The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-01-23

crclsed against the Democratic party; he said the
lNwlcesncss in his parish was due solely TO poll
ticians, us respectable pcoll, were not In favor
| Of it.. n
McGili, residents Of Tensas Parish, testified that
| they believed tho negroes were intimidated 70
such an extent prevent the election of the In
dependent ticket; they also believed that frauds
| were committed by stufing the ballot-boxes. Wit
ncsses were candidates on the independent ticket.
IN. Mitchell, of Tensas Parish, tes-
tilted, on the 9Th, concerning armed bands from
other parishes and from Mississippi; he heard a
great many things, but knows the reports were ex-
aggerated; he said, In fact ii you inquire rigidly
into many stories you will find not word Of truth
| in them: armed bands did some things which wit.
and Douglass with an attack; witness heard the
leader of the military, Capt Cain, say, q" The white
man shall rules" there was hostility between the
Fleming Branch (coloredD testified that he wac
at Fairfax's house Oct. II. when Pccks party
came; was In the room with Fairfax when Peck
rushed in and fired twice at Fairfax, who rushed
| out of the back door; another negro named Scna-
| tor, standing there, was shot down; Peck kncit
upon him and fired five shots into him; MIR. Gold
| man shot witness through the right arm: Peck
was shot and killed by some ono in his own party;
| Fairfax did not fire shot; witness and n number
/ OF cOOrCU people look refuge III the DUenes Dc-
cause they were frightened; Fairfax was an up
| right man and Republican, and witness sup
| posed he was attacked on account of his politics
| Daniel Kennedy was swOrn and his testimony
| correspondent with that OF Branch he said that on
the Tuesday following the attack on Fairfax. the
killing of negroes began; witness was , acquainted
| with many of the persons who were killed. and
named five; it was rumored that eighty were
killed; witness had never heard that anybody was
called to account for tho shooting at FairfaxIs
Viola Wallace and Rebecca Ross (both colorcd)
gave testimony similar to that OF Branch and Ken
| ncdy
Gcd Ralston "a planter testified that he ran
| for the Legislature on an Independent ticket in
| Tcnsas: the candidates on tho Independent ticket
| were all Democrats; witness stated that the out
| RACES in the parish had bad effect upon the la
borcrs, and many Of them had left the parish; he
had but little personal knowledge Of outragcs.
E. {. Ruth (colorcd), of Tcnsas, stated that he
was Justice of the Peace. Two hundred colored
men in his ward were forced to join the Demo
cratic Club, and then received certificates en-
titling them to protection.
X. Walker (colored), of Tensas, stated that
from fear of personal trouble he published a card
| In parish paper advising the negroes to support
| the regular Democratic ticket.
On the 9th, William D. Robinson, of
Tensas, testified that he was Democrat, but was
candidate on the Independent ticket ut the last
election; saw outragcs committed; saw body
of fifteen armed men at the polls on election day,
under Hardbaro, Deputy Sheriff; thinks intimida.
ton frightened the negroes 80 much they stayed
away from the polls, and that If the negroes had
j. K. Loscey. Of Tcnsas stated that he vase was one
of the posse of Sheriff Register summoned to dis
pene the negroes, whom, it was rumored, were
ing Waterproof; Register had about forty
the negroes had masscd, and that firing
advanced guard Of two men; order was then given
to advance and fire; the firing was down in the
direction of where the negroes were supposed to
h1rr n,SnAst In nYrpn
and when one vOllcy was fired they dispersed; two
or three negroes were wounded; don't think any
Frank watson (colored) testified that he lived
eight miles from Waterproof, and was told by a
Democratic friend that the place was getting too
hot for him. that he had better clear out; nc ran
to take care of itself. That day there
were fifty or sixty armed men from Ouachita
around a's'pl negro S' boys neck because he
would not answer question they asked him; wit
ness hid for nine days in the woods, and then
went to Plaqucmine; did not think 1t would DC
safe fpr him to return.
Other colorcd witnesses testified to general in.
tfmdation of negroes in Caddo Parish, and that
three negroes were killed in riot on election day
after the voting was over
Ben Williams and William Harper,
of Caddo, testified, on the 10th, corroboraing tho
testimony of previous witnesses as to violence and
intimidation in the parish, and placing the polls at
| places without nOtlCc, tnuS pre-
venting cOlorcd men from voting.
