The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-01-30


Gratis, and the United States Supervisors at the
different polls were not allowed to have
clerk, there being no provision of law for such
person. 1t was also testified that the Demo
cratic Supervisors had no clerks, and that the
clerks of Republican Supervisors were ex-
Guided from the polling places by order of
the Democratic committee. The Republican
witnesses, of whom three or four were exam
med, testified that there were numerous tissue
ballots found in the boxes at various precincts
in Charleston county, in some instances these
tissue ballots exceeding the number of actual
voters. The Democratic witnesses admitted
the printing Of tissue ballots by the Democratic
committee, and said the object in issuing them
was to enable the colored people to vote Sc
cretly for the Democratic candidates without
risk of molestation
Five witnesses were examined by the
Teller Committee, at Charleston, on Jan. 90
three of them colored Republicans, and two
white Democrats. It is scarcely necessary to
state that their statements did not agree. The
colored witnesses maintained that bulldozing,
intimidation, fraud and general deviltry char
acterized the late election in that city; the
whites, on the other hand, maintaining that the
election was fair and peaceable, and that every
colored man was allowed to vote for whom he
pleased.
The Teller Committee examined four
witnesses at Charleston, on the 23d of January
three colored men and one white man, all
Republicans. They all testified to acts Of bull
doing and intimidation, and also to the finding
of tissue ballots in some of the boxes
About dozen witnesses testified be-
fore the Teller Committee, Jan. o. Butler
Spears, Of Sumter county, colored Republican,
testified he was pursued and fired at by the
Democrats, and w. H. Singleton testified to
finding packages of tissue tickets in the ballot
box at Swimming Pen Precinct. G. H. Morse
and Marion Morse, white Democrats of Sum-
ter, testified to general good feeling
toward colored people in the county, and
S. J. Hanna, coIored Supervisor, testified to
being assaulted and driven from the polls at
Kings Tree, in Williamsburg county Fender
gass, colored Deputy United States Marshal at
the same place, was assaulted by a party of
Democrats, who then, without being sworn,
voted the tissue tickets by handfuls Other
Supervisors testified to being refused admis
sion to other polling places in the county.
H. E. Blair and J. H. Johnson Republican
Supervisors at Camden, Kershaw county,
testified that the polls we're crowded by whites
SO that the colored people could not vote, and
to finding large numbers of tissue tickets in
the ballot boxes. J. NJ Cantey and W. M.
Shannon, Democratic Supervisors at the same
place, and W. D. Grantham, County Chairman,
testified that after 9 in the morning he crowd
ing was over, and that everybody who chose to
do so could vote, and that many colored people
abstained. from voting at the instigation of their
leaders.
Several Republican witnesses testified
before the Teller Committee, on Jan IS, to the
fact Of tissue tickets being found in boxes in
various precincts in Richland county. White
and colored Democrats from Sumter county
testified there were from 800 to 1900 colored
Democrats in the county, and hundreds of
them were seen to vote the Democratic ticket
Two testified to beng cursed. jeered at
and threatened by colored Republicans, one
being obliged to leave his church. w. J.
Whipper (colored), Republican, described the
turbulent conduct of the Democrats, and the
demand for o division of time in Hampton
county. Three Republicans from Colleton
county testified to intimidation, and the Use of
tissue ballots in that county. This testimony
was fatty contradicted by tho Democratic
b.
ness and peacefulness of the Democratic can
vass.
The Teller Committee was occupied
mainly, on the 9th, in hearing Democratic
testimony as to the conduct of the canvass and
election in Williamsburg and Sumter counties.
The witnesses all testified to the peacefulness
and fairness of the election, and to the bad
character of Swails, the Republican leader, and
his efforts to stir up strife between the whites
and blacks. J. B. Chandler (white) tes-
titled that armed negroes surrounded
Cedar Swamp precinct, saying the bal
lots should not be counted The
ballot box was sent off on a by-path, while ne
groes lay in wait for it on the usual road 1t
was the intention Of the negroes to murder tie
managers and seize the box. Paul Ludwig tes-
tilted to the peacefulness of the election in
Richland county. number of colored Demo-
Gratis were placed On the stand, and told how
they had been bulldozed and inundated by
ii cir Republican colored brethren. John Lee,
colored Democrat had been told by Republicans
that he ought to be hung and his wife be
burned Many colored Democrats had been
threatened, and their red shirts torn off
Others had been pulled from their horses, and
their wives advised to leave them. Saw large
numbers of colored Republicans vote the D M
ocratic ticket. Coleman Beattie colored Dom
ocrat, was told that every colored emocrat
ought to be hung or burned Andrew Johnson,
colored Democrat, had been threatened, abused
and beaten by colored Republicans on account
of his poltics, and his children beaten and
driven from school James Miners, colored,
had been cursed and soorned, and his children
bissed at, because he was q Democrat He had
been shot in the face, and his head was broken.