The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-22

say. hit the old --- in the head with
a brick. Others would say, not vet.
Some would say shoot him. Eventually
we got to the court house. and it looked
to me like they was going to take me
off somewhere About that time Mir
Theodore Swan come in and they saws
to him: How did it go; and they saws.
We can carry it any time if it was not
for them white livered - --- - >
Well, it was uncomfortable out doors
that night with them Red Shirts; they
were all around with guns. About :
O'Clock l thought the war was over and
went home. | saw one of them city Off
GERS, says he, the negroes are going to
rise / heard him tell his brother them
New York paper men left here in dis
gust; said they thought they was going
to have something to report but he
says you wait-tomorrow will he the day
and sure enough it was.
1T was generally understood that the
big 6'-Y. II. French DIR. Wright.
Bill Chadbourn, Jockey and Chief Mel
ton-were to he shot for doing what the
President of the United States had done,
and that is working for the Republican
party"
The witness then in a great many
words said that he didn't blame Russell,
Pritchard. Butler and Dockery for not
speaking in Wilmington He would not
have spoken in their place he admitted.
THE character of the crowd that
burned the Record office was Democrats
"A mob of Democrats. When they left
the Record office | seen them heading
down Seventh street | walked up pref
ty sharp to get out of the way. | come
to Red Cross. takes Sixth street on my
way home. About the time | got to the
corner of Fourth and Swan it sounded
to me Just like a battle was going on.
The mob was then somewhere between
Harnett and Bladcn. 1T was too hot for
me there, so ] goes home and goes to my
window and looks out, and / saw one
man fall just this side of Will Turkeys
place. They kept ON shooting and that's
the last | know af that day. \
sergeant says to me: For God Al
mighty Jake get away from here as soon
as you cam \ young friend says, / got
bad news for YOU, Mr.. Harris hays he,
"a big army's coming here to run you
ont, just as they did Chief Melton
weren't happy. | gets on the corner
where can see if them Red Shirts was
coming and saw a squad coming, and /
lust bid my friend good bye. | meets
up with gentleman a little further, on
and / says TO him, says |, Let's take
walk When we got out to
what we calls the Y my troubles com
menced again. The gentleman says to
me, What do yon think of the shootingE
SAYS |, Come on; don't look back l
stopped in Wilmington two nights after
the election. / have not been back to
Wilmington since the election and will
not go back until things cool down TO
what they are now"
This finished the direct testimony of
Mr.. Harris. He was turned over to
Mr. Bushee for cross-eXamination; and
was made to admit. in substance, that
he knew of no negro who was intimida-
ted by Democrats from registering or
voting. Mr.. Busbee also dwelt upon the
numerous fires in Wilmington: his ques-
tons and the answers received suggest
ing that the Democrats were within their
rights in carrying arms to protect their
property and lives, and that these arms
were not procured or used for the pur-
pose of intimidation. On the whole the
testimony of the witness is unimportant,
being largely a recount of his own har-
rowing experiences and tribulations.