Monday, November 28, 2016

Newspapers Reveal the Character of Our Ancestors

Some of the advances of technology for which I am the most thankful are online newspaper websites. I use these sites regularly for both client and personal research. Newspaper sites that I have been using extensively include Genealogy Bank, Newspapers.com and the Portal to Texas History. Here is an example of an article that I discovered on Newspapers.com last year:

The Journal-Advance (Gentry, Arkansas) · Thu, Apr 11, 1935 · Page 2; Newspapers.com; Downloaded on Feb 1, 2015
The discovery of this article in an Arkansas newspaper is an object lesson in widening your search strategies.  The subject of this article is my great grandfather, Joseph Hanson Mayne who was born in Frederick County, Maryland but lived most of his life working as a United Brethren pastor in the vicinity of Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus, Ohio. His son, Virgil B. Mayne was also a pastor and served for a while at the Congregational church in Gentry, Arkansas. If I had limited my search to Ohio, I might never have found this article.

It was common for newspaper editors to search for articles from other newspapers to fill their pages. The Journal-Advance editor had the added bonus here that the story was connected to a local man of note.  The arrival of the new Congregational minister was trumpeted in this depression era newspaper.

The editor of the Journal-Advance accurately described the full article as long and interesting.  This newspaper article is very revealing of the family history and the character of my maternal great grandfather. I publish the full article here in the hope that you will find some amusement in this story of the walking feats of an octogenarian:

Columbus Sunday Dispatch, Sunday, April 7, 1935 p. 1 with photo. Westerville Minister Walks 13 Miles In Record Time--Reverend Mayne Firmly Refuses Offers of Obliging Motorists. By Hugh Fullerton    
   The Rev. Joseph Hanson Mayne, Saturday morning established a new all-time, All-American record for retired ministers, 86 years old and upward, by walking 13 miles from Westerville to the Dispatch office, in the remarkable time of four hours, 30 minutes.         Dr. Mayne set out to establish the record for which Dr. George Scott, professor emeritus of Otterbein college, essayed to make at the same age.  Dr. Scott failed in his attempt because before he reached Alum creek a large and ferocious dog ripped the seat from his pants and stopped the adventure.      
   The Rev. Mr. Mayne escaped such a fate, and by firmly refusing the offers of a dozen or more motorists who mistook him for a hitch-hiker, reached his destination and delivered this account to the city editor of the Dispatch without mishap.  
   Dr. Mayne preached the sermon at the United Brethren church in Westerville Sunday. Having spaded two gardens in a week besides attending to the grocery store on Summit street which he has operated since his retirement from the pulpit, he decided to show the modern generation how to walk.  Leaving the grocery at 6:30 a.m., he reached The Dispatch office at 11 a.m., making his record official.  
   Dr. Mayne retired, after half a century in the ministry, having presided at a dozen churches from Newport, Ky., to northern Ohio.  He preached in many churches in and around Dayton, was a student at Heidelberg college, and a graduate of Bonebrake.
   He was born on a farm near Frederick, Md., and was one of 11 children. His boyhood was spent on the farm at the peak of excitement over slavery.  He was a young man when the war between the states came, and the farm near Frederick seemed the center of that war, three great battles, Gettysburg, Antietam and Monocracy (sic).  For two days, he remembers, he with brothers and sisters listened anxiously while the roar of cannon shook the air and earth at Gettysburg.  
   He came to Ohio when he was 17 years old.  A friend from his own section of Maryland, had promised to get him a job in the quarries at Marietta, where he was employed.  Reaching Marietta he could not find a trace of his friend or a trace of a job, so he decided to push farther west.  
   He had an uncle, bearing the same name as his own, living near Dayton, and he started there.  When he reached the crossing of the Little Miami railroad near Lebanon his money was exhausted, and he commenced, without realizing it, training for Saturday's walk.  
   He walked to Dayton and started in a general direction toward his uncle's farm.  He was plodding along the dirt road when he met a road wagon, upon the seat of which a man was sitting.  The man shouted:  Whoa!  Are you a Mayne? You walk like a Mayne.  
   It was his uncle.  He went to the uncle's farm, but soon found a job with a neighboring farmer and went to work.  Always studious and inclined to religion he attended Heidelberg college, then taught school and studied for the ministry.  Graduated from Union Biblical (now Bonebrake) with the highest standing in his class, he began his career as a minister.   
   In spite of his advanced years, Mr. Mayne takes a keen interest in public affairs, conducts his little grocery, spades and plants his own and another garden, and loves outdoor exercise, especially walking.  His memory is still keen as ever and he has won some fame as a pulpit orator and and as a lecturer.  

