Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-12-11

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They carried Charles City, Lee and Floyd
the latter county by majority increased
from Is in 1889 to 295 in 1888. These
figures rather suggest, what will be found to
be the truth, that few obscure private
broils-mere. individual quarrels been
magnified into political assaSsinatious. The
facts must now be stated in rather tedious
detail
| /. Charles City,
| The evidence of the first citizens of the
county establishes that there was no dis
turbance of the peace there during the can
vass except row Of few minutes dura-
| ton just before the election at Roxbury, on
the occasion of a political meeting of the
| Coalition party-a comparatively harmless
| fist-fght, which was soon quieted.
| The disturbance arose from a quarrel be-
tween a negro and the sons of the Republi-
can candidate for the Legislature, and
could not be charged to the Democrats.
No fire-arm or knife was used.
2. Halifax.
On the night of the 30th of October par
| ty of disorderly negroes from Halifax Court
house came into the town of South Boston,
went into building where Major Edmond
son was addressing public meeting, and
| carried off nearly all the colored people
present. AT the door the negroes made a
great noise, and, when demonstrated with
by the owner of the building, became 80
turbulent and impudent as to bring en- q
| fight with the whites standing there Two
white men were knocked down by negroes
with sticks, few pistol-shots were fired on
both sides, and two negroes were wounded
Captain Jefress, chairman of the Coali-
| ton Committee Of Halifax county, has said
that the negroes from the Courthouse were
alone responsible for the row.
This is the head and front of Democratic
| offence in Halifax-that white men defend
ed themselves in a chance medley brought
on by visiting negroes.
3. Hanover.
| A short time before the election negro,
Robert Robertson, was killed by man of
his own race near Old Church. The posi-
tive testimony of thirty six citizens of the
neighborhood, including the foreman of the
| inquest, the acting coroner, the chairman
of the Coalition Committee, and many re-
spectacle negroes belonging to the Coali-
tion party, establishes beyond question that
this was an ordinary case of homicide grow
ing cut of an old feud, in which the wives of
the men were concerned, and without the
remotest connection with politics. These
citizens Of both parties pronounce the as
| SertlOn that po1tlcS mad anything to do with
this crime to be ga falsehood not to be
tolerated or countenanced by decent peo-
ple."
4 Floyd.
The conflict in this county between Short
and Nowlin was about private matter and
had no reference topolitics. The immediate
cause of the breach of the peace, in which
Nowlin was slightly wounded, was Short
sending word to Nowlin to stop turning cat
tie intosshis field.
5. Augusta-City of Staunton.
A young man had been OUT in the coun.
try shooting, and, returning to the city in
toxicated, discharged his gun accidentally,
as the evidence shows, the shot wounding
a negro man near him. This took place at
some distance from the polls about two
hours before they were closed. No word
had passed between the white man and the
negro, and the white man was SO drunk
that he did not know he had shot any one.
There was nothing to incite the shooting,
and it is believed to have been entirely ac
cidental and the result of the careless hand
ling of gun by an intoxicated man. The
offender was Immediately arrested.
/ 6. Madison.
| The only homicide that has occurred il