Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-01-24
THE TELLER COMMITTEE.
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. Ia.

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. H.
The Democratic members OF the committee
complained that owing to indictments against
certain witnesses the taking OF testimony for
their side would have to be postponed. Erwin
Craighead of the New Orleans Times and
Mines T. Gordy, Sheriff Of the st. Marys
Parish, testified regarding the attack on
Newman and the destruction of election re-
turns. Testimony circumstantial goes to
prove that the object of the destruction of
the returns was to render the exercise OF
the appointing power by the Governor neces-
sary. Gaspre de CUR, Of Pointe Coupe, a
member OF the Legislature, testified that he
heard several negroes were whipped and beaten
by whites; understood because the negroes
organized revolutionary bands endangering
Decenig, of Caddo Parish, Deputy Marshal,
saw two dead negroes at Caledonia the day af.
ter election; understood that the negroes
were killed on election day. Witness noticed
at the Greenwood poll some names not count
ed; the reasons given were that the names
were in the wrong box.
New ORLEANS. Jan. Is
Clement l.. Walker, Attorney OF New Or
leans, testified concerning the election in the
city; believed that the returns promulgated
were not indicative of the true results the
votes polled for the Conservatives being
counted for the Democrats; he charged gener-
ally that there were Irregularities In the cleo
tien, and said he had sworn statements of par
ties who witnessed the frauds. Aside from
the falsity of the made.up returns, illegal
votes were cast, and great deal of repeating
was done. &. w. johnson, j. A. johnson,
David Young, Charles Lincoln, NJ. ID. Ran.
dolph (all colored), Of Concordia, testified
to general charges of intimidation and
fraud In the late election. G. L.
Walton, of Concordia, member of the Legis-
lature, denied in effect the charges made by
previous witnesses. +. Kennel (coloredD, Of
the same place, said there were seven men
killed, all colored. Witness held an inquest
over six; tive were hung, one shot; some were
killed in November, others in October; one
was shot while in the field picking cotton;
some men, mounted, called him to the fence
and shot him; those that were hung were
hung at night; didn't know parties
who did the hanging; some outlaws
were whlte, some black; George Washing
ton (colored), of Concordia, is Coroner of the
parish; saw body of about sixty-five or sew
enty armed men prowling through the parish; /;
captured six or seven men and took some
horses; a few hours afterward heard that a
man was hung in the graveyard; went there
and found 1t was a man named H. Smith.
New ORLEANS, Jan. l6.
A. j. Bryant (colored), Senator from Ten
sas Parish, testified that no Republican ticket
Whites, who said they would consider such
action declaration of war. The night before
the election party Of whites came to his
house, took him out in his night clothes, car
ried him a quarter Of a mile and threatened
him, saying he had sold out to the Bland par
ties; denied this, aud they let him go after
promising to go to the polls next day and vote
the regular Democratic ticket; the party had
a rope with them and said If they were salts
fed he had sold out to the Bland party they
would put him through William A. Bell, a
prominent merchant of New Orleans, testified
concerning the citizens movement in the late
election, corroborating the testimony of G. L.
Walker.
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. II.
Abram T. Lumas (colored) of Tensas Par
ish testified that during the late election he
met a body of armed white men who chased
him; that night the same men took Charley
Bethel, a colored man, out of his house, shot
him and cut his throat; witness did rot know
parties; was frightened away. j. Ross Stew
art, prominent colored politician of Tensas
Parish, and member of the Legislature, tes-
titled that threats of violence prevented the
Republicans from nominating a ticket; at
the Democratic convention Colonel Reeves
made speech saying " he would make no
threats, but the white men were determined
to carry their ticket, and all opposition would
be quietly removed; the ticket was to be car
ried if they had to go through fire." he made
a motion as one firing gun; the next day a
committee of three visited witnesses house
and told Bryant Neely and himself that any
opposition on their part would be looked upon
as a declaration of war. In regard to the es-
tablishment OF the color line by the negroes
witness explained that he got friends to sup
port him for the office of Sheriff; they signed
a paper to that effect, but instead of put
ting his name on the paper they sim
ply wrote: "a colored man." this was
the only fact upon which was based the report
that he had persuaded the negroes to promise
TO vote for none but colored men; 1t was on
this report that the whites announced that
Stewart and Fairfax had drawn the color line
on the contrary they nominated ticket COM
posed of white and colored people; afterwards
it got so hot that they had to take the negro
names off of the ticket and nominate a full
white ticket; two days prior to the election
overheard Judge Cordell say that white men
had only to 60 around with shot guns on their
shoulders and all the ordinary negroes would
be sufficiently frightened; such men as Stew
art, however, would have to be killed; wit
nesses wife heard that on the night before
the election he was to be hung; he at once
left the house and fed over the levee; heard
his dog barking, and looking over the levet
saw the Sheriff and twenty-five men at his
door. Witness gave the names of fifteen ne
groes alleged to have been murdered.
New ORLEANS, Jan. ls.
W. B. Merchant, District Attorney of St.
Mary's, testified concerning the attack Oh
Newman's house, but nothing new was devel-
oped. 1t was ordered that United States
Commissioner Lane take the testimony OF
witnesses not examined for Natchitoches
Tensas and Calahoula Parishes; that Morris
Marks represent the majority and b. F. Jonai
the minority. The testimony so taken will b(
transmitted to Teller and treated as II taker
by the committee. The members left the city
this evening.