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

ut night until daylight in the morning.
And the voters were generally excited
and terrorized and numbers of them
said they were not going to vote: that
they thought more of their lives than
their politics. That is the most | can
think of at this time on that line: | be-
lieve that covers the ground That is
all | can think of now. tAnswer object
ed to as hearsay evidenced
Will you state the nature of the
threats made against Republican and
populist voters Counsel of contestee
obiects.l
Al know that | received, and know
of others, received crossbone communi-
cations that made them think they
would be killed if there was trouble with
the negroes.
Q-Were the threats communicated to
you?
Al received several communications
from friends that | was Liable to be kill
ed. and communications from others
that | did not know whether they We're
my friends or not.
Q-Were threats communicated
through Democratic papers of that
city? Objected to-
Q-Will you state the na,ure of some
of these threats?
ALThe Wilmington Messenger had n
report of Col WaddelFs speech, which
was about the worst | saw. in which he
stated they would carry the election. or
should carry the election If it was ne
cessary to dam up. the Cape Fear river
with dead bodies. The papers made
many threats; don't recall the nature
of them: they were on the order of car
rying the election regardless of cost.
Q-Will you name the Democratic pa
pers published in the city of Whining
ton that contained these threats?
A-The Dispatch and the Messenger
mostly: they were the worst.
Counsel for contestant here handed
witness copies of the Wilmington Mes
senger which he identified for the fol-
lowing dates of 1898: October ,, 4, H.,
l.. Is, Il. u. Is, 10. 20, u. %, p,
rs. -. %. %. 80. Such copies contain
ed articles which were marked
O-Do you know that the Messenger
was extensively read in New Hanover
and surrounding county?
A-Yes. sir: / do.
DIN the messenger of October 18th,
nj the head of each column YOU see
.'Remember the g. what Is your under
standing of the meaning of that!
Any understanding and the under
standing generally was that it represent
ed the big six that was to he killed: Inc
Governor. c. Y. French, w. Ill. Chad
bourn, r. w Foster, G. 7. Jockey and
j. Il. Melton, that composed the big
six.
Mr.. Chadhourn written one open let
ter describing the situation down there,
didn't seem to give muca pleasure 10
the Democrats and for some reason he
written another letter refuting what he
had written first in large measure;
then they reduced the Big Six to
the big Five" and Mr.. Chadbourn
was an immune from the slaughter.
OILS the figure - on the front page
of the Messenger for October 20, the
figure referring to the Big five after
Chadbourn's second letter:
Ayes sir. That ends my answer to
the big FIVE business so far as | know.
Witness then identified the Chadbourn
letters as published in the Messenger,
the speech of Cold Waddell.
Q-Will you state so far as Won know
about the number of guns, including RI
fes, etc, in use or brought into the city
of Wilmington during the last cam
paign?
tQuestion objected to because it asked
for witnesses opinionl
Alt was variously estimated at
from 1900 to 5000. | saw myself as
many as 1,500 guns in one day III one
crowd going to the burning of the Re
cord office. ANSWER objected to be-
cause it related to a time after the cleo
tion.)
Q-Were these guns in the city before
the election?
! A-They were, | think; | am sure they
We're.
! ON whose hands were these guns
A-Generally in the hands of Demo
Gratis: ] saw no Republicans with guns.
Q-Was there during the campaign a
band of red shirts calling themselves
rough riders?''
A-There were two separate organiza-
tons: the red shirts were one, and the
rough riders another.
Odd these organizations parade the
streets of Wilmington previous to the
election?
| A-1DeN ulu on one oCCdSloh. p hlu
not see them out but once in Il body.
| saw them separate very often.
Q. AS chief of police of Wilmington
did your officers make frequent reports
to your office?
| A. Yes, sir.
| q. These reports were put on record
in your office?
/ A. Not always.
| Q. What information was put on re-
cord by your officers as to riotous con
duct of these men?
| A. 1t was reported on the day the red
shirts and rough riders paraded that
they were shooting along the streets;
they shot into a colored school house III
Campbell square and into Il mans house
named Dick Toomer.
| q. Who was the captain of the red
shirt brigade?
/ A. Theodore Swami. | think, and
/. Mike Bowling was captain of the rough
riders.
q. Were any threats made directly
against your life?
A. Not directly in person until the
day of the riot. then several passed
along by the city hall and said they were
going to get me; | did not pay mucl