The Portland daily press., 1879-01-02
The Teller Investigation.

If the afidavits published in the New
York Tribune of Tuesday are true the Teller
Committee will not lack for evidence of
abominable outrages on colored men at the re-
cent election in Louisiana. These afidavits
come largely from United States officers who
have made careful examination of the facts
and evidently thoroughly believe what they
write. On the 14th OF November Deputy
Marshal Banning reported to the United
States Marshal of Louisiana, after personal
investigation OF the alleged intimidation in
West Feliciana, that the negroes in that
parish were in dread of the white people, that
the black man has no voice, and is entirely
controlled by his employer. How this state
of things has been brought about accounts OF
specific outrages contained in the report fully
explain. Here is one case. A negro poll
tician named Coates was waited on by two
bull-dozers, and told that if he did not stop
electioneering he would be attended to, and
advised him to announce in the papers that
he would have nothing more to do with poll
tics. But Coates was plucky negro and re-
fused to obey. The result was that the bull
dozers visited his house and not finding him
at home proceeded to wreak their vengeance
on his wife whom they hit on the head with
their pistols, and then fogged. On the fol-
lowing day Coates was informed that if he
would drop politics he and his family would
not again be interfered with. Being afraid
to refuse he agreed, thus abandoning his per-
sona' liberty to save his neck. At one poll
on election day lot of armed men collected
and compelled the negroes to vote as they
told them, or not at all. The report contains
a list of the men who have been engaged in
whipping and hanging negro voters.
The condition of things in Ouachita parish
was no better than in West Feliciana. One
of the leaders of the gang that organized
Democratic victory in this parish was ex-Gcy.
McEnery's brother. The outrages practced
were of peculiar atr0city. We give speci-
men taken from the report of Deputy U. S.
Marshal Sherman. In October, Daniel IIill
was shot by McEnerys gang. He called upon
a physician who removed sixteen buckshot
from his body and told him and others that
hO WOotu hfCs A'uu hOohiuS ouOlI Va Aio
death would satisfy these fends, so they
went to his house at night and killed him
while he was lying wounded in bed, and then
took his partner in business and killed him
Such is the completeness OF the organization
of the bulldozers in some parts of the parish,
that any one suspected of being Republican
cannot send telegram or letter without the
contents thereof being known by others than
those to whom the message is directed. A
clerk in the post Office at Monroe exercises a
general inspection over the contents of sus-
pected private communications.
Numerous as the outrages reported are
they form but a small part of the number
actually committed. The negroes dare not
tell what they know lest they be subjected to
new eutrages. Many have been called on
personally by the white ruffians and informed
that if they testify to the truth their dwell
ings will be destroyed or themselves killed or
both. The mere fact OF their being seen in con-
versation with an officer of the government
is oftentimes sufficient to bring down upon
their heads the vengeance of the White
League. The decision of the Teller commit
tee to hold secret sessions was evidently a
wise one