Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-28
The Wallace Committee Inyestfpa
tiOne

l. D. MACkEf . TESTIMONY.
The Wallace committee met to-day at half
past ten O'Clock and examined T. j. Mackey,
who is a circuit judge In South Carolina. he
testified that until 1876 he was in aff1liation
with the republican party, when he left ii. He
was present at Chester in 1876 when elections
were progressing for state officers, presidential
electors and members of Congress, and was
check interference by the military and deputy
marshalS with voters at the polls. Several OF
the deputy marshals had declared their purpose
TO CARRY THE ELECTIONS FOR THE REPUBLI-
They exhibited printed circular purporttng
to have been signed by Attorney General Taft,
address to U. s. marshals, to disregard the pro
cess of state courts. At o'clock In the day the
chief deputy marshal, at the head of band Of
colored men, assaulted voters at Carmel, tear
ing from their hands the Hayes and Hampton
tickets. and several voters who refused to sur
render their tickets were knocked down. Sub
sequently he saw the military-nineteen men
OF the 18th infantry-march into the court
house yard, forming in two lines The voters
required to pass to the Polls under
that voters were interfered with by the mill
iary, he issued warrant for the arrest of
Lieut.. Hinton, who commanded the detachment.
The sheriff made verbal report that Lieut.
Hinton stated he had been summoned by the
chief deputy marshal
TO BRING HIS TROOPS TO THE POLLS;
that there was no breaches of the peace except
shals who had taken ballots from voters: and,
further, that Lieutenant Hinton had declared
he was Informed that violence was imminent at
the polls, and that there had already been a
breach of the peace, and 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, In
Several OF the deputy marshals were engaged
In distributing tickets, and charged the cOlored
persons having democratic tickets In their
nands, and IN line with the whites, with be-
traying their race. All the deputy marshals,
with one exception, were colored men. Their
Instructions were signed by the United States
marshal, the words at the head of their cor1-
witness saw, In three or four instances, demo-
cratic ballots destroyed by these officers. The
cpnauc5 the ne marshals mars did not fall under his
democrat who was threatened.
CRoss-ExAM1NAT1oN.
CroSs-examlned by Mr.. Teller:-The Hayes
and Hampton ticket embraced the democratic
homlnees hoIl & TOT Office, and the Hayes and Cham
dates. 1t was declared by Representative
Sayler and other members of the sub commit.
tee OF the House OF Representatives on the Sd
OF January that Hayes had carried the state by
from 1000 to 1900 votes, and such was the be-
lief OF the witness. Hampton was elected by
eleven hundred majority. He supported the
cratic nominees, and side by side with Hampton
ne canyassed the state for Hayes; but he voted
for Tilden, endorsing on hts ballot as a
reason 1Of doing so that bayOnetS were brought
TO the polls to secure the election of Hayes.
NUMBER OF persons wore red shirts, including
colored democrats; several hundred of them
Both parties carried pistols. 1t was the custom
OF the country; but a law had since been passed
making the carrying of concealed weapons q
felony. Referring to the taking OF tickets from
democratic colored voters the witness said that
white men lnterfered, saying such THINGS
would not be permitted. The sheriff, who was
democrat, commanded the peace and said
that remedy for interfering with voters would
pc found in the law. The troops did not inter-
1ere as body with the voters, but one of the
soldiers cursed citizen and threatened to
bayonet him. The only reason given by the
cltZen was that he was on his way to the
poils. The troops were at the polling place
iOr an hour. He, In 1878, saw voter shot down
ia charleston, and thought that the shooting
10 mat case was justif1able. Three men were
knOcKed down by deputy marshals They
were arrested On the charge of tntimidatinr
voters and for assault and battery, One o
Inem was convicted, the jury containing seven
or eight colored republicans. The Judge had
ruled that the commissions of the deputy mar
Shals Old not protect them from committing
breach OF the law.
IN CONCLUSION
OF his testimony the witness wished to say that
a July OF the state courts composed wholly O
republicans would convict the most prominenT
1epuDHcan VINO should wrong a democrat, and
democratic jury would convict the most prom
1nent democrat who should wrong republican.
U: s. Marshal Payne, southern district OF New
lork, and John E. Kennedy will be examined
to-mOrfOW morning. to which time at half past
IL the committee adjourned