Evening star., 1898-11-11
RIDER OF TOLBERT.
His Brother Tells About the RiotinS
at Phoenix. S. c.

r. r. Tolbert. whose brother was NOR
tally wounded in the South Carolina riot
and whose father was badly wounded and
is now in the South Carolina penittntiary
reached Washington today and went to the
Department of Justice to put the whole
matter in the hands of officials. Mr.. Tel
bert was accompanied by Mr. Webster. re-
publican national committeeman, and by
E. H. Deas. Cne of the colGred leaders of
the state. The party is in conference at
the Department of Justice this afternoon
Mr. TClbert says that the true facts of the
rioting have rot been given. The facts are
he said. follows:
Il was nominated for Congress by the re-
publicanS Of my district. For the purpose
Of making d contest before the House my
brother, J. 2. Tolbert. agreed to be present
a: the polling Pace at Phoenix for the pur-
pose OF witnessing the affidaVits of coIored
men who were rejected as voters because
of their inability to comply with the re-
quIremenIs of the Constitution.
My brother took no part in the manage
ment of the polling place. which was in the
hands of the democrats. He simply sat on
the piazza of Mr.. Lakes house and wit
messed the affidavits given him. depositing
these afIidayits in box prepared for the
purpose.
Mr.. Ethsridge, the white man who was
killed, was an election manager at pre-
cinct two miles away. He left his own
precinct and with a party of men went to
Phoenix. He walked up with his party
to where my brother was sitting at a table
and deliberately kicked over the table and
box in which were put the certificates
Then he assaulted my brother.
In short while the democratic voters
who were in the same house rushed OUT
and commenced shooting into the crowd.
The negroes fed. My brother. who is prob
ably dead by now. told me that Ethsridga
was killed by shots from his own friends
NJ brother did not have a weapon on
his person"
Mr.. Tolbert said that he was at Able
Vile, twenty-five miles away from the
shooting His father, j. r. Tolbert was at
Nerdry, another precinct. When the elder
Iolberr learned of the riot he started to the
scene in his buggy accompanied by little
ten-year-old nephew. Before he reached
the scene he was met by d mob which rid
died the buggy with bullets, and wounded
him and the little boy number of times.
Little Boy Killed.
Il is said that the inoffensive boy was
killed by the shots.
T p Tolbert, who was first shot by the
mob, was aided 10 his home some dis
Il nee from the scene, and was pursued by
tie mob. While lying. in bed in a dying
condition the mob attempted to max, him
give the name of the person who had killed
Ethsridge. He said he could not because
Ethsridge had been killed by the democrats
themselves.
On finding his father 50 badly wounded
Mr.. K. r. Tolbert procured a doctor, who
attended to the wounds of the senior Tol-
bert. After placing his family in a safe
place Mr. Tolbert came on to this city.
Mr.. Toibert states that his brother said
that so far as he could see no shots were
fired by the negroes at Phoenix
They fled as soon as ths shooting com
menced, leaving T. P. Tolbert as the tar
get for the mob to shoot at
Mr.. Tolbert does not know the "details of
the rioting which followed Wednesday and
yesterday