The daily gazette., 1880-10-09
THE NINTH WARD ELECTION.
HOW THE REPUBLICANS TRIED TO GRE
ATE A DISTURBANCE AND ROLLED IN
ILLEGAL VOTES.

HOW THE REPUBLICANS TRIED TO GRE
ATE A DISTURBANCE AND ROLLED IN
ILLEGAL VOTES.
The Republicans are endeavoring to
make great deal of capital out of the
Little Election in the Ninth ward on
Tuesday last, and the trouble that was
occasioned around the polls, and a
great deal of wholesale misrepresenta-
ton is being made to sustain their side
of the case.
There is no doubt there was, in this
ward, an organized effort on the part
of the Republicans to kick up a riot
and take advantage of the consequent
confusion to run in illegal negro votes.
There was recently organized here
club of negroes named the James l..
Hawkins Club-after letter-carrier
Hawkins, whom Postmaster Pyle at
tempted to kick out of Office, but fail
ed on account of Hawkins superior
inhuence,-and the members of this
club were around the polls all day,
fully officered and ready for fight.
Once, during the afternoon, when
there was dispute over the vote ola
WulUO lbUpuDllSdii1 oOhO VA bhScS hN-
groes became exceedingly moutby,a ,and
were told by the Democratic window
man to shut up, as this was a dispute
between white men, which white men
must settle. "Boys," said Jim Haw-
kins at this juncture, ''stand here and
| fight" And it was this order to "stand
and fight" that caused the row later in
the afternoon, in which the negroes
previously instructed to drive white
men away from the polls, were led by
the notorious convict, Sam Bush, who
threw the first stone. Had Hawkins
instructed his negroes to go away from
the polls after they voted, there would
have been no trouble.
SO far from the Democratic Inspec-
tor, Edwin G. Knight, refusing Re-
publican votes, he was unusually in
dulgent in allowing them to go into
the box. James Stamp, Republican
came up to vote after the polls closed,
but Mr.. Knight raised the window and
| accepted his vote, knowing him to be
a Republican at the time.
On the other hand, negroes returned
to the polls repeatedly after their illegsl
votes had been refused, and finally sue
/ ceeded, in the confusion, in getting their
| ballots accepted. George Washington,
| colored, said he had lived in the Ninth
ward for two years and ten months, and
vet he is assessed for 1880 in the Third
ward and voted on one Of Collector Bed
| ford's tax receips. One negro was voted
| Dy Hawkins who said he had removed
from Blackbird Hundred only six
months ago, and yet he voted on one of
| Collector Bedford's tax receipts-a clear
case of illegal personation. Even Jack
| Allen, the notorious Tenth ward negro
| desperate, took advantage of the tenn
porary absence of the Democratic VIII
| bowman and voted under another
name, with another negro's tax receipt,
| the Inspector not knowing him and
thus being unable to detect the lmpos-
ture. Others knew him, however, but
before they noticed his intention his
vote was in the box.
| Another negro came up to vote on age,
but when asked in what year he was
born promptly responded, Sin 1879"
He was quickly hustled away by his
party friends and drilled more correctly,
and returning few minutes later said
| 1859 was the year of his birth. From
the readiness exhibited by Hawkins in
vouching for the fellows age it might
have been presumed that Jim was pre-
sent at his birth, or was in some manner
connected with this interesting event.
This vote was accepted by the Inspec-
tor, Notwithstanding the protest Of the
Democratic windowman. 1t was after
wards learned that the negro did moi
live in the ward, but resided with his
mother in Brandywine hundred.
Mr.. Martin Farrell was the Democrat
ic window-man, and he docs not deny
that he did all in his power to put in tho
votes of white Democrats and TO keeI
out fraudulent negro votes. He derie
that he attempted to pursuade "Brock.
Tom" to vote, but simply said that II b,