National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-18
FLORIDA FRAUDS.
New Tesiinsesay is Taken In Hot-Beas Of
LaWlessnesS.

The attorney of Horatio Bisbee, jr.,
member of Congress from the First District of
Florida who will contest the seat of his opponent
for the next Congress has received letter from H
Jenkins, jr, his attorney at Jacksonville, which
says:
After taking the testimony of Charles II. Savage,
at Eagans plantation, at Finleys earnest soicita-
ton, the examination of witnesses was adjourned
10 Madison. On the Sth we began the examination
Of witnesses at Madison Eagau was writing the
testimony. We had examined one witness ana
had another on the stand Eagan had given say
age some money TO go out and get some pen hold
ers. heard an unusual noise at the further end
of the Madison Court House, at least seventy five
and saw Frank Patterson and Savage il conflict.
had hardly recognized them before
the shots were fred, and Patterson fell. Saw
age had told me, before he went up 10 Madi-
son with Eagan and me. that his life was threat
ened, and that the lives of all the witnesses who
had testified before the grand jury in Jacksonville
were threatened Crosby had already been shot
for testifying ALERT he shooting the door of the
court room was locked by the sherifo his deputy:
Soon after the door was unlocked and the sherin,
Hankins, appeared with five or six men armed with
shot guns and rifles. They secured Savage and
a colored man present named James, Two
of the posse leveled their guns upon Easan,
denounced him with the most oppTobrious and In
sulting epithets, and announced their purpose OF
killing him The sheriff succeeded in protecting
Eagan after hard struggle, much TO the sheriHs
credit After the prisoners Savage and James,
who had nothing whatever to do with the AFFAIR,
had been lodged in jail, an attack was made by
the friends of Patterson upon the jail, and the
prisoners fired upon them from the windows.
An affidavit was afterward made by Hugh Pat
erson, brother of the Patterson killed, TO the erect
that Mr.. EaRan was present, aiding and abettlng
the killing of Patterson. This was an unfounded
charge, and Hugh Patterson was not present at
the killing. Mr.. Eagan had no more TO do with
the killing of Patterson than or s. Y Finley esq,
attorney for General Finley, had. He had no
chance to say anything when the shooting oc-
CURED for it was all over in less than five seconds,
md no n ct ntNT-f
Patterson and Savage when the fight was going on,
and engaged in writing the testimony of the witness
was examining The reason why Mr.. Eagan did
not surrender himself when he knew a warrant
was out for his arrest because he feared assas
sination in Madison. was more afraid of it in his
case than he was and acting on the written advice
of one of the most prominent business men of
MadisOn-a Democrat, l succeeded in inducing
Mr.. Easan TO avoid arrest and, thus as am salts
fled, and as dozen at least of Democrats since
have told me- saved his life for the time being.
Now, it is useless to try to take testimony in
such hot beds of lawlessness unless sufficient
force can be present and protect all parties-not
only the examiner, but the witnesses. Even then,
as / telegraphed you, the witnesses are subject 10
assault and arrest under State law after they give
their testimony, and there is no protec-
ton. They are too poor to pay for eoun-
sci and are tried by Democratic Juries.
The name of the United States Court and the
Government of the United States carry no protect
ion in the interior counties of this state The
presence of the judge of United States court is
protection, the force must be there-present and
reduS 10 use dTIlS 10 Vluulcale IHe law. lHoSS
men, who dominate Madison County and COM
init the violence l speak of, are, as the
business man of Madison have mentioned says,
not worth in the aggregate SO. They are all
under indictment in the United States court yet
their power is supreme there. Until the United
States Government can makei its power felt in these
matters it is useless for few of US to struggle in
this way, and it is cruelty the cOored people to
ask them to testify to election frauds until we can
protect them against persecution for telling the
truth. There are eight witnesses here now from
Madison County, who have come here since the
election to save their lives Their lives threat
ened because they testified before the United
States grand iIIry