The daily gazette. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1874-1883, 1879-05-29

SOLDIERS AND.U. 5. NARsAALs AT,
THE PoLLs.-At m exantnatiSp blythe
Senate Comuiittee, held ii Washington
yesterday, TT. Nackey, Who is Circuit
Judge in South Carolina, testified that
until 1876 he was a Republican, but
then abandoned it the Republican party.
He was present at Chester, in 1875,
when elections were progressing for
State officers, Presidential electors and
Congressman, and was called on to in
terpose his official authority to check in
reference by the. military and. deputy
marshals with voters at the polls. Sew
eral of the deputy marshals had declar-
ed their purpose to carry the elections
for the Republicans. They exhibited
printed circular purpoting to have been
signed by Attorney-General Taft, adj
dressed to United States marshals, to
disregard the process of the State
courts. At 2 o'clock in the day the
Chief Deputy Marshal at the head OF
band of colored men, assaulted voters a
Carmel, tearing from their hands the
Hayes and Hampton tickets, aud several
voters who refused to surrender their
tickets were knocked down. -'4t'Gf {.
Subsequently he saw the military
nineteen men of the 18th Infantry
marched into the Court House yard,
forming into 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 military he issued war
rant for the arrests of Lieutenant Hin
ton, who commanded the detachment.
The Sheriff made verbal report that
Lieutenant Hinton stated he had been
summoned by the Chief Deputy Marshal
to bring his troops to the polls; that
there were no breaches of the peace ex-
cept such as were committed by the
deputy marshal who had taken ballots
from voters and, further, that Lieuten-
ant Hinton had declared he was inform
| ed that violence was imminent at the
polls and that there had already been
breach of the peace, and asked to be saw
ed from the disgrace of arrest, pronis-
ing he would remove the troops to the
rear of the Court House. Witness-this
having been done-instructed the Sheriff
to take no further action. Several Of
the Deputy Marshals were engaged in
distributing Republican tickets and
charged the colored persons having
| Democratic tickets in their hands, and
in line with the whites, with betraying
their race. Ali the Deputy Narshals,
with one exception, were colored their
instructions We're signed by the United
States Marshal, the words at the head
Of their commission being, ''Stand by
your party" ..
The witness saw in three or four in
stances Democratic ballots destroyed by
these officers. The conduct of the
Marshals did not fall under his obserya-
Democrat who had been threatened.
In conclusion the witness wished TO
say that jury of the State courts com
posed wholly of Republicans would con
vict the most prominent Republican
who should wrong Democrat, and a
Democrat jury would convict the most
prominent Democrat who should wrong
Republican. q.
The conduct Of the Marshals in Phila-
delphia, New y DIRK and Baltimore, and
other cities, where they feel sure ofbeing
protected by the L. $. Courts, have
been equally as Objectionable as in Sontl
= Carolina and other. Southern States
The mOduS opermtU of their interference
Is different only-the elect is the sam
II and intended to be the same.