The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-21


 ored brother nobly voted bonds to his carpet bag friend. Five counties of the state were in this manner made bank rupt, and for long time under special laws were known as ''strangulated'' counties. It were impossible in the space of newspaper article to enumerate the ingenious devices of these unprinoipled representatives of the God and morality party" for robbing a helpless people. ! The law then allowed officials admin lstrators, and guardians to give securi- ties on their bonds, residing anywhere in the state. These places were filled in almost every instance, by the worst of men. I have seen in the Commissioners
 court of Lowndes, a very thick-lipped,
 eoal-black negro, and a white man whom
 the United States government had put
 in the penitentiary for year, levying
 the taxes for the county. Out of a jury
 of twelve, nine were negroes, trying an-
 other negro for the murder of a town
 marshal, and, of course, the defendant
 was acquitted. There are unsatisfied de-
 crees for thousands of dollars in the
 Probate courts of the black belt, in fav-
 or of widows and orphans, against ad-
 ministrators and guardians who were in-
 solvent as were their bondsmen.
 John Hardy, of Selma, was a bondsman
 for many of these creatures, and he was reputed to be rich, but his case in 6S Ala. s0S shows that after being imprisoned for a time he proved to be insolvent. One of the elect taught a public school. but he planted and cultivated crop of cotton with his colored scholars.
 In HaynesvlIle.
 To overawe the whites and inspire the blacks, a national guard was organized, and I have seen Tom Armstrong march l 1.200 armed with guns, pistols, sabers and l clubs, mostly the latter, Into the little | town of Hayneville, where only about | forty white men lived. but our double- barrels loaded with buckshot were be- | hind every door, and when the white | leaders of the colored mob had broken | the head out of a barrel of whiskey. in the street, and the elect became bolster
 ous, their leaders told that if one drop | of blood was she'd we would fire on them | and not on their poor tools There was | very quick departure of the guard, and have never seen 1t paraded since. There | was @ rumor that in the woods, near | Gordonsville, a night meeting of the guard would be held. Five or six mis- | chievous boys without arms on horse back, charged them. and the shouting and tramp of horses dispersed the pa- | trtots never to assemble again.
 | NO county Tn the north would nave tOl- l erated this state of affairs a week. and | 1t may be asked why the confederates | submitted. We knew that if we had act l ed just as any respectable northern | community would act, the party in pow | CT would send troops and do like Sheri-
 dan in the valley-burn some houses and l mills. starve a few white women and
 babies. and imprison the most respecta-
 ble men they could find. whether tnno-
 cent or guilty. Some of the best men of
 Sumpter were dragged in chains to Mo-
 bile, and I have seen a detachment of
 soldiers sent twenty miles to camp in
 sight of an election being held. so fear full were the saints that we might elect
 a decent man. A confederate possessed | of over s20,000, had to get a pardon to l prevent confscation, and the fees 1 charged, which were to the receiver
 mere bribes. were enormous. John P. | Stretty, whose shoes the official skunk
 was. not worthy to unite, applied for his
 ing to him, otheryst5sorKrndle
 | pardon, and the low-born. without | speaking to him, turned to his
 papers when he pays you s5o." Busteed. l dsgracing the office of the district judge | of the United States. was accused of every crime except those involving man. liness He took high ground. and re- | fused to allow lawyers to address per. sons in his court, as General Morgan | Governor Watts, Colonel Troy, etc., be. cause they were titles of the rebellion but lawyers have a way of taking cart | of themselves, and the wit of Sam Rice l and the contemptuous regiment accord