The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-12-26
VOTING IN 'sEvENTY-EIGHr.
HOW the Negroes Were Fooled at The
Edgetieid Box.

hcAiNS IN I1-EISHF
How the Negroes Were Fooled at tho
EdgetieId Box.
A. NJ. Carpenter in The STATE.
Ihcse who are familiar with the his.
tory OF the State since the civil war
will recall that there was an election
in 1876, at which considerable voting
was don A goodly number OF the
ballots that were polled on this oc-
CASTOR we're cast at Edgeheld court
house indeed, IL is conceded that l
E1geheld saved the day for the Demo.
cracy and the White Mans govern.
ment.
The election two years later, in 1878, |
was also an important and exciting at
fair, and WAS as ferce,y contested by
the contending political parties rs the !
election OF sc indeed, this was the
crucial test, AZ The Negroes made u last
desperate fort to get back into power,
and 1T Was oGly after another supsrhu
man struggle on the part Of the whites
that they were prevented from doing
so. In this election, ~ in '76, Edge
field did her whole duty.
Many stories have been told OF
scenes ana Incidents during this con.
lest, but this correspondent recent Y
heard u new one, or, at least, one that
mas never appeared in print. Mr.. Jas
PS' ASueh, WIN now lives In Green
wood, was the nero of the story. Mr..
Rush is now about % years old, griz
Flea and gray, ana in all respects
comes up to all that can be meant by
the term, "a case" He WAS living al
Edgeheid In 1878, n was, probably,
somewhat more of " u case" than he la
now.
On the morning OF the election, SO
the story goes, the negroes congregat-
ed early and massed themselves
around the ballot box. There were
several hundred OF them, and they
were packed 80 closely around the polls
that the whites were completely shut
out-ln TACT, that was the scheme Of
the negroes, to hold the polls SO long
as possible and thereby prevent the
whites frCm voting.
The whites sOoa saw that something
had to be done or they would lose lhe
election, an1 some Of the leaders were
discussing the advisability of an armed
ATTACK, when Mr.. Rush stated that he
believed he could run every negro
away from the polls without firing a
shot. He was laughed at at first, but
alter he explained his plan 1t was
agreed to let him try.
Mr.. Rush selected q few discreet
men and told them his plan in detail
and Instructed them rs To what he
wanted them to 10. He then went to
" drug store and purchased a stick Of
shaving soap, being particular to
specify a kind hat would "lather
freely" Cutting the piece OF soap in
two, he put half Of it in his mouth and
commenced chewing vigorously. He
soon had q ~copious froth, or lather,
around his lips, to which he added a
pinch OF dye stuff to give it the color
ol blood, and was then ready for busi
ness. ln the meantime those who lac
been posted had been circulating
among The whites and telling the
what was coming, so they were in q
measure prepared for what followed.
In "a lew inmates Mr.. Rash came
running wildly down the street, frotn.
ing at the mout and apparently hav
ing a CONFUSION at every jump. Somc
OF those who were on to the scueme be
gan shouting, "Madman Mailman
Hydrophobia Get out of his way !!
which others closed in with him auC
) a seemingly terrific struggle followed
but Mr.. Rush throw them off and con
tlnued Ills Will career, still fUamlng a.
the mouth ana swapping at every one
t Ge passed. he headed straight for tn,
negroes.
The lamented Dr.. Bill jennings. il
his day one Of the leading citlzans O
Elgeheid, was one OF the arch con
spiratOrs, and was dancing about in
the crowd brandishing a colossal horse
pistol and shouting at the top of hi
voice. tina man has been bitten b,
a maddog and has hydrophia. Get GU
or the way and let ne shoot him be
lore he bites some body. It's the bes'
thing to DO get out OF the way and lie
me shoot MIN before he bites some
body"
the remainder of the story Is hes
l told in Mr.. Rush's own words 18th,
negroes didn't seem to realize wha
was up till l got right on them, and
put my hands on ones shoulders an(
gave u Jump and landed on top OF the
pic. Ihey were packed so closely
That L couldn't get TO the ground, go
just crawled around on the heads ant
shoulders OF the negroes and chewct
my soap aDd spit red suds and lathel
all over the whole shooting match, al
the time bowling and screeching I,
l beat the band. After | got started
[ thought would play the game to ,h,
limit, so | picked out the cleanest loo k
ing a could find and reached dow
anu look hold with my teeth and STAY
ed there. l figured that the soap II
my mouth would keep me from suffer
; ing any harm, and l didn't much car,
) Wnat became OF The negro. |, WASH
/ long before the negroes st8mpeded ant
began TO scatter, and pretty suon tn,
5 only one left on the hill was the on,
, VINO had his ear clamped in nv teeth
pulled him around a little, same a.
. you've seen a dog pull Il sow by to,
ar, ana then gave him q final shak,
and let him go. He vert off Ike ,
shot, and then the white people cam,