The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-12-03

HON TIE TAXCOLLfCTORS WE'RE AP-
POINTED AND pfsCHARGgD-THEIR DU.
TY IN THE FREE sTATE-ELECTIoN
JUDGES BROUGHT TO CONDiGN-How
THE AVERAGE VOTER OVER THE RIVER
SECURED HIS TAX-RECEIPT WITHOUT
PAYING FOR IT-KIND FRIENDS WHO
PUT UP THE sPONDULIx, &C. &C.
The cases Of r. B. Foster. James Gallo
way, aad Simuel Logan, judges st The late
election in the Third Ward. Manchester.
charged with uplawfully refusing or omit
ting TO receive, count, certify. register, re.
port, or give effect to the votes OF Edmund
Field, John Burton, George Jefferson,
james Thompson. james Il. Thompson,
Jr.. &. w. Jones. Nel,on Crump. Melvin
Hin, q. &. Washington, w. II. Smith,
Moses Dennis. $. +. WoOdsOn, Richard
Crump, and w. II. Anderson. upon their
offer 10 vote, they then and there being duly
qualified voters in the Third. Ward pre-
ciDct, Manchester"-or,i in other words,
charged with refusing to allow them 10 vote
at The lGe election upon taX-receipts issued
from The Office OF the Auditor Of Public
Accounts OF Virginia came up before
United States Commissioner Atkins yes
terday morning.
Quite q number OF persons were present
at The examination. most OF whom were
summoned as witnesses. Several hours
were spent in hearing the testimony, and
some in erestng facts, showing how the
election business was carried on i'm the
90 free State" by The "faithful allies " were
brought out. The parties accused were re-
pre.ented by Hon. George ID. Wise aud A.
NJ. Kelley, Esq. and The prosecution was
conducted by United States Dlstrict-AttOr-
ney l.. l.. Lewis.
| EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES.
Richard Crump, the first witness exam
! ined, said he tried 10 vote in the 1bird
Ward, but bis vote was not received. He
did not know why. Nothing was said ;
they only handed him back his receipt and
told him 10 stand aside. Mr.. Redford and
Page told him he could not vote. They
said he could not vote without bis receipt.
He did not know whether they challenged
| his vote or not.
james T. Thompson. another colored
witness, said he tried TO vote in the Third
! Ward, but cOuld not. lie handed In his re-
ceipf, and it was handed back to him.
Smuel Logan and another gentleman were
the judges. Some OF the judges challenged
| his vote: be did not know who. He heard
some one say, 81 challenge that vote" He.
| didn't know on what grounds they refused
the vote.
Mr.. Kelley: Didn't you inquire.
Witness: asked some OF the bystanders
TO tell me, but they did not. said nothing
TO the judges. ] think the challenger was
inside. The tax-reccipt was passed back TO
VI. A. Harris and lie handed it TO me.
SUPERVISORS TESTIMONY.
NJ. A. Harris lalso colored) was the next
witness examined. He had acted as super
visor on the day OF election. He was at the
polls all dav. The witness read list OF
voters whose votes were rejected. He said
Richard Crump came to the polls and offered
to vote, and was rejected on the ground that
he had paid his taxes TO one OF the clerks OF
the Auditor. In the beginning there had
been a contest, the witness said. as TO who
were the aui horized parties TO collect de-
linQuent taxes. Some contended that Mr..
George w. Duesberry bad no authority to
receipt for the taxes. Witness said he al.
dressed note TO Auditor Massey making
the inquiry as to the matter, and received
the following IN reply:
COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.,
"OFFICE OFTBE
"AUDITOR OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS, (
"RICHMOND, November 2, 1880.
&C. w. Duesberry, William r. Smith,
r. A. Noel, John II. Miller, James A. Sed-
don, and w. w. Massey are authorized 10
receipt for all payments with the State
Treasury, including delinquent and insol-
vent apitation-taXes.
"W. n. NEWMAN,
"Clerk OF Accounts"
The Judges, however, held that that pa
] ;,lo 10,
THE LETTER.
Question What did the Judges say when
Won showed that letter from the Auditors
Office! Answer They said that did not
amount 10 anything. | claimed that this
man did have right TO vote. Mr. Logan
was somewhat in sympathy with them, and
he claimed that the parties ought TO vote.
but the other two judges decided other
wise.
James Thompson, Jr., also produced his
receipt. "There was vast crowd around
the polls, and thought Mr.. Page and Mr..
Redford were acting very disorderly. 1t
was quite difficult for any one TO get up 10
the polls to voie."
| O. How many voters were rejected on
that day on the ground that these tax.re-
ceipts were not properi A. Thirteen.
| O. Was that the only ground upon which
they were rfiectedY A. Yes, sir. insist
ed upon the right OF all those present to
vote. | sent over to Auditor Massey, and
bis chief clerk sent me that communication,
stating that they were authorized. (The
witness went on TO say that the judges in
the Fourth Ward had addressed a commu-
pication TO Judge CloptoD as to what they
should do, and they were acting under the
| hav oA In I
READJUsTER CHAIRMAN.
| Mr.. f. b. Howle (white) was the next
witness. He said: / was chairman OF the
Reaojuster club, and was at the Third
Ward dozen times during the day. ! saw
votes refused there on the grounds that the
tax-receipts were not valid. A man showed
his Office-receipt, signed by George W..
Duesberry, and Mr.. Foster refused to let
him vote. j asked him by what authority,
and he said he did not know whether Mr..
DuesbeIry was clerk under Massey or not.
| said | was willing to swear that Duesherry
was clerk in that Office. saw several votes
rejected. | was offered the place OF tax
collector for Manchester by the Auditor,
but would not r, ceve it. expected there
would be trouble Of this kind and would
have nothingt 10 do with 1t.
HowLE REFUSES.
O. How did you know those receipts were
paid-did YOU have any thing 10 do with
paying them? A. | know they were all
paid. | am willing to swear that they were
all paid Friday, Saturday. or Monday before
the election. aud l refuse TO answer II
had ANYTHING to do with paying for them.
refuse to answer that question.
Mr.. Wise: We will put that down. Maybe
! we'll find some other things.
Mr.. Kelley: Why do you refuse TO answer
i La