1874.] OF THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES. 79t

In Marlboro' District, where Mr. Widdicombe is shown to
have been during election day, although he did not vote
there, the evidence clearly shows that the election was not
conducted in a proper and legal manner, and in a mode which
secured a full, free and fair expression of sentiment, as be-
tween Messrs. Brooke and Widdicombe. While open violence,
riot and bloodshed did not occur, yet scenes were enacted
which, if permitted to take place, would naturally lead to dis-
order, and that no violence or bloodshed occurred, seems to
have, been occasioned by the patience and forbearance of the
Democrats.

A negro was speaking, while the election was in progress,
near the Court House door, where the voting was going on ; a
colored man, deputized to act as special Deputy Sheriff to
preserve order on the day of election, stationed himself at the
inside door of the court-room, where the polls were held, and
wearing the badge of authority, told the colored voters he
had a right to examine their tickets—that he was stationed
there at that door for that purpose—to see all the tickets that
went in—and obtained their tickets when they had refused to
show them until they were told they could not vote unless
they showed their tickets. Six or seven tickets headed "Dem-
ocratic Tickets," and with Mr. Brooke's name upon them,
were thus torn up, and Republican tickets given the voters in
their stead, before this was stopped. Mr, Widdicombe is
proved to have taken three Democratic tickets from the voters
as they marched up in file to vote, and given them Republi-
can tickets before they were allowed to vote. He is shown
also, upon another colored voter, to have foisted a Republican
ticket, when the voter supposed he was voting a Democratic
ticket. And without recounting the evidence of all that
transpired at these polls, your Committee ia satisfied that if the
election had been fairly and legally conducted, the result of
the election would have been different. The evidence fur-
ther shows three cases where the parties were prevented from
voting for Mr. Brooke, and voted for Mr. Widdicombe, by
reason of intimidation, fear and threats of personal violence.
These are Washington Johnson, James Shorter and Abram
Coates.

Under the third objection, that minors were allowed to
vote, while the evidence is conflicting in reference to whether
Ambrose Carroll and Hamilton Carroll were minors, Henry
Holland is clearly shown to be a minor, and we think the
evidence is sufficient to leave no doubt on our minds that he
voted for Widdicombe.

Under the fourth objection, that unpardoned convicts were
permitted to vote, the evidence shows that three unpardoned
convicts voted, and from the fact that they were identified
with the Republican party, and other associating circum-