Freestone County, Texas
History


US Congressional Serial Set
by the US Government Printing Office
1872

[The following is the deposition of Freestone County residents submitted
 before Congress regarding the elections and the state police riots in 
 Limestone and other Texas counties.]
 
pp97-105

OFFICE OF UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER
Springfield, Limestone County, Texas, February 12, 1872

Pursuant to application to notice and agreement, met this day at 9 1/2
o'clock a.m. at the court-house in Springfield, Limestone County, Texas.
Present: D.G. Worrell, United States commissioner, western district of Texas; T.
Kemp, United States deputy marshall; D.C. Giddings, contestant, and J. W. 
Dickinson, attorney in behalf of W. T. Clark, contestee.

James B. Rogers, a witness in behalf of contestant, being duly sworn, deposes
as follows:

Question.  What is name, age and place of residence?  Answer- James B. Rogers;
thirty-five years old; Fairfield, Freestone County, Texas.

Question.  What official position do you hold?  Answer- Sheriff of Freestone 
County.

[Page 98]

Question.  Where were you during the registrationn and election held in 
October, 1871, for member of Congress?  Answer- Fairfield, Freestone County.

Question.  How was said election conducted: peaceably, quite fairly or 
otherwise? Answer- It was conducted quietly, peaceably, and fairly.  There was
no disturbance neither in registration or durng election.  The registration had
proceeded for five days under James King, the former register, who conducted
the same without the aidof any police, when one W. H. Tracy made his appearance,
holding a commission from the governor as register, and relieved James King,
and took charge of the registration.  Tracy brought with him blank commissions
from the governor to appoint special policemen.  I told him my understanding of
the law was that they were only entited to twenty for each county.  He said he
could appoint five hundred if he wanted to and showed me a large number of
blank commissions.

Question.  How many specil policemen did Tracy commission, and how were they
employed during registration and election?  Answer - Thirty-four colored and 
two whitesl they were employedto - a portion of them about the court-house,
the balance in riding over theh county to bring in freedmen to register and
voite.  I hard Tracy instruct the police to go out into the country and bring
in all the colored men and boys, down to fifteen years of age, to register and
vote.  Many boys under twenty-one did come in, and many of their parents called
on me for advice, and that I advised them not to register where they were
under age.  Tracy would reply to them, "Recollect the instructions I gave you
last night, " or language to that effect.  I know of nine who did register
under twenty-one years.  I know of only one of them whose vote was rejected;
there may have been more, but not to my knowledge.

Question.  Was there any necessity for this police in order to preserve the 
peace in Freestone County during registration and election?  Answer- There was
not.

Question.  Do you know of any fraud, violence or intimidation practiced by 
constestant or any of his political friends whereby republicans were prevented
from voting for the candidates of their choice?  Answer- I do not.  There were
some colored men who desired to vote the democratic ticket, but were prevented
by the colored police, who took the democratic tickets from them, tore them up,
and compelled them to vote the republican ticket.

Question.  Have the civil authorities of Freestone County ever been resisted
since you have been sheriff of that county?  Answer - They have not.  I have
been sheriff since the 9th day of May, 1870, and have not been resisted in
any manner.

Question.  How did the vote in that county at the late congressional election
compare with the elections previously held since all the voting was at the 
county-seat?  Answer - It was a full vote.  I am satisfied there was not
to exceed twenty-five freedmen in the county who did not vote.

Question.  State how the election was conducted - Answer - On the morning
of the election I had a rope about sixty feet long stretched so as to let
two whites and two colored alternate in going to the polls, until the colored
men had all voted, so that both races had an equal opportunity to approach the
polls.


Cross-examined by contestee:

Question. Did you see more than twenty commissions in the hands of policemen?
Answer - I did.  I saw thirty-six.

[Page 99]

Question. Did you read or simply look at those commissions?  Answer - I looked
at the signatures.

Question. Are you able to swear for what counties those commissions were issued
for?  Answer - They were all for Freestone, and all policemen resided in 
Freestone county, and I read the name of the county on the commission.

Question. Do you know that those parties that you speak of voting and 
registering under age is so of your own personal knowledge, or is it from
hearsay?  Answer- I know of a number of registerring, but do not know whether
they voted or not.

Question. With regard to interference of colored votes who attempted to vote 
for Giddings, state whether the ticket you spoke of being taken away from the 
colored man was taken from him by the policeman or was given up voluntary.
Answer- The ticket was snatched away by the policeman, who drew their pistols
on him, the colored man.

....