Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-07-28

vote, or hardly to exercise any
rights of citizens. The Civil law,
so far as they were concerned, was
utterly denied
Speaking Of the Ku-Klux he
said: The committee examined
hundreds Of persons who had
been victims of their terrible and
cruel deeds. 1t has been demon
strated that thousands of persons
have been put to death by them,
that still greater numbers have
been cruelty scourged, manned
and dishgured, and many more
forced to flee from their homes for
safety. The attempt is no longer
made to deny their existence, but
in some way to justify or excuse
it."
THE evidence of witnesses
called by the minority had no
tendency to contradict the vast
mass of outrages in detail proved
by the victims of them and by
other entirely credible witnesses"
Here is a specimen of how the
Democratic party in Georgia treats
a Republican voter. The witness
is c. c. Hughes, young white
man, Republican, who testihes
to their method of Furnishing him
for voting for the Republican
candidate:
81 think there were about twelve of
them. They came into my house last
May, the 18th day of May, early in the
morning Of the 18th, before day. They
took me from my house and abused me.
Question. How did they come into
your house.
Answer They broke into the house !;
two or three came to the door and
pushed the door open and came into
the house. They took me from the
house and carried me off about 80 yards
and made me lie down fiat on the
ground, and whipped me. | have here
the hickories to show what they abused
me with. While they were engaged in
abusing me, my wife ran to me and got
over me like, but they ierked her away
and one of them said: Give her little
if she don't get out of the way" They
hit her upon the hands, and then after
wards held her away until they got
through beating me.
Question. Did they strip YOU?
Answer. | had only my night clothes
on.
Question. How many blows do you
suppose they struck you?
Answer. / have no idea how many ;
| cannot tell you how many.
Question. You could tell whether it
was ten or hundred?
Answer. L expect 1t was hundred,
if not more. They made me lie flat on
the earth, and there were two whipping
me crossways like and one lengthways.
shoulders. | have here the hickories
that they used, if you wish to see them.
Question. Let us see them.
Answer. The witness took from q
carpet bag some hickory sticks This
breaking of the sticks was done by me
so that [ might get them into this
satchel. All three of these were used
at the same time.
Question. l notice the ends of these
sticks are broken; did you find them
broken in that way?
Answer. Yes sir; all frazzled like
that, just as they are here.
Question. The fresh breaks were
made by you?
Answer. Yes. sir. 1.-THE sticks were
from eight to ten feet long, and at the
larger end about as thick as mans
thumb
Question. Were they disguised?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. In what way?
Answer. They had something over
their bodies similar to gowns. l have
a cap here with me that was found
for the head, made of Calico. There
was stick placed in the hind part of
this cap in order to make it stand up
straight. And there are holes here as
you can see, for the eyes, nose and
mouth, marked with some red stuff.
Question. Where did you find that :?
Answer. On the spot where they
abused me-"
One of the most brutal and
revolving homicides was the killing
Of John Walthall, in the same
neighborhood, a young colored
man-with no particular promi-
hence beyond his immediate
locality, where he stood we'll with
his own color. He was respected
as an industrious and honest man.
The witness is Jasper Carter, a
near neighbor of John Walthall,
who like him had voted the
Union ticket"
Question Do you recollect about
John Walthall being killed?
| Answer. Yes, sir; | do.
! Question. Tell us what you know
about that, and who did it.
Answer. 1t was done on Monday
night, along in complaining time.
do not know exactly what night or what
day of the month it was.
Question. Was it last complaining
time?
Answer. Yes, sir; they all came to
my house first, and knocked the doors
down, and came in and hollered to me
to kindle up light. got up to kindle
up a light, but before | could get to the
fireplace they knocked both doors