The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-18
THE TELLER COMMITTEE.



In accordance with the adjournment OF the
day previous, the Teller Committee reas-
expected witnesses from Natchitoches were
looked for all day, but failed to arrive. and
therefore, the work done did not amount to
much. The first witness called was
ABRAHAM THOMAS tCoLoRED).
Reside In Tensas. Never saw such times as
there we're In the parish during the last cam
paign. Was not allowed to vote. Was fired
on by a party of armed men while was In the
field picking cotton. Was at Charlie Bethels
house when band OF men came and shot him
down as he ran out. and afterwards cut his
throat Btaid In BethePs house and was not
discovered. Finally managed to get away from
the parish. and have not Teen back SINCE
| To Mr.. Garland-Saw the man who cut
Bethel's throat Did not know any OF the party,
but am certain they were white men.
J. ROSS STEWART tooLoRED).
| Iam resident of Tensas parish. Have been
member Of the police jury. member OF the
school board and Repre- entative OF the parish
for the last six years. First trouble during the
campaign was ON the nineteenth Of September;
was living at st. Joseph. and was called on to
act as one of the quarantine guards. Politics
we're discussed that night. and Mr.. Shaeffer
captain OF the guard told me that he had relia-
bic information that after the first speech Judge
Ludeling made he would be killed. On the
thirtieth Of September was told by some of my
Republican friends that Mr.. f. @. Saxy had said
that IL and Griffin did not stop our speaking
we would be run out of town or killed. met
Mr.. Saxy and asked him II he had said 1t. and
he said yes that Griffin had come from Baton
Rouge, where he had had two or three hundred
colored men killed. and that some morning
would try to wake up and wouldn't be able to
do IT, because l would be dead. / saw Judge
Reeves. chairman OF the Democratic Executive
Committee. and repeated the conversation to
him. and he said that they were merely
Mr.. Saxys sentiments. and the committee had
nothing to do with 1t. Judge Cordill said no
coored man could be- sheriff Of the parish.
Judge Reeves told Bryant one of the Republi-
can leaders. that II he put ticket In the field
ocratlc nominations were made, Judge Reeves
made speech, in which he said that the ticket
was good one. and that he made no threats. |
but the ticket was going to be carried IL the |
party had to go through fire. and he made |
motion, as If going TO shoot with gun. Was
notified by committee that IL a Republican |
ticket was put In the field 1t would hs consid- |
cred declaration Of war.
Was charged with circulating paper for sig |
natures in which the color line was drawn. The
paper read that the signers would support none
but a colored man for sheriff. Showed the paper
several to that 1t
quarantine. On the night Of the, twelfth. the the
more quarantine. was called into a store that
night by Mr.. Baxy. who said he wanted to speak
to me. i went in. and he called Mr.. Bob
and he took loaded cane in one
hand and q pistol In the. ohsr, and he
o snsR 70 briae the
here to break through the quarantine" Told
him he could not use violence with me, and Mr..
hasty. Was told Of the attack on Fairfax's
house after that. and advised to go to jail. De-
clined TO do 1t. Mr.. Nichols. 9 man l know
safe now; that Capt. Peck had come In to take
FaiTIfsx. Bryant. myself and others to Catahopa
we, would have been well taken care Of
well fed and not hurt. but that 1t was all ov1 +
now. Heard that at 10 O'Clock one night / was
house looked back and saw Mr. Arnau ID the the
man at whose house had been sleeping. with .
twenty;fye or thirty men at my house, Mr..
Arnauid demanded me, and my wife told him
had gone to his house to sleep. He said that
ne had just come from there ana he entered
and e bat eH P be- as 4
room she would blow his head off. He went {
,ut. and the party went off. This was on the
ended the convention with arms, but they laid :
hem down the dey after and went to work the :
yeTo Mr.. Garland-Mr. Arnauld acted as a
riend to me UP to the time that he tried to do I
he dirty work. had been concealed two nights g
n his house. Have testified before the grand G
ury about these matters. Had put my state
nent In writing before came before the COM {
nittee. was the first colored man that went U
0 the Nichols Legislature. I went because | | q
lid not believe that Mr.. Packard would be sus-
aimed and wanted to save what could out of q
ne wreck and the result OF my going was that :
he colored people got a larger representation I
IN the School Board and the police Jury than =
hey ever had before, and carpet Dagger was =
appointed tax collector.
WIN. G. BROWN (CoLoREDl.
In 1875 was State Superintendent of Public c
Paper shown Is one prepared for I
1879 In the Office of the State Registrar of Voters
howing the registered vote Of 1874 ETC.. for all '
he parishes. / have compared fr with the t
tate records. and 1t Is correct.
The committee took recess Until o'clock at f
Thich hour, 1t being reported that the witnesses
rom Nachitoches had not yet reached the city,
n adjournment until o'clock this morning
7as ordered. G