Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-03-23


into the Levy Court room and take a
notion to write it up for an after comedy
or farce. Yesterday afternoon would
have afforded most admirable sub
iect, and Mr. Polk as the leading char
acter in the farce would have been
most appropriate, Here are some forty
or fifty colored men waiting around tor
an opportunity TO get assessed. They
have come great many miles for That
purpose. They must have freehold
voucher to swear that the person to be
assessed is the identical person he rep
resepts himself to be and that he is
over twenty.one years of age. The
voucher must make oath before Clerk
of the Peace Cochran, who sits at
convenient table with Bible in one
hand and pen in the other, admins
tering the oath to the voucher for each
and every man that presents himself
for assessment. When the voucher
subscribes to the oath he takes the little
paper and hands it to a member of the
Levy Court-a Republican member
preferred. This member of the Court
takes the little affidavit and generally
advancing to the open space in front of
the President tries to catch his atten
ton, which about that time is attracted
to some other very pressing business of
he Court. After gaining his eye and
ear the member proposes the name of
the person named in the affidavit to be
assessed in the Hundred or District
named. Then follows the questioning
of the voucher and the candidate.
Where did you reside before you lived
in St. Georges Hundred? How long
have you lived there? Who do you
live with? How d are you? How
do you know you are that oldo You
don't look az if you were that old.
Sometimes the applicant is asked if he
was ever convicted of any crime, Then
the voucher is put through course of
questions. Do you know this man you
have vsuched for? Do you know his
age? How do you know his age ?
If you do not know his age how can
you vouch for him?
In one case presented yesterday
Henry Gray, of St. Georges Hundred,
a freeholder, presented himself as a
voucher. Mr.. Polk knew him well
aud did not deny that he was re-
spectacle freebooter. But Mr.. Polk
had been hunting up something by
which he might trip up Henry Gray
and render him inefficient as voucher.
He found it at last. Upon the mort.
gage record in the recorders office
Henry Gray put his mark to the name
of Charles Henry Gray which some
body had written and Recorder Hol
comb had to hold the ponderous mort
gage record on his knees while it was
decided whether it was Charles Henry
Gray or Henry Gray. 1t was admit ed
that he was assessed as Henry Gray,
paid his freehold and pol! tax as Henry
Gray, and Henry Gray sa' d himself his
name was Henry Gray and not Charles
Henry Gray, and that he was willing
to make affidavit that his name was
Henry Gray, and also that Mr.. Polk
who was contending that his name was
Charles Henry Gray had given him re-
ceipts for money paid as Henry Gray.
But there was Charles Henry Gray's
name attached to mortgage bond, to
which he affixed his mark, but not
bsing able to read he sal | he did not
know that lie was atfxing his mark to
Charles Henry Gray. However, Mr..
Polk gained his point, and by a vote of
six to five, Henry Gray was rejected as
a voucher, and of course his vote will
be refused next November.
As Henry Gray was rejected, some
body else had to be hunted up as a
voucher aud a white man from Odessa
was found who though said to be a
Democrat, could not see why these men
he knew could not be assessed without
so much trouble and in the honesty of
his heart he offered himself az voucb- !
er. Blank CONSERVATION spread over
tho countenances of the Democratic
members when they saw that there was
an honest Democrat Who was willing to
vouch for colored voters that their
names might be placed upon the assess. !
ment when they had right to be.
Through the vouches of this gentle
man two colored men were assessed,
when suddenly he was called inside by
Mr.. Polk and hurried and somewhat
animated colloquy ensued between
them. The willie voucher vouched for
no more hut went outside the court !
room as if half dazsd at what he had |
done. Presently he returned and stood |
up before the President, Mr.. Polk be-
side him. Ii was soon whispered |
around that through fear of some perso-
nal exposure by Mr.. Polk he had
agreed to withdraw his vouches for the
two colored men for whom he had
vouched. Right here newspaper man
sent him word that if he withdrew his
vouch through any threat of Mr.. Polk,
he would meet with denunciation
that would be harder on him than any
thing Mr.. Polk could say. Pale and
trembling this white gentleman left
the room wondering why he had Gre
ated such an excitement for being
obliging and attempting to be honest.
Henry Gray and the white Dem