The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-12-31

that they would shoot him down.
Out OF 700 assembled to vote, over
so men were allowed to vote. Many
strangers Az here from Alabama.
The colored men Gould not be raj
lied after they had been driven
from the polls BY the white
leaguers. We have been slumber-
ing on a volcano for ten days, but
today it eliminated at the ballot
box. It is no longer with them
the number Of votes. but the num-
Der Of guns. The Vicksburg cleo
ton is nothing in point of intim-
idation to our election today.
Yours truly.
J. w. LEE.
Aberdeen, Miss, Nov. 2, rs.
To Governor Ames,
Sir:-At this moment the cleo
ton held here today was broken up
by the democrats refusing to let the
colored voters vote at the Aberdeen
box. unless they voted the demo-
cratic ticket. / was eye
witness to the fact that J. w. Lee
was forced to take refuge in the
county Jail for safety for awhile.
j. Il. George hoodwinked the presi-
dent of the United States about
peace in Mississippi elections. Gen.
George knew better. Preparation
was made under his knowledge. He
intended to deceive Governor Ames
and President Grant as to the cit
uation of Mississippi in this cleo
ton. Armed rebellion has been
tolerated by Gen. George and his
co-workers to carry the election in
this county and state. Nothing
but armed rebellion against the
franchise laws of the State and the
Peace and Dignity of the People
Rights. Here we have all the
means to prove the fact to make
the election null and void.
Rebels here curse the laws and
the powers that be. My
report to you has been realized as
to thesconduct of the rebels.
Respectfully your friend.
J. f. MEEK.
NOTE-General Reuben Davis tes-
titles that, apprehending a crisis of
some sort, he ate breakfast early and
told his family 'good bye" Left
witch, Edition, 80.
E. O. Sykes is authority for the
above information concerning this
election.
BALLOT sTUFFINGs, DEcEIvINGs,
ETCETERA.
The means resorted to to make
the negroes vote democratic tickets
or not at all were numerous. The
democrats destroyed the POLLOCK
books in order To prevent the
records of negro voters. being car
ried to the different polling places.
Once a blue-back spelling book
was sent out in the .box. and this
not being inspected very closely I'M
| til the election hour discounted
the managers, and in some cases
kept the negroes from voting. be-
cause there was no record of the
voters. Duplicate keys were often
used to advantage in stuffing the
box. Such was the case at Athens.
DR.. j. S. Riley, Mr.. d. A. Beeks
and negro were the managers for
the day in the election of 1875.
The negroes voted steadily all day,
confident that they would carry the
box. AT supper time a certain
party carried the negro home with
him for supper, and everybody left
the box for a short time in the care
of the man with the duplicate key.
When everybody was eating, when
the only watch dog' of the box
the colored associate-was stuff
ing" himself at the back table of
his hosts" house, DR.. Riley was
exchanging republican tickets for
democratic tickets and silently
stuffing the ballot-box. Every
body went back after supper, the
mass of voters not knowing what
was done and feeling confident
that the box had not been molested
as it showed no signs of violence.
The votes were counted and to
their astonishment the box had
gone democratic. Another way to
carry elections was to get the ne
gro manager drunk and then 60
into the box, or even break the
lock and replace it with a similar
one. (R. f. Houston).
Before the election of 1875, the
democrats found out by some
means the color and engravings to
be used on the ballots. They sent
to New Orleans and had the ballots
initiated. The chief figure on them
was Captain Lees picture on the
back, surrounded and festooned
with flags. When the day came
off, Capt. Houston placed himself
at the box with 800 such tickets
and handed them to the negroes as
they came to vote. They were
democratic. but the negroes
did not notice them and were made
to vote the democratic ticket in
spite of themselves.