The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-06
COURT AT GREENSBORO
Butler is Said to Have Prepared the
Indictments.
THE DEFENDANTS HAVE ABLE COUNSEL
The Evidence Will Show That the Registrar.
Refused to Register Only Those About
Whose Right to Vote There
Was Doubt.
Especial to News and Observer


Greensboro, n. c., Oct. 5.-The trial of
the six registrars indicted for refusing
to register negroes in the August cleo
lions has been set for next Monday in
the Federal Court. The men indicted
are:
]. T. THOMPSON, of Forsyth, charged
with refusing to register twenty-four
negroes.
HUNTER L. WALL, of Forsyth, charged
with refusing to register twelve negroes.
w. l.. ROPER, of Montgomery county,
charged with refusing to register four
negroes.
r. o. FRY, of Montgomery county,
charged with refusing to register seven
negroes.
j. A. PERRY, of Burke, charged with
refusing to register seven negroes.
WIN. POWELL, of Burke, charged with
refusing to register nine negroes.
The bill of indictment contains twenty
four pages of printed matter. The indict-
ments are all alike, in printed form, and
| are said to have been prepared by Marion
Butler.
The indictments set forth that on the
first Thursday in August 1900, an cleo
ton for Governor and other State officers
bly, was held ait each voting precinct in
North Carolina, and that the registrars
unlawfully and wilfully refused to allow
the persons named in the bill to register
for the said election.
Not only have the negroes who claim
to have been denied the right to vote
been brought here, but many other
negroes, and they make dark cloud of
witnesses.
State Chairman Simmons is here and
will arrange with the leaders in the
counties to secure the best legal talent
to defend the registrars who are being
subjected to persecution. They did their
duty honestly and faithfully" he said
tonight, land will have in their defense
the best talent the State affords. The
party is solidIy at their back" He will
be here tomorrow in consultation with
Messrs. G. B. Watson, r. 3. Glenn and
the other counsel for the defense. He
wired tonight to Secretary Pearsall at
Raleigh. to see Judge Shepherd, Col. T.
NJ. Argo and Colonel Hinsdale and re-
quest them to come to Greensboro to de-
fend the registrars in the trial.
From the day that Judge Boyd de-
livered his charge to the grand jury, in
elections" and the right of the negro to
vote, it has been expected that the
machinery of the court would be invoked
to secure true bills against registrars in
the Eighth Congressional District. The
counties of Burke and Forsyth were
selected because it was in these counties
that the Democrats made large gains,
and the Eighth District was chosen be-
cause in that district Spencer Blackburn,
United States assistant district attorney,
is the Republican candidate for Congress.
1t is believed that the persecution will
help elect Spencer to Congress. That is
the milk in the cocoanut.
There are those who are surprised that
Judge Boyd should lend himself as a
party to this political persecution or
should permit rush trial for Black
burns benefit during a heateS political
campaign others think that he will see
the improprety of the matter and not let
Holton and Blackburn rush a prosecution
intended wholly for Blackburn's benefit
The friends of the indicted registrars
do not doubt their acquittal. They acted
as honest officials, exercised the discre-
ton as seemed to them right, and were
guilty Of no discrimination against the
negroes The evidence will show all this,
though of course, if a partisan jury
should be secured and should believe the
tales of the negroes, there might be
trouble. But there is no room to doubt
that this political persecution will prove
a boomerang to Holton and Blackburn
and their political allies.