The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-04-21

there would be bloodshed.
q. After all this intimidation and acts
of violence you have detailed what ac-
ton did the Governor of North Carolina
take?
A. l don't know; there was no county
ticket put out.
Q. You were one of the leaders and
constantly in consultation with Fusion
leaders in that district?
y. Yes, sir.
9. Will you state why there was no
Fusion county ticket put out i'll New
Hanover
\. We had conference on that mat
ter and il was said that the Democrats
had said they would not interfere ana
give us n fair election if there was no
Ecounty ticket and in order to avoid blood
shed they gave up their county ticket
q. Were threats made by the Demo
Gratis that if the Republicans and Popu-
lists dared to put out candidates against
the Democratic candidates there would
be bloodShed?
\. They did.
Q. Were these threats largely instru-
mental in controlling the actions Of the
fusionists in not putting ont ticket?
Al think they were largely SO.
q. How long before the election was
this decision reached by the Republicans
and populists?
A. | don't remember exactly; a week
or ten days though.
O. After this decision on their part
did not acts Of violence and intimidation
ON the part of Democrats continue up to
and after the election?
\. Yes, sir more after than before.
Q. After the decision not to put out
ticket did not the Democrats become
| more emboldened and violentI
| 4. They did.
Q. About October 20 did not the Gov
ernor issue proclamation reciting these
acts of violence not only in the county
of New Hanover, but in all the border
counties along the south?
a. Yes, that is the Governors proc
| lamation.
O. As chief of police Of the city of
| Wilmington did you inspect and regu-
| late the conduct of the citizens-in other
words you made frequent rounds of the
| city
| A. 1t is my duty to be familiar with
| the city. and enforce such ordinances as
| are passed
| q. | want to ask You if mt any time,
| there came under your observation any
| conduct on the part of Republicans or
| Populst voters which led you to suspect
| that there was any movement on the
| part of these voters to do any violence
to person or property?
| A. | never saw any evidence from Re-
| pubicans or Populists, white or colored,
| to injure anybody; they were excited,
| scared and their only object seemed to
be to keep from getting hurt themselves
| if possible.
@. Do you not know it to be fact
| that this fear of violence on the part of
Republicans deferred many within your
own knowledge from registering:
| a. | know that a great many of them
came to me, especially colored people,
aud would say they was not a going to
vote; they thought more of their lives
than of their politics. 1t was generally
reported that all the Democrats would
| discharge their hands who registered
| Mr. Chadbourne was charged with send
| ing out his man John Weber to warn
them not to register; ! don't know that
| it was so. III
| Q. What reason did the report say Nr.
| Chadbourne gave them why they should
not register and vote?
! A. That if they did they would he
| killed.
| Q. Was there any trouble i'll Whining
ton on the night preceding the election!
A. None that | know of; there was
trouble the night after the election at
/ one precinct.
| O. Was there any trouble on the night
of the election at any polling places in
| your city before the count of the vote
| was completed?
A. | had s or 10 officers at Tenth and
| Princess; the officers when they came
| in reported that before the vote was
counted they entered the voting place
| outed the lamps and muffled the cleo
| trio lights; in the neighborhood there
| was hundred or two men armed with
| Winchesters in the dark, and when they
got through and got straight again they
| found one of the ballot boxes had been
stuffed and showed twice as many votes
as was cast for that candidate.
| Q. Was not the election machinery of
| New Hanover county at the last cleo
| ton in the hands of the Democrats?
A. | think it was. The Chairman of
| the Board of County Commissioners. the
! Clerk and Register of Deeds appointed
| the poll holders The first two were
| Democrats.
| O. Was there any trouble III Winning
| ton on the day after the election?
| A. The town was fairly quiet on
| Wednesday after the election.
| Q. Had the excitement of the pre-
| vious two weeks subsidized by the second
| day after the election?
| A. 1t seemed to have broken out anew
on that day, and there was more trou-
| BILE than before: it was the day of the
burning of the Record building and the
mass meeting.
| Q. Did You see the burning of the
| Record building?
A. Only the smoke.
| q. Did YOU see the mob as 1t went
| down to the building?
A. / saw the crowd or part of the
crowd going toward the Record building,
900 or |, 800 of them, for an hour or
more with their guns.
q. Did their conduct seem to be that
of peaceful law-abiding citizens?
4. They seemed to be very much eX-
cited going in a big hurry.
Q. After they had completed their
| work NJ the Record buil1iug what then