Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-12-02

Patterson, without so much as asking
for single fee, came nobly to the
front and for months and months stood
between Fayette County election judges
and thesevere, If wrongful, persecution
they were made to undergo. Precinct
after precinct sent its officers to the
defendants stand in the Federal Court.
Lawyers from Fayette were prominent
in the first case along with Col. Patter-
son, but when the second came, none
but Col. Patterson remained. He was
found present during the third, the
fourth and to the end. For year or
more was all the wealth of the United
States Court expended to secure one
conviction, but as each defendant was
hauled from his home to meet this
prosecution he found standing between
him and the doors Of the peniten tiary
the strong figure Of Col. Patterson,
who at that time was not in politics.
Then the Feyette County man wei.
coined the eminent lawyer with graft.
tude, for though these prosecutions
were deemed political measures and
wrongful in the extreme, still the gov.
eminent spent such vast sums upon
them that without the vigorous and
masterful efforts Of this free counsel
for the people many of Fayette's bright.
est young men would certainly have
been either fugitives from home or in
mates of prison. But the counsel
was there, the ability was there, all
that absolute devotion to largely
feed case was there, and the result was
that not single conviction occurred,
though the District Attorney Hawkins,
spent upward of $40, 200 in the prosecu.
cutions. And yet. with the foulest in
gratitude, District No. 4, where the
fight was hottest in these prosecutions,
is now accused Of changing ballot box
to the detrimeut of the man who fought
it's cause so nobly eight years ago, and,
what is worse, one Of the clerks of the
recent election that did Patterson this
trick was one of the clerks in the elec-
ton of eight years since, and was
saved from prosecution by the efforts
OF the man IL is said he helped to cheat.
The better element of Fayette is not
ungrateful. 1t remembers, and it is
prepared to reppdlate such acts. 1t is
said among this class that young Will
son, the clerk in question, will live to
regret the day he wronged the man
who protected him; who sat within the
polling precinct and counted only ten
votes for Patterson, when on the out.
side more than two hundred voters
were congratulating themselves that
No. a had gone for the man who stood
by the county in its hour of need
If No. is unique in presenting, to
the world this specimen of an migrate,
No. 8 is picturesque in its method of
counting the votes of the people.
When girl says mo" she means
YES" is an old expression still quoted
in District No. OF Fayette County,
and, if all reports are true, Deputy
Sheriff Russell, the officer holding the
election at this precinct, has applied
the saw to the voters Of his neighbors;
for it appears that whenever voter
cast his ballot in Rusaell's box for Pat.
terson this officer Immediately scored
one for Carmack, and when, at long
intervals, somebody came along with
Carmack ballot Russell was good
enough to count one for Patterson.
The nature Of this alleged offense seems
to have been strongly suspected by the
Patterson contingent at this precinct,
one Of whom, Squire Crawford by
name, entered protest, but protests
in Fayette on the day Of the last elec.
ton were regarded merely as tinder to
cause the factional madness to burn
the fiercer. Russell, it is said, paid no
heed at all to Crawford's g protest. Then
Crawford told the officer that he in.
tended being present at the count
when the ballot was closed. Russell
laughed in great glee, and when the
hour for closing the polls arrived
calmly but firmly declined to admit
Crawford or any other pronounced
Patterson adherent. Crawford insisted
upon being admitted, saying it was
only justice, and that every poll where
the count was expected to be fair some
of the adherents from either side would
be permitted to watch the count. Rus
sell again declined to admit him, and
Crawford called attention to the fact
that among the officers of the polls not
one was Patterson man. Russell
then declared that he would not open
the box at all II Crawford continued
to seek entrance. The hour was then
growing late, Russell had the whip
hand and he used 1t, and Crawford
wascompelled to retire, but from him
and others came the news of this Pc
culiar substitution of names which
may and probably will be called to the
attention Of the courts.
These are but few of the frauds
and Irregularities complained Of by the
people of this Congressional District.
There are rumors of others quite as
glaring as those given above, but as
yet the evidence concerning them has
not appeared in sufficient strength;