmed aud my opinion is that Peck went
to Fairfax to expostulate and induce him
to withdraw from bis purpose of arraying
the blacks against the whites; Peck was
shot down and 10 the fight that ensued,
several negroes were wounded and one
afterwards died; this was the starting
point OF troubles and the question became
no longer political but a contest between
the races; the negroes at once massed in
large numbers and it became necessary to
restore peace: for this purpose Judge
Cordett and Sheriff Register assembled a
posse to put down the disturbance: war
rants were issued tor the arrest of FAIR
| fax, but they could not be served owing
to the negroes who hocked around him
everything was peaceable and quiet cleo
ton day.
/ George Harwood. of Caddo, the next
witness, appeared with his head bandageO
and spoke with difficulty, having been shot
in the face in the Caledonia affair. He
testified that the first shot was fired BY
the negroes at him; he did not fire shot
that day; is republican and alway'
worked for the negroes and thought i
hard that they should be first to shoot
! him; it was reported that the negroes hac
arms stacked in Reem's house, aud b.
: started there with Mcneil, the deputy
sheriff, to take possession of the arms, aDC
fearing the threatened disturbance by The
negroes, ard as they approached the HOUSE
they were fred upon.
!. VIM. A. Leay. of Caddo, a lawyer anC
. editor of the Standard testified He con
p sidered District Attorney Leonard respoD
r sible for the trouble in the late elections
d he is now accusing US of doing what b.
advocated in past years; he stated IN hi
II interview with President Hayes that Their
= were no whites on the streets Of Shreve
;, port on election day; the reason was tina
the negroes surrounded the polls and th
whites stayed away to give them a tai
'' showing; the election was fair and peace
full aud. the negroes voted without moles
;, tation.
D j, G. Moncure. of Caddo, speaker of tn
lie house of represe natives, testified that tn
election in Shreveport was fair and peace
: eble; the negroes voted freely until Dis
trict Attorney Leonard, seeing no chanC
of carving the election for the republl
cans. ordered the negroes to 60 home
e. witness thought some OF Leonard
speeches inceDdiary and calculated to el
he cite bad bloodj. between the blacks an
whites.
Randall Mcdowell and Claiborne keI
nedy, colored, of Point COupee, testlfe
p that they left their homes on account
n the political prosecutions; the bulIdoze
Sc of that parish had committed great GU
On RACES. whipping and killing negroes.