The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-04

Republicans Have Registrar Re-
moved TO Their Entire Satisfaction
Alleged Populisss Play the Same
Game successfully.

The "cut and dried proceedings
for the removal of republican regis
trars, appointed by Colonel John D.
Taylor, clerk of the superior court. TO
serve for the coming election, mate
rallied yesterday morning according
to contract.
The hearing commenced at 10 O'Clock
in the morning before Judge W. s.
OBJ Robinson. The defendants, Colo
mel John D. Taylor and Colonel Roger
Moore, were represented in court by
George Rountree, Esq, w. 3. McKoy,
Esq, B.. G. Empie, Esq, Il George
L. Peschau, Esq. The chairman Of the
republican executive committee, j. W.
Lee, colored, was in attendance, and
had as his counsel G. P. Jockey, Esq,
and Lawyer w. E. Henderson.
The plaintiffs asked fer the removal
of the registrars, and were satisfied
in all but three instances. They charg-
ed incompetency of these people of
their own race to mold the positions of
registrars.
Those requested removed were as
follows:
First division Of the First ward,
Chas. Stanford; second division of the
First ward, Geo. W. Price; second di-
vision of the Third ward. Alfred Rob-
inson; first division of the Fourth
ward, j. c. Moore; first division of the
Fifth ward, Jim PASCAL; second divi-
sion of the Fifth ward, Geo.. Thayer;
IL - ~ MOL x-z- VI
McRae; fourth division of the Fifth
ward, F. w. Rogers; Cape Fear town.
ship, William Dixon; Harnett town.
ship, Henry Loftin.
All were removed except Price,
Thayer, McRae and Loftin, but it was
not on account of lack of energy or the
part of the counsel for the plaintiff
that these were not ousted. 1t was
simply because the ridiculous position
assumed was too glazing to shield with
a tooth pick.
The registrars substituted for those
kicked out like ours unceremOniously
by their own party were as follows:
w. j. Harriss, James H. Lewis, Jno.
McRae, Lewis Geyer, w. H. Dudley.
ST., James CT. Blaine and Isaac Biz
Zle.
REPUBLICAN pops" ALSO IN
TO1I 11E.
Following in the footsteps of their
all in all he alleged pOpulist cOnglom-
Grafton of this county, yesterday
morning petitioned for the removal of
the populist registrars appointed by
Colonel Taylor. This petition asked
for the removal of R. w. Merritt, Sec
ond division of the First ward; G. H.
Ward, third division of the First ward;
D. D. Rivenbark, fourth division of the
First ward; D. E. Pickett, fifth divi-
sion of the First ward; E. H. Dement,,
second division of the Third ward. 1t
was signed by a good Numerically
portion of the city administration,
giving official titles in fulD, Chief Of
Police John r. Melton, posing as the
chairman of the populist executive
committee, Police Sergeant r. F.
Gore, Policeman w. D. George, Police
man James w. Smith, Policeman G. O.
Knox, superintendent of Streets L. H.
Bryant, Market Clerk J. H. Harper,
Market Clerk A. Lockamy, ex-Police-
man G. H. Gilbert, G.. w. Pickett,
whose SOubriQuet we do not remember,
aid ex-POliceman, e~X-Standard Keeper
and now Street Hand w. j. Harriss.
The latter named evidently signed the
petition out Of sympathy, for he is one
of the republican registrars. However,
this makes no never mind, as the law
says any "ten GOOD citizens" and
| HarriSS was, we assure the court,
properly qualified. He was suspended
from the police force several times
for conduct unbecoming an officer and
finally bounced. Next, he was ousted
from the position of standard keeper
by the republican board of county
| commissioners.
The plaintiffs in this case were rep
resented by G. P. Jockey, Esq, and
Lawyer w. E.. Henderson, who were
travelling incognito for me knows
their politics.
The court removed all of the regis
trars, as per request by ''rep-pops,"
and appointed Chas. A. Peters, r. w.
| Merritt, w. j. Orr, F. A. Perry, Geo.
r.. Bates n Chas. S. Anderson.
To give you an idea how witnesses
were examined we will relate the fol-
lowing Incidence:
The name of E. H. Dement,, registrar
Of the second division Of the Third
ward, was excepted to by c.. P. Jockey,
Esq, on the ground that he (Dement)
was a democrat and not a populiSt. AL
though Dement, was absent L. H. Bry-
ant, superintendent Of streets, was
called upon to bear out Jockeys posi-
ton. He stated that about two weeks
6 he heard Dement, remark that he
was a white man and expected to vote
the democratic ticket. Upon hearing
! lLiS statement the court at once Or0or-
ed Dement'S name stricken out and
had substituted that of Chas. S. An
derson.
7 1t was brought out that Dement, had
been appointed upon recommendation
of Joe King, Jr., who was recognized
by the state populist convention as
chairman of that party's executive
committee of this county.
Later, Dement, came into court and
upon request of the defendants coun-
Sci he was placed upon the stand.
After taking the solemn oath Dement,
stated that he didn't remember having
made a statement of the kind describ-
ed by Bryant. He further stated that
he had been a populist for some years
and was still me-.
Lawyer Henderson asked him if he
was not a member of a white govern
ment union. To this question counsel
on the other side objected, but was
over-ruled. Dement, answered in the af-
firmative.
Counse for the defendants contend
ed that the fact of Dement'S being a