The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-16

Jucnter and Maurice ButUmer Were the
registrars in this precinct. There was con-
tinual complaint all day long by the Dun
can men OF the high handed actions OF Mr..
Buttimer. II his intention was to prove
a thorn in the side of the Duncan people
Buttimer certainly succeeded. The re-
ports attracted quite a number Of workers
of both sides and there was considerable
squabbling. II was reported last night
that a crowd of the Duncan workers had
gone out to the Twelfth precinct TO give
Buttimer a lesson. There was a crowd
of twelve or fifteen men around the place,
three-fourths Of whom were Myers men.
The whole crowd seemed to be in good
humor. The appearance Of couple Of po-
hcemen on the scene before the time to
close doubtless aided in preventing any
outbreak on either side. Capt. Juchter
and Mr. Buttimer were arguing over a col
ored applicant whom Buttimer was de-
termined TO register. They argued for full
ly fifteen minutes and Buttimer finally
drew up a protest which he said he would
present to the commission. Capt. Juchter
refused to enroll the name of the appli-
cant and the argument ceased just In time
TO allow Duncan man TO register as the
clock was striking 9. Some friction was
reported between registrars in other dis
tricts, but not to amount to anything. The
majority OF the registrars seemed to. get
along very pleasantly together
The registrars were escorted IN from the
precincts by police. Two policemen were
sent 10 each precinct, mounted men being
sent to the precincts infthe southern part
Of the city. This was done at the request
of Mr.. Myers. Hisfequest grew out of re-
ports made to MIN by his friends that a
gang, beaded by young James Mcbride.
had gone out to the southern section OF the
city for the purpose of causing trouble
and had made threats to take possession of
the books in the Twentieth precinct. He
sent the following note to Mayor McDon-
ough by special messenger:
| Savannah, Ca, Dec. Is, 1s94.-Hon. John
u. McDonough, Mayor City of Savannah:
Dear Sir.-I have received information
which I deem thoroughly reliable, that
here Is a movement on foot by some I'M
awful people to steal and destroy the reg
stry books at some Of the
irecincts tonight. l would therefore
equest that you send at least two police
len TO each one of the precincts this even
ng to protect the registrars and their
ooks and escort them safely to the court
ouse. The precincts in the southern por-
ion of the city should be particularly pro-
ected. Yours very truly
Herman Myers.
Mr.. Myers rs'uest was promptly COM
lied with. A friend of Mr.. Myers gave
he Morning News the following account
( the reasons which led Mr.. Myers to
aake the request:
'Mr Myers request" said he. grew
'ut of the threats made by a crowd head
d by young James Mcbride, which made
is appearance in the southern section of
he city in the afternoon, arrived with
Ak helves. At the Nineteenth precinct,
IYonges drug store and at the Twenti-
9TH precinct, the toll gate, they made
threatening demonstrations. Young Nc
Bride declared that they would capture
he books later on and destroy them. A
that section together with a force of ne
groes near by. Word was sent down to
Mr.. Myers of the threats made by the
crowd, and he decided that it was advisa-
BILE to write the mayor in order that If
any trouble was intended 1t might be
headed off by prompt action on his part.
In the meantime word had been sent to
the barracks from the Twentieth precinct
and Chief Green and three or four police
men went out to the toll gate and dis
persed those making trouble. Later on,
after nightfall, they made their appear
ance again. When the registrars left the
Twentieth precinct quarters a couple of
men rushed toward them. One of them
was promptly knocked over by an Of
fcer. Whether their object was to really
secure possession of the books or to mere
ly pummel Registrar LaRoche, who car
ried it, is not known"
Each faction sent out workers to most
]
and the books were escorted to the court
house, not only by the police. but by self
appointed guardians varying in number
from four to eight
The Duncan version Of the affair varies
considerably from that of the Myers side.
A prominent Duncan leader informed a
Morning News reporter that police protec-
ton was asked by the Duncan committee
for several of the districts for the whole
! day, but for some reason the police were
not furnished probably because they
could not be spared from the court house
The Twentieth district was one at which
/ police protection was especially desired
as trouble was apprehended there. The
/ Duncan story is that IL was the Myers
1 men who conspired to steal the registra-
! ton books in the Twentieth precinct. Mr.
/ r. +. Downing, who was the Duncan reg
4 istrar in that precinct, gave the following
account to a Morning News reporter:
1--WE were besieged by negroes who were
4 determined to register the whole day
/ long" he said. AT one time there were
/ as many as sixty negroes around the Of
! fee, all very boisterous. Nearly all the
negroes brought afiidavits. 1 think there
were fully sixty afiidavits presented
which were signed by Justice Sheftall. AS
we refused most of these afhdavits the ne
groes became worked up TO a consider
4 able pitch of excitement. had been
promised that a policeman should be sent
/ out there and that two of our workers
would be sent me in the afternoon, but the
! committee seemed to have forgotten me
entirely. Two of our men came out after
/ dinner but they were under the influence
of liquor and did more harm than good
Late in the afternoon 1 began to hear
threats of taking away the books. There
was a considerable crowd of Myers men
| gathered under the trees near by and ii
was from these that the threat
of seizing the books came. Both
/ Mr.. LaRoche and myself were
determined to prevent the books
from being seized. Detectives Bossell and
/ Kavanaugh came out about this time, and
three or four men of our side came up.
The other crowd was largely in the ma
| jority, however. We decided that il
would be best to come down in a carriage
When we went to get into the carriage
| the crowd moved toward us, and as the
carriage started off several followed us
/ Whether they had any serious intention
| of making an attempt to seize the books
or were merely making a bluff l cannot
say. The situation was a very unpleasant
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