The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-01-16

parish at the late election Fleming Branch
(colored) testified to the. attack on Fairfax.
Republican candidate for Congress, OF
the shooting down of the adherents
of Fairfax, and Of the latter's precipitate flight
to save his life: witness himself was wounded
in the melee, and he and number of other
colored people took refuge in the bushes On
the Tuesday following the attack on Fairfax
the slaughter on negroes began, and some
eighty, the witness stated. we're killed
altogether. Daniel Kennedy, Viola Wallace
and Rebecca Ross all colored testified
substantially to the same occurrences related
the Peace, testified that 200 coloTed men in his
ward were forced to join the Democratic
club, and then received certificates en-
titling them to protection. Witness tes
titled to other acts of lawlessness.
J. n Mitchell, the only white man examined
during the day, testified concerning armed
bands from other parishes and from Missis
sippi He heard great many things, but
knows the reports we're exaggerated. He said:
In fact, if you inquire rigidly into MANY sto
ries you will find not word of truth in them.
Armed bands did some things which could
not approve There is hostility between the
negro and white man. I won't try to disguise
the fact. Show me negro who votes the Dem
ocratic ticket, and I will show you hypocrite
or q fool"
Before the Teller Committee, on the
9th inst, W. D. Rollins, of Tensas parish, testi-
fed that he was a candidate on the Independent
ticket at the late election; saw no outrages
committed but thinks intimidation frightened
the negroes so much that they stayed away from
the polls, and that if the negroes had voted they
would have had majority of 1000. j. R. Losey
! testified in regard to the dispensing of the ne
groes massed for the purpose Of attacking
Waterproof ; was one of the Sheriff's posse );
said "the negroes were in their quarters,
and, when we fired one volley, they dis
persed. Two or three negroes were
wounded; don't think any were killed +"
Frank Watson (colo1ed) was the next wit
ness. He lived eight miles from Waterproof,
and was told by Democratic friend that the
place was getting too hot for him; that he had
better clear out He ran away, leaving his
partly-gathered crop to take care of itself
Other colored witnesses testified that on the day
of election there was riot in Caledonia, Caddo
parish The riot commenced after the Young
was over, and three negroes were killed. Wit
nesses testified to the general intimidation OF
negroes in Caddo
Ben. Williams and William Harper.
! of Caddo parish, testified on the 10th, corrobr
Grating the testimony Of other witnesses as to
violence and intimidation in the parish, and
placing the polls. at ott-of- the-way places
without due notice, thus preventing
the colored men from voting. A. II.
Leonard, District Attorney, testified to
general acts Of intimidation Prior to the cleo
! ton was told by prominent Democrats thatthey
meant to carry the election. Asked them how
! they would do it, in view of the fact that the
negro voters were greatly in the majority. The
reply was that the negroes would vote the DEM
ocratic ticket. Later, a fixed determination ON
the part of the Democrats to carry the eectlon
became evident. This determination finally
was intensified into acts of intimidation Wit
ness then detailed various acts of Violence
| IlTchtS dIu 1IGuN, ouCI DIS JlGClIlS D0LOV-OOAoo
at inaccessible places, the organization of cav
/ airy companies throughout the parish for the
avowedpurpose of carrying the election, notper-
hitting the Republican Supervisor to discharge
his duties, and refusal to allow negroes to vote
who had registered, on the ground that their
names were not on the books. II. G. Rogers,
L Templeman, G. A. Simpleman, and ]. Shep-
herd, of Caddo, were called by Democratic
members of the committee, and in substance
denied the statements of previous witnesses OF
intimidation by the Democracy. They asserted
that where were the greatest troubles the ne
groes were the aggressors.
I The Teller Committee, On the 18th
inst, examined Judge L. V. Reeves, Of Tensas
parish Chairman of the Democratic Commit
tee, who testified that the troubles in that par
! ish did not arise from political causes. He said
that rlmors spread abroad that the color line
was. to be drawn, that the whites became
| alarmed, that Capt Peck, who went to Fairfax's
house to persuade him to withhold from his
| purpose of arraying the blacks against the
whites was shot down, and that in the fight
that ensued several negroes were wounded.
This was the starting point of the troubles, and
the question became no longer political, but a
contest between the whites and blacks. The
negroes at once massed in large numbers, and
it became necessary to restore peace. Every
thing was peaceable and quiet on election day
Geo. Norwood, of Caddo, the next witness, ap
peared with his head bandaged, and spoke with
difficulty, having been shot in the face in the
Caledonia affair He testified that the first
shot was fired by negroes at him. He Gid not
fire a shot that day. He is a Republican, and
always worked for the negroes, and thought it
hard they should be the first to shoot him.
William A. Lacy, lawyer and editor, and J. c.
Moncure, Speaker of the Louisiana House of
Representatives, both residents of Caddo parish,
testified that the election in that parish was
fair and peaceable; they stated that District At
torney Leonard was responsible for thetroubles
in that region. The negroes voted freely until
Leonard, seeing no chance of carrying the cleo
ton for the Republicans, ordered the negroes