The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-27
THE BALLOT IN ARKANSAS.
S Some interesting Episodes during
the Recent Election.
Ballot Boxes and Poll Books Taken
by Force.
letter to St. Louis Globe DemOcrat.l

by Force.
TLetter to St. Louis Globe Democratl
The recent outrage upon constitutional lib
erty in Lafayette cOuntyis but the outgroWth
of mob violence enacted az LeWlsVllle, Ark.y
about one year ago. At the time mentl0neu
a negro who voluntarily surrendered MIN
self and was undergoing investigation tor
having killed young white man, near ms MS
(the negro's) house. about 10 o'clock at nlght
was taken from his cell in the jail Dy q sInAlt ~
mob and, about midnight hung one mile from
the Court House, where he was found sus,
pended by the neck. A card was Pin.snNSo .sNo
upon his bosom, on which was written: ~ ~,
negro can kill white man In TINS eounsas 1.,as
and live.-SIXTY MEN. NO atteilpS pa no
made to follow the mob by anyone anu ~ -
attempt has ever been made to arrest az any 10 Ur
the mnrderers A few of the cltizehs " ., oui
county have been 0utspoken IN 'n1m '1arning
demnation of the mob; Notes o. t,,o "S Of ons
citizens Informing them the MOP w9ui1 wv. si,o
them an impressive and special can II .;s,, ineJ
did not cease their public deciarationS
against the acts Of the mob. .i.,,oDs
From then till now some OIL our cislzens
have remained in constant fear oI Deing
assassinated by some OF the reguiai;UiS HUI ~ vi
the white mans rights" Some time IN Au,
gust last, Dr. j. E. Chisholm, q nepnew OF
Judge Chisholm who was murdered In MIS-
sissippi IN 1877. was unanimously nominated
by the Republicans Of Lafayette county IoI
Circuit Clerk. He entered upon the canvass
and was very denunciatory OF moDivl0lence
ballot box stuffing and Democratic rascallty
His speeches afforded the "hOt headed des-
peradoes" i'm Democratic ranks a pretext 10
inaugurate another outrage upon law and
the sovereignty Of free American citizens
Our State and county election was held on
the 9th of this month and for days prior
rumors were afloat that Democrats from
North Louisiana were coming IN force IN
time to save the Democrats In this county
On the day of the election the Circuit
Judge Of this district, l.. A. Byrne' VINO was
a candidate for State Senator, was at Lewis
vile but did not open Court, as 1t was cleo
tiOn day. Learning that trouble was prev.
ing, and fearing that the ballot-boxes at
Lewisyille and Cut oi 'prec1cLs uanLgey
ordered the Sheriff to summon a posse and
20 to the Cut OF and guard the box there.
The Sheriff and few men went lsome de-
clining), but they remained there but snort
time. as Judge Stricklin Republican County
Jndge9 informed the sheriff he aPprehended
no trouble, that all was quiet and thas ne
had not sent any message to the Sherin 70
come to the Cut on. Therefore the Sherln
returned to Lewisville, reaching that place
about dark. ,..,
it was known that number OF armed men
were congregated within ten miles OF lewis
vile, Shortly before sunset four strangers
rode into town on mules ana ulsniounttu
near the Court House. They soon took IN
the situation, and leaving their animals
hitched TO a plank fence went to the Robert
Moore Hotel. Late in the afternoon cour-
ier was observed riding In and out Oh town
and his actions created suspicion ana en-
HANGED the excitement. A fel0 of the citizens
consulted as to the proper course 10 pursue
and then called the attention OF otners 10
what was going on, but Their suspicious
were only laughed at, and the uniVerSai
Democratic response was:
''Oh, there is no trouble up. You are un-
necessarily alarmed.
But about an hour after dark" and just
as the Judges commenced to count, squad
of about twenty rode up to the Court House
from the south part of the town and dis
mounted. and, after leaving enough 70 h0ld
their horses, proceeded to surround the
Court House. The judges and clerks oil
election and few citizens were upstairs.
Two or three of the robbers went upstairs
several remaining on the stairway below,
while the others guarding the approaches TO
the Court House aud kept vigil over the
horses.
The two or three men who went upstairs
Immediately drew their revolvers, and. pre-
senting them at the judges, simply said;
"Hand over themsballots; handi ever them
ballots Give us those boxes, poll books and
all, and be quick about 1t, Robert Moore
the Judge. who had his arms rested on the
box hesitated to comply with the demand,
and il is said by one eyewitness that one OF
the marauders snapped his pistol at MI
Moore. The orders were however Ooeyed,
and then the Democratic Generals retired
with the poll-books, tally-sheets and ballot
box, containing nearly 400 ballots OF men
who, during the day, believed themselves to
be free American citizens, living under the
protection of law.
,Jndge Byrne was in the Court House at
the time the mob entered, and commanded
the peace and ordered them to deslSt, IN
forming them he wasi circuit Judge They
responded by saying, d. 1.-The the peace. eve we
ballots" After leaving the Court House
they mounted their horses and went off the
way they came.
About one mile from town they halted and
burnt the ballots They then proceeded to
the Cut OFF precinct, eight miles from Lew
isyille, reaching there about IL O'Clock; The
Judges at that box had counted 120 ballots
when they arriveC. They were ordered To
'.deliver" and of course obcyed without ar
The mob then departed with pol-books,
| taliy-sheets and the ballot box containing
| 172 ballots There were twenty-tour ron-
| bers in all Fifteen OF them were perhaps
| from Louisiana and nine of them from the
| humilated and disgraced County Oh Lana
Some Democrats assert these outrages
"would not have taken place if DIR. Chisholm
| had not made such blOody-shirt speeches -
| Some saw ''the return of ex-Lieut. Gov. Wv
| Smith to his home at Lewisville added fuel
| 10 the fire ignited by DIR. Chisholm" Gov.
| Smith has been absent for eleven years, oc..
| cupying the place of United States Consul al
| ST. Thomas. He took no part in the canvass
| further than to make short, digniied and
| conservative speech at the Cut on, after
| being called upon by his friends who had not
seen him for twelve years. He and other
| intelligent and sober Republicans, and they
| arc good citizens, are receiving threatening
| ANONYMOUS notes through the post office, IN
| which they are informed that they have 20
MANY days or so many hours to remain and
wind up their affairs, and that II they re-
main day longer the mob will visit them
and administer violence.
Can it be that we live in a free country
Is the law so frail that a man can not i've
i'm Southwest Arkansas if he is Republican
Will Gov. Hughes see that Republicans shal
not be massaSred simpl-s because they ar
neighbors of Lafayette county Democrats
will the Democrats of this County snoi
their manhood by calling public meetins+
the county to condemn all these outrage'
aud appeal to the Governor to order neI
, election. and ask him to offer liberal reward
| for the criminals? Dare they demand {
their county nominees honesty and refus;
10 accept offices stolen from the people by
/. | thieVing mob?