\. II. Leonard, District Attorney, testified that
| prior to the election he was told by prominent
Democrats that they meant to carry the election
| that when asked how they would do it. in view of
the fact that the negro voters were greatly in the
majority, they replied that the negroes would vote
the Democratic ticket; later fixed dctcrmi
nation on the part of the Democrats to
carry the election became evident, and intim
idation was rcsortcd to; witness then ave an
account Of the meeting at Spring Ridge, where Il
/ mi nj Olsen had hppn ~
said ttc Republican speakers were interrupted and
insultcd by the Democrats with profanc and
to leave the meeting, their lives in danger
had they resented the insults hcapcd upon them
witness was aftcrward told that they thc Rcpubli
cans) were to be killed il they held another meet
ing; he then detailed various acts Of violence
| threat and fraud.
II. c. Rogers, L. Tcmplcman, G. A. Simplcmar
| and j. Shepherd, Of CaddO, were sworn and thci
testimony was. in substance, denial of the state
mcnts Of previous witnesses Of intimidation by
Democratic; they asserted that where there wcr,
any troubles, the negroes were the agsrcssors.
Judge l.. v. Reeves, of Tensas,
Chairman ofthe Democratic Committee, testified, on
the 1th. regarding the fusion organization in that
. parish. which included such Republicans as judge
Cordcll and Sheriff Register; witness said: After
this we declined to appoint committee to confer
| with Fairfax" witness convinced that the
difference that subsequently arose did not spring
| from political causes: a rtimor spread that the
color line was to be drawn: people felt alarmc
and witness opinion was that Capt Peck went to
Fairfax to cxpostulatc and induce him 10
blacks against the whites; Peck was "s shot hot
down. and In the fight that cnsucd several negroes
were wounded and one afterward died; this was
the starting point of the troubles. and the qucs-
| ton became no longer political. but contest be-
tween the whites and blacks; the negroes at once
massed in large numbers, and it became necessary
to restore peace; for this purpose Judge COrdcll
and Sheriff Register assembled posse to put
down the disturbance; warrants were issued for
the arrest of Fairfax, but could not be served,
owing to the negroes who fockcd around him
everything was peaccablc and quiet on election
day.
George Norwood, of Caddo, who was shot in the
face in the Caledonia affair." testified that the first
shot was fired by the negroes at him; he did not
fire shot that day; he is Republican, and al.
ways worked for the negroes, and thought it hard
that they should be the first to shoot him; it was
reported that the negroes had arms stocked in
Rcems' house. and he started there with Mcneil,
Deputy Sheriff, to take possession OF the arms.
fearing threatened disturbance by negroes, and,
as they approached the house, they were fired
William A. Leay, of Caddo, a lawyer and editor
of the Standard, testified that he considers Dis
trict-AttOrney Leonard responsible for the troubles
ing them Nhe Democrats Of doing what he himself
advocated in past years; the election fair and
peaceful, and the negroes voted without molcsa-
! ton.
J. C. Moncurc, of Caddo, Speaker of the House
Of Representatives, testified that the election in
Shreveport was fair and pcaccable. The negroes
WIZ HCSiy lCOuiTu, ecClu5
no chance Of carrying the election for the Repnb.
| licans, ordered the negroes to 60 home.
Randall Mcdowell and Claiborne Kcnnarl
coorcd), of Point Cpupec, testified that they left
their homes on account Of political prosecutions;
tho buldOZcrs Of that parish had committed great
ourages whipping and killing negroes.
4 G. r. M. Newman (colored), Clerk
of the District Court of ST. Marys Parish testified
on the 18th, concerning the destruction of bal
lot-bOxcs, and efforts made by the Democrats to
get possession of the duplicate returns in his pos
session, an attack made on his house at night,
| etc.
W. b. McNcall, of Caddo, Deputy Sheriff. tcsti-
fled concerning the Caledonian affair. corroborat.
ing Mr.. NOrwood's testimony; when they started
to Rcams house and were fired upon they were
unarmcd; witness found dozen stand of arms at
Rcams house; the published statement was to
the effect that twenty negroes in all were killed,
but witness could not say just where each negro
was killed; witness served in the Federal army
during the war;
David Wise, Of Tcnsas, testified that the election
was peaceablc and quiet; lives within ono fourth
| Of mile Of Fairfax, but knew nothing until the