The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-08-04
A RIOT IN CHATHAM
Defeated Fusionists Burn
The Ballots
A Mob Wanted 10 Help the Poll Holders Count
the Votes in Williams
Township.

Congressman Atwater was in the
cnty yesterday. He says Chatham
has certainly gone Democratic by a
small majority probably from so to
| 100
There was in his precinct, Williams
Mill township, what amounted to a
riot, and came near resulting in
burning and bloodshed.
Mr.. Thomas Horton, chairman OF
the Democratic township committee,
and Mr.. l.. +. Williams, one of the
poll-holders, who were also in Raleigh
yesterday, gave the News and Obser-
yer the following facts in regard to
the trouble:
On Thursday of last week the Dem
ocrats learned. both by letter that
came into their hands and from
one whom the Fusionists trusted,
| that a plot had been made to capture
the ballot boxes and registration
| books at the close of the polls, in case
it was found that the FusiOnists had
| lost this precinct. Williams township
| being regarded as the one on which
| the result of the election in the county
! hinged.
In proof of this, Claude Pearson,
| the local Fusion manager, and j. j..
| Jenkins. who was defeated by Mr.. At
water for Congress, had several times
visited the township and held consul
tations with the Fusion leaders. 1t
was believed generally that they had
| advised violence in case fair means
| failed them in carrying the election
The Democrats were therefore pre-
| pared for trouble and expecting it.
| But the day went along quietly
| enough, and the voting proceeded
| peaceably and without interruption
| until about an hour before shutdown.
| Then the Fusionists, almost to
man, began to leave the voting place,
after consultation with Jenkins,
who had come there and called them
| aside for a caucus
| Most of the Democrats. believing
| that all danger of trouble, if any had
| ever existed, was at an end, now also
| left for their homes. When they had
| gone the Fusionists began to return
| in great numbers, and armed.
Cursing and threatening to burn
| the building and do other acts of vio-
| lence they rushed into the polling
| place and demanded that they be al
| lowed to assist in the count.
'We declined TO permit this said
| Mr. Williams, who was ,one of the
| poll-holders, land their language be-
! came more abusive and the disorder
greater. They were heard a mile
| away. We tried to count the vote but
| could do little at it, so great was
the noise and confusion. They were
| calling us vile names and threatening
| to burn down the house unless we
permitted them to come in and help
count. Finally the disorder became
so great and the threats against us
so bitter that we decided to give up
| the effort to count the vote.
In the turmoil somebody poured
out all the tickets on the floor. and
| they were so mixed that they never
could be counted, and then a Fusion
| list, the one that had been bitterest
| in his threats and denunciations. car
ried them out and set fire to them,
declaring that that was what they
wanted to happen"
Both Mr.. Williams and Mr. Atwa-
Both Mr.. Williams and Mr.. Horton
say that the precinct was Demo
cratic by from so to rs majority.
Many of the Fusion votes and nearly
all the negro votes had been deposited
in the wrong boxes and of course, un-
der the law, could not have been
counted.
The registrar in this precinct was
Mr.. p. +. Carter, very estimable cit
| izen, and the poll-holders were Mr.. L.
| +. Williams, one of the best men in the
county, also Mr.. Neal Johnson, a Pop
| ulist, and nephew of Rev. Matthew
T. Yates, the we'll known Baptist
missionary to China.