The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-22
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER SATURDAY MORNING. APRIL go 1892

which did intimidate the Republican
voter"
They just simply said they are going
to carry this election let it cost what it
may, and everybody, seems like, has lost
their heads in the Democratic party, it
looked to me like. And talking about
election time the way they would guy
me | didn't feel bigger than my thumb
not only me, but everybody connected
with the Republican party. l have heard
them make different remarks about the
chief of police Mr.. Bryan, the superin
tendent of the streets, and the mayor
and. in fact, any one that was any ways
inclined to be a Republican"
Messrs. Bellamy and Busbec had
for some time been openly anus
ed, but Dockery's counsel show
ed annoyance. He tersely told
the witness to quit generalizing and men
ton some specific acts of intimidation
leaders of the party
WELL inevitably commenced the wit
ness. there was threats made about
different ones if they even registered that
they would lose their jobs. and you could
see guns carried around. If you had been
there you would certainly have thought
they armed themselves with guns. Just
after the election there was plenty of
arms there in Democrats hands. Before
the election it was n common occurrence
to see them carrying Winchesters around
the streets ! should judge they were
carrying them home.
did you know anything Of an
organization known as Red Shirts,
and an organization known as Rough
Riders in your county during the cam
paign of 1898?
A. Yes. sir. I know them so-called
Red Shirts" and Rough Riders" and
| have always thought they were just
the same gang. You would, though they
were nice looking set when they got
down on Fourth street, when they left
that barbecue On one occasion | hap
pened to be down on Market and Front,
and l thought they had been drinking
fighting whiskey / saw them knock
down a couple of negroes, and it looked
like they We're going to paint the town
red that night The night of the cleo
ton they came and gave me a salute of
sc guns, but | didn't let them know |
was there. When / got up next morn
ing Il fellow by the name of Chadwick,
he said. My God, man, / thought you
was shot to pieces. i said, No, | am
still in the ring. but l didn't go out and
the next night they give me about II, l.
think You can imagine what sort of a
reign of terror it was and about how |
felt When ] left home that morning
| says. Annie that was my Wife, | says
in case them fellows kill me you tell
them to take me down to the nndertak
er's, and if | come home wounded you
Just tell them | amt got no money to
pay doctors bills and to send me to the
hospital. But | still lived, but on the
night of the election / thought the old
boy was gone. We had quite contro-
versy in regard to counting the votes,
and / was the only Republican, that staid
there and stuck it out. | had a gentle
man there to help me a while. and | said
to him, Where are you going? He says,
i am going home, says You don't know
what / know. Somehow or other | don't
want to mention names because We've
always been friends, but by some means
there was 25 tickets put into box.
saw hand and peculiar kind of move
ment going on and / was expecting
something all the time.
well. / want to relate something
about them % votes that was over and
above the count. We had quite TODD
about it. and some of them would say:
TO hell with it. We are going to have
it anyhow And they abused the Gov
ernor. Mr.. Dockery and | got few
lines, too. Everything was at fever
heat and | goes to the coolest old man
there named Gansey, and says: Wen
leave it to him. Finally he says that
Harris was right, and they cooled off
and | signed the documents. 1t happen
ed that in the box these votes were cast
for State Senators and not for either
Congressional box They took off -
and / took 10.
II come out of the door, 1t looked to
me like old men, young men. boys, would
try to hinder me from going either way.
Some would say kill the damn .
Others would say not yet. Some would