The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-14
THE TELLER COMMITTEE.
MORE ABOUT TENsAs FARIsn-wHAT
FOLLOWED TIE FAIRFAX FIGHT.

FVhA5V w Ebs ~ n AhME - n A@Hhs
The Teller Committee reassenbled yester-
day morning at o'clock.
The first witness on the stand was
t$ q. n. M. NEWMAN,
colored formerly clerk Of the district court
Of st. Mary.
Testified that he was resident Of the town
Of Franklin; that on November 8 the sheriff 9
returns and the tally sheets Of the election
were destroyed; that on the ninth he was
visited by the district attorney pro tenn. Will
lis Wilson, who demanded the returns and
tally sheets, stating that he was authorized
by dispatch from the Governor to receive
them He declined TO surrender them, Or to tell
their whereabouts. The same night the court
house was entered, and papers and ballot
boxes which had been placed with the sheriff
were destroyed. On tho nineteenth Of No
vember his house was visited by three men,
who fired into tho bed In which he was lying
escaped unhurt, and, selling shotgun, killed
one 81 bis assallants who afterwards proved
10 be brother Of Wilson's and made his es-
cape He brought the original returns to this
city and turned them over to the Secretary Of
State The Republican party In the parish
was divided on Merchant and Hebert for Con
gress. Some Of the candidates on each ticket
were elected
W. n. M'NEIL
sworn Reside In Shreveport. Am mer-
chant. Was at Caledonia on the day Of cleo
tion. Was acting as deputy sheriff. Leav-
ing Shreveport On the fourth. ! was at
Caledonia at daylight on the morning
Of the fifth. delivered the box which
was In charge Of 10 the commission
ars OF election. ! remained In and around
the poll all day. DIR. Morse one ut the com
missioners, called my attention TO the ne
groes said they were armed, and that 1t was
my duty to attend To them. ] started toward
Reams' cabin lnarmed Several persons fol-
lowed me. | did not anticipate any trouble.
thought that Ii could speak TO them /
eo,ild quiet them. | took no notice Of who
was following me. ! went In tho gate. and
as advanced ] saw armed regroes around
the house. heard the click Of their guns
and made quick side-step to the right, and
then volley was fired. and Mr.. Norwood
received the load which 1 would have got II
had not stepped aside Al, 81 advanced to the
menced firing from all directions. ! heard
shot In the rear, and, thinking that was sur
rounded, turned to see who was shooting,
and was then hit myself, receiving six balls.
as ADbU VS L tDulu Gfb AWAY A. Ehu w bIIf lDlt.
saw but one colored man shot After tho
difficulty the house was searched and lot
Of government muskets, shotguns and rifles
we're found. | was at the polls all day, and
saw nothing unfair on illegal. During the
TO Mr. Teller-The men who followed me
10 the cabin were tnarmed; ut least, II they
had any arms they we're concealed 1T was
my duty TO attend TO the crowd, as Ii was an
unlawful assembly. When was shot threw
pissed over the. ] saw no white men between
The church and Reamss house when the col
ored man was shot. The firing was pretty
rapid The church was between the poll and
Reams' house When got to the poll, after !
was shot, / found everything In confusion.
There we're ten or fifteen white men about 1t.
Never saw any guns about the poll until after
the ARRAY. Saw number Of squads Of armed
white men tho following day, who were said
10 have come In from adjoining parishes.
There were three boxes ut tho poll. | only
brought one. Don't know where the other
two came from. They were In the hands of
the commissioners. Don't know what became
of Madison Realns.
WILL. A. STRONG,
Secretary Of State, was next placed on the
stand. can prepare u certified return Of the
vote for members Of Congress and members
of the Legislature, and tho total registration
of the State
Witness was requested to furnish 1t, and
to do It, retired.
DAVID WISE,
sworn-I reside In Waterproof, Tensas parish.
Was there during the last campaign; took no
part In It, Was ut Waterproof on the day Of
election a, + was the most hpsaceaeie and in
tlmidation or threats. Prior to the election
there was considerable excitement in the par
lab about the yellow fever and quarantine
was established. The people acquiesced IN u.
house except by report. Do not know any of
the white men engaged In 1t. Did not hear
the cause Of the visit Hoard no threats
against Grimm, the postmaster. FL. left in
my buggy, which loaned him. He told me
he was afraid to stay In the parish.
The Tuesday following the affair at Fair
faxs house my gin was burned by two col
Gred men. / do not know why they burned
IL. had had no difficulty with them. | was
afraid to go to the gin, which was about four
OF being shot, as the road was lined with ne.
groes. On the day before my gin was burned
some 900 or 800 armed negroes passed through
the town. On the following day there came
another large squad into the town, and |
that they were going to burn the town and
kill of the white people. DO not know that
Fairfax made any speeches In the campaign.
He was the leader Of the cOlOred Republic
cans, and 1t was reported that he was array
Of the negroes In the armed body which came
into Waterproof were from neighboriDg par
ishes. / keep q general country store selling
ammunition among other things. Previous
to the Fairfax affair there was an unusual
demand among the colored people for powder
and shot, but the quantities bought at one
time were not larger than usual.
A rigid cross-examinatiOn failed to elicit
ans thing new or to change the testimony.
II. MOSS
sworn Reside In Waterproof, Tenaas parish.
Am a merchant and planter. The negroes
just after the Fairfax affair made many
threats. saying that they were going to burn
the town. and things OF that kind. Some Of
them even went 50 far as to say that Gen.
Grant had saved the lives of the white peo-
pie; that IL he had not come they would have
killed and outraged the white people. We
made preparations to defend ourselves. The
negroes III large numbers passed through the
town on Sunday, going In tho direction Of
Fairfax's house, In the neighborhood Of
which they we're gathering. More
nasaed through ON Monday aunnnsa