The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-08-07

Deputy Marshal Beattie in forcing his
way through the people who were
crowded together there so that the yot-
ers could not gain admittance to the
house to vote. found, / should say,
from thirty to fifty mounted men, all
armed with revolvers in their. hands,
and some with clubs, drawn up in
front Of the entrance as closely as they
could be, apparently to prevent the col
ored people from getting in to vote.
! BY direction of the Marshal, took my
men up to open the way SO that they
could go in to vote. [ went inside the
! building through a window, used as an
texit for the voters, and then ont at the
| door, and opened the way from the
! door through these horsemen, SO as to
give the people q chance to come
through. I had four men with me,
and as we marched out ordered the
horsemen to give back, and they
crowded their horses back so as to give
way for the men to come out I then
posted sentinels to keep the way open
AT the time | went down
| to the house there were some men,
who had voted coming out. The way
it was managed was to take ten in at q
time and swear them, and then they
would vote and come out to make room
for more. They opened the door to ad-
NIT some more, and the negroes in
front tried to get up to the door through
the white men, but they would not al
low the negroes to do SO; two or three
did, however, get through between
| their horses, in some way, and came
upon the platform. One Of them was
struck over the head by a club in the
hands of q democrat, and knocked off
from the platform. then spoke to the
marshal about the condition of affairs
There, and asked him if there was not
an officer OF the polls who could make
these people go back, SO that the ne
/ groes could come in and vote and
/ Mr. Sheppard, VINO, think. was super
visor of the polls, stepped out and told
these mounted men to get back away
from the door, SO that the people could
come up and vote. They paid no atten-
ton to what he said, and [ heard the
remarks made that they would not do
so; that the damned niggers should
not vote. Mr.. Sheppard came back and
said he could do nothing with them.
Then the deputy marshal asked me to
clear the way through them. AS re-
CARDS arms among the white men that
/ saw around there in the immediate
vicinity of the polls, they were armed
with revolvers without and that I no.
ticed; noticed no exception.
At the time the way was opened
some of their revolvers were in their
belts and some were in their hands,
apparently ready for use.
Lieutenant Hoyt remained at the
polls until noon. a
Mr.. Beattie explains why voting was
slow, page 357.
When they got inside they would
keep the men there for two hours. I
just pulled my watch ou+, and they
were interrogating a man for half
hour, and they would keep them there
for three-quarters of an hour, asking
them all kinds of questions. They
would ask, Look here, have you ever
stole a pig?" And the man said "No,'
and he would say 81 don't believe you
[ believe you are God damned thief.
And they would ask them all such
Questions as that; and when he would
go to vote he would say Z" Wait; don't
put it in there; wait until we are
through with YOU" That was the SUI
lpervisor; and the white men and dem
ocrats would come up and say, Don't
let that damned niger vote; | don't
think he is old enough. Open your
mouth and let me see your teeth" and
all such things as that, "Well he looks
as though he was old enough by his
teeth; they are all broke out. Ireckon
he IS old enough Let him vote. .
They would consume the time that
way.
General Butler Paabztcly Thanks The
Troops for their /" Courtesy and Impair
tiazity.'
Major Kellogg says: