The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-02-07
BOLTON.
Evart's Report on the Assasslna-
ton of Bolton IN Washing
ton County.
Assertions Based on Statements of
Persons Run Out of the
County.


Evarts, from the committee on privileges
and elections, made report to-day of the
results of the investigation into the alleged
election outrages in Washington county,
Tex. The first conclusion the commit
tee reached is that the averments of the
petitioners as to the situation in their
homes in Texas and the occasion of their
! being compelled to flee from them are in
substance and effect sustained by the evil
dence. As to the suppression of votes at
Chapel Hill the committee thinks it is
chargeable to the leaders of the opposi-
ton ticket, and in that interest, with the
motive to discourage and suppress
the republican vote there, and col
ored republican voters being unwilling
to expose themselves to the fate which
was visited upon the colored judges of
election at Chappell Hill in 1884. At the
Llewellyn polls Deweese Bolton, who
headed the raidiHg party that entered the
polling precinct in disguise for the pur-
pose of destroying the ballot box, was
shot and killed.
The report says: All in the room at once
fled in dismay and the dead man was left
alone uncared for ss he lay all night, the
lamp burning brightly. Toward morning
Presiding Judge Robinson persuaded an
aged colored man, his neighbor and Alfred
Jones to leave the sick bed of his wife and
go with hip to the scene of the homicide
on the plea that he was afraid to go alone.
This man had no knowledge of the bloody
occurrence until informed of it by Robin
son, but their visit to the dead body which
had been untouched. An inspection of
the corpse, and observations of the scene
of the transaction cost him his life. This
made him a witness of the disguise and
murderous weapon of Bolton and the
manner of his fall. When after
wards an attempt was to be made
to make out Bolton an unarmed and
undisguised and innocent and peaceful
visitor to the polling place and slain by
the unprovoked violence of colored men.
Alfred was arrested, put in jail and hung
up on no conceivable incentive but to
make away with his testimony.
As to the murder of the two Jones and
Fielder by mob which took them out of
Jail at Brenham and hanged them, the
committee says after receiving the testl-
mony: "These murders were committed
upon the motive and interests of a policy
and purpose that had countenanced and
caused raids on the ballot boxes at that
election. The sacrifice of these worthy
and blameless lives was demanded for the
suppression of their evidence, which would
have demonstrated that the death of
Bolton had befallen him in the act of a
preconcerted attack upon the ballot box
at Llewellyn to defeat the election of the
republican ticket. The COMMITTEES cannot
find any escape from this conclusion borne
out by the whole body and weight of the
testimony and evidence before the com
mlttee which showed no attempts
were made by the authorities of
the county of Washington or of
the state of Texas to bring to indict-
ment, trial or punishment the actors in
the several raids on the ballot boxes at
the election of 1886. No such attempt
had been made in respect to the outrsges
upon the ballot box and the hooting of
the colore1 judges of election at Chappell
Hill in the election of 1884. The wrath of
this community was all excited and was
all visited upon white and colored repub-
licans who had striven at the polls to as
sert the will of the majority to decide by
their votes and canvas of them pending
the election"
In conclusion, committee says: This
actual case presents not unfairly, the
features that illustrate political disorders
which afflict portions of our country, whose
population is at all divided be-
tween white and colored citi-
zens. These disorders do not alone
disturb and threaten the good name and
security of neighborhoods where they oc-
cur, nor of the states within whose Dor
,ders the disastrous mischiefs pass unre-
dressed and uncondemned. They tend to
weaken and set back the sincere desire of
the country at large to obliterate all dis
tinotions as between general political d.
visions in the prevalence of Justice, peace,
good will and equality of rights, in discus
sing and solving all problems which af-
feet the welfare of this great people. No
greater element for the formation Aof
sound public opinion can be suggested
than that q wider and wider spread should
be given to the knowledge of, and instruc-
ton in, the real nature of this and similar
proceedings, wherever they may occur.
Brought into the light, where thousand
intelligences may turn upon it, the truth
will surely face these evils and dan
gers anywhere in the country, and
their consequences upon the conscience
and responsibility of the whole people.
Many miscarriages, many shortcomings
in reaching complete success in the
efforts of the executive department of the
government for the protection of the
executive franchise may be looked on by
the people of the country with an ia
dulgsnt temper, but the absence of such
efforts, or languid prosecution of them,
will not long be tolerated by public
opinion or left unvisited by political con-
demnation.
The committee recommends careful
revision of existing laws regulating cleo
tions of members of congress, and an
examination of legislation pertinent to
the subject which has been proposed in
) congress with view of providing for the
more complete protection of the election
franchise by act of congress, aud more
efficient provisions for the punishment of
offense against it,"