Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-05-08
DESCRIBES GOOD OLD"DAYS
WHEN JACKSON WARD WAS
POLITICAL BATTLE-GROUND
Richmond Physician Writes Of Stirring Times When
Heavy Negro Vote There Proved Problem in Re-
storing Government Control to White Hands.

"'''' H'dr'rS. IN TINS way his fame
extended far aud wide ana for a long
TIME he "as visited at hls homo ~
hcrpl" from every section o; the
United Staice. ana was quoted srri.
"lsly abroad as Il new authority on
inc solar system. II" was taken by
ti'y 10 England. Where he preached
his celebrated "rnOn ami tbIuk
Vas received at court. lie believed
literally m the i;Ihle. was "A well
meaning OLD soul and lied. full Of
S'nfS n fame. on March 80. 1901
Maurice Griffin. an lrishnan. kept
a saloon and grocery ON DIVA and
Second. and nhDut two doors from him
ON Second street another son OF
Green Erin. Mix. McQuadc. ran A
similar plaC". The: catered almost
entirely to the ncCro trad" aud won
many votes Cor white candidates FOR
city offices.
The elections held in Ibis ward
wrr" always stormy ana unfair. and
characterized by cheating. delaying.
tntiinihattng and purchasing OF votes
Everything that could be done to i'm
pct" the negro vote was done. ION
lines Of these poor blacks were he'd
IN cheek whilo some ono ahead was
challenged ana questioned as lOnE as
possible. The ignorant ones were
fooled with spurious ballots. and other
rnscs for his1talifyinG them. 1t was
We'll understood that the lacks hnd
W p' b'Nltn ny nook or by CrDbN-
they knew what to expect and they
knew who was putting the thing ON
them, but they could not ever IL.
An rnanncr Of fights and hroiis we're
started TO give ia" police IA chance
To arrest lots OF them before they
could cast "a vote. ana they wcr" kept
In ctistoh. until the polls were closed.
I;csidce Charlie Welsh. there were
several other residents Of thu" ward
who were dependable at tn" polls.
among them Bob Blackburn. "a police
raj vino hv his good. sound. CON
sarvativ" advice lid moro good than
the buliicS and votc-huycrs. lie totch
fair and was bclikcd by white and
colorcd.
Knew We'll How I" Count.
The last two whom | recall were
Thomas MuScioy and Charlie Lang
ford. two "x-confcdcratr soldiers who
lived ON Second street. | bclicvc. over
Mike Mcpuad"'-. during th"s" restless
times. They We're tru" to their col
ors ana worked hard! all day long on
election days Ia suppress the black
ana tan vote. and count In anything
Just SO It had II white hide. and
posed for n Conservative.
When I think NOW &c the abundance
Of mean whisky. the bad blood. and
III" in'amrnatOry h~nrnngu,S dealt
ont TO the unlcttcrod blacks just be-
fore ana on election days. | am sur
prisrd thn' th"r" was no more blood
he'd ami disorded than marked those
days. lsut now and then the worm
would turn ana Things would got
lively. remember one election, |
think ii was when Hayes was rlctrd.
that put Jackson Ward ON the war
inth. All through the ward feeling
ran high there were many lights.
cracked heads. and arrests. ana the
ward hruiscrs had been particularly
actL> and ofiCious. and among them
Charlie lanrford, previously men
4 FI mod ln1 ltaAFn lnttSI,nl1. H ,stt..n .,
challenging and impeding the voters.
As evening drew on II was clear
that the Republican vote was over
w~hclningly In the a~scendancy. and
homes Will" 1t was daylight and
leaving VAS good. After the closing
of tn" polls. and with the advent of
darkness there hogan to gather in
Baker street a black moi, of cclc-
orators, until several thousand had
assembled and with torChii%hts. horns
and clubs We're led down Second
Street yelling. throwing stones and
taking cn.ir" possession Of the streets
and sidewalks
Prudent People Gu Hume.
Prudent people rot inside OF their
homes and PIT, ont all lights TINT
could be seen from the streets. Tn.
nos" was deaf"nin. and the rioters
threw stones and hrickbats into
every window showing a light. The
police we're powcrIcss To stop them
nid they medc quite a round of the
city, until finally they wore halted
aud Dispersed about sixth and Main
Streets 10y Il large body of police.
from Oregon I'M. had an office on
second street and after they had
PASSED, tho street was absolutely
deserted and everything was SIN as
death. when a young mau came 10
my door ana asked me to hurry
around on West Marshall Street TO
set II Nv. T~hnnpkius' leg which Ind
Just been fractured. Not knowing
when 10 expect trouble. | buckicd
u great big old Colts revolver around
my waist under my coat ana started
"ut. had only gone a block when
my attention was attracted ny loud
over al III" corner Of Clay ana Sec
Cnd, | saw n white man under the
~iamp-post surrounded by four or i've
hacks closing up around him mcnac-
iuyly.
At FIRST / lid not know who he
was. out recognized hiH voice as
that of on" Of the Challcngcrs at the
polls. | heard some ono say. CIT or
rope" and the frightened man, with
his back T." tho lamp post. said. "Arc
you going /" KIN me right here with
out giving m" a show" amt even
got a pocket knife" They were so
Intent ON DIN him w they move.
saw m" until | had gotten MP on
tEcm with Tho old colt uckcd and
ahmed at their heads. FIu - sac
me and said in a quiet voice. look
behind you aud prepare for death.
XII en- doc told them I did not
wish to do any killing ana / knew
my white friend didn't, want to he
killed. q" wc had hotter call the
Who'll" thing Oft. they laughed and
said. well. doctor. 81" sure sk.crcd
him" and then they moved along.
liut IN" poor fellow would no, per
init M" 10 leave him ana | had to go
With him hack TO his HON" before !
Went To see my hrokcn-lcgccd pa
ticut.
Many Faithful to Whites.
II wru'd il" doing many OF our
"ld-timc colorcl friends an Injustice
30 classify them with the element
controlled 10y the carnctbncgers and
ScallawIgS OF those times. There
were very many Of :hh good old
STOCK who stood sduarclv by their
former masters or white omuluvNrs
whom troy were called upou Ia take
rNe Sl'' cr the other AZ the polls.
II required real honest devotion Ia
their white friends. and decided nerve
for n colorcd IA To 40 against his
party Hntl ais own color. hut they
did II even at risk Of lifc. limb and
caste. recall no moro pathetic sight
u Ties" Crly-h'adcd old family
servants following thCir "old mars
f"rs' up TO The precincts and casting
thor hnlluts amid boots and lcrrs
or crowds Of their own hostile color
w" Owc much Of tho cordial relations
between Two whit. und COiOrcl pcopl,