Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-11-10
RULLDOZING.
How they do 10 la Mississippi.
A Graphic Description from Former
Knox County Boy.

A Graphic Description from Former
Knox County Boy.
LEXINGTON, Miss Nov. >, 1880.
Mr.. EDITOR, Yeste, lays election
in Holmes counsL. ik, most other
elections in the south, Wa q -enuiD ,
fraud. The democrs ts were bsl IN
re-electing Mr.. J. e, Ashcraft sh riff
at ali hazards. a: Eulogy precinct
the democrats fired cannon all day,
declaring that no greenbacker or re.
publican shonld vote unless at the cost
of his life. Twr prominent greenback-
ers from Lsxil gton went to Bowling
Green to see b 1t their ticket had fair
play. They were given tsn minutes
to leave the place in, but instead Of
leaving as ordered. they staid over two
hours, all of which time the democrats
kept the polls closed, and finally the
mob dragged the two greenbackers to
their buggies and made them leave. AT
Ls1lugton, the county seat, the elec-
liOn was miserable farce. The law
requires the polls to be open from 8
until O'Clock, constantly, but the
democratic managers closed the polls
one hour and q half for dinner.
The voting was done In q corner room
of the court-house from an outside
window, in front Of which ropes were
tied in order to keep voters back from
the polls. But 1t was a noticeable fact
that democrats would slip under the
ropes or be slipped to the polls other
wise, and that other voters were thus
Gro Vded out by democrats. The dark
les 7oLed with the greenbackers in the
cou nty election this time, and in OIdel
! 20 preveLt them from outvoting the
mocrat,, for an outside appearance
the managers m ade the voters come il
line two aud two, q black and white
! man, and by challenging votes ant
unreasonable delay in taking votes
, and hunting the names on the pol
books, some three hundred votes wer
not Cast at all, at this place alone. Oh
men say this election beats any the,
ever saw for unfairness. This stats O
matters enget dered bad feelings, ant
row was tht result. Mr.. Jim Ash
G. aft, the father of the democratic can
didaie for sheriff had some insulting
I buIldozIng talk TO MIR. Tom Lockh
: chancsry clerk and prominent green
I hacker, about the election, whereupol
Lockhart struck old Mr.. Ashcraft owe
the head with a cane, and then hi
son, the present sheriff, shot Lockhar
C in the bowels, after wnicn Lock knar
, drew his pistol and shot young Ash
. craft through the head and body
laying him dead. Mr.. G. M. Hui
editor OF the greenback paper, wa
Q shot in the back during the attray
. Some think Mr.. Hull helped to shoe
Mr.. Ed. Ashcraft, and others say b
:, had no weapons at all. Ashcraft
y thought to be electsd sheriff, allhoug
this county has twice as many colore
voters as whites.
i. Lexington was all selow with ex
. element to-day. The "r.d shirters
= marched in to-day with double bal
. relied shot guns, aud it Is thought the
u will lynch Mr.. Hull to>night, althoug
. the officers are pretending to try
. keep the peace.
:, Thus far no riot has occurred
8 Things have come t. dreadful pat
' in southern politics that there can NJ
- be freedom of speech and action with
cut insult and bioodshed.
!. RALPH