NOTE:  Bonebrake Seminary is now United Theological Seminary (UTS), Dayton, OH.  For further information contact: The Center for the Study of Evangelical United Brethren History, UTS, 1810 Harvard Blvd., Dayton, OH 45406, (513) 278-5817

Monday, November 14, 2016

Hidden Heirlooms in my Closet

One of my often repeated bits of advice is to look for family history clues in your own closet.  One way to achieve that is digitize what you have in your family heirloom collection.  I recently discovered that I had my mom's original birth and marriage certificates in an envelope that I saved from her personal belongings.  What amazed me is that I do not ever recall seeing her original hospital birth certificate.

My mother's birth certificate from Franklin Hospital San Francisco
The little footprints are the cutest!  The family history part of the certificate is very informative.  I have all of this information from oral history and other documents but it is fun to see it all recorded so thoroughly.

Mom had stuffed several other documents in the same envelope.  It is interesting to compare the hospital certificate with the information recorded by the State of California.


State Issued Birth Certificate

The most striking thing is that my grandfather's occupation is clearly stated as Mortician for N. Gray & Company.  The other notable fact that I found a bit odd was that the birth certificate recorded that silver nitrate had been put into the baby's eyes.  Apparently this was a requirement of California law that physicians put the silver nitrate solution in the baby's eyes and record it on the birth certificate.
Receipt for the State Issued Birth Certificate
Mom even saved the receipt for the birth certificate which she requested in 2001. This is actually interesting to note and it gives her residence address at that date.

Divorce Final Judgement
Mom also saved her divorce decree in the same envelope with her two birth certificates.  She went back to her maiden name, Jill Anna Mayne after the divorce.
Stamp of the Clerk of the Superior Court

Based on the date, she probably gathered all of these documents together to file for Social Security when she reached age 66 in 2001.  It is always helpful to scan both sides of documents and photographs because the backs often contain useful information.

My new commitment is to scan, photograph and preserve all of these documents and heirlooms that I have acquired over the course of my 27 years of family history research.  It is a bit daunting for me but is better than seeing it all thrown out after I am gone.  I advise you to do the same. Preserve the information hidden in your closets for the future generations and to share with your family today!

Monday, November 7, 2016

Alleged Election Outrages in Texas


On the eve of one of America’s most historic elections, you may have thought that the title of this blog post had something to do with current events.  Many political pundits are outraged by the level of vitriol between the two candidates vying in tomorrow’s election.  The Reconstruction Era of American history provides documentation of many election events that will make the 2016 election seem tame by comparison.

The old Texas Capitol (1853-1881) was the setting for historic drama when African-Americans, most of them recently freed from slavery, took office as leaders of the Lone Star State. All images of the legislators and delegates, State Preservation Board. Capitol photo from the Prints and Photographs Collection, Texas State Library and Archives. https://www.tsl.texas.gov/exhibits/forever/index.html


I was inspired to “drill deeper” in my Texas Research by a presentation by Tim Pinnick at the Annual Conference of the Texas StateGenealogical Society in Dallas, Texas on Friday, October 28, 2016.  Mr. Pinnick gave a talk entitled “Maximizing Your Reach: African American Research in University Libraries.”  I had been thinking about visiting the local university libraries for years but finally got around to it this last week.  I spent several days at Texas State University (TSU) visiting their Main Library, the Law Library and the History Department.  The Houston chapter of the Afro- American Historical and Genealogical Society has a page which describes the resources of these libraries at their research link.

In 1889, Congress published a book entitled Testimony on the Alleged Election Outrages in Texas that summarized the investigation of alleged violence and harassment of certain citizens which accompanied the 1886 election in Washington County, Texas.[1]  The Congressional publication includes testimony taken in Federal District Court, Austin, Texas, in August 1887 in U.S. v. Lafayette Kirk et al. (p. 691-769).  My research has been focused on the “et al” portion of the case.  The other man that was charged in this case is the “Mysterious Bob Sloan” who is the subject of one of my top ten blog posts featured in the right hand column of this blog.  Much of the testimony focuses on Bob Sloan and his actions and motivations for turning his allegiance from the Republicans to the Democrats.  The TSU Law Library staff provided me with an index to the witnesses in the testimony from their Proquest Congressional documents database.

The entire book has been made accessible digitally on the Portal to Texas History and is keyword searchable.  The current state of Optical Character Recognition software being what it is you may also find an index helpful.  The list of witnesses includes a variety of actors in the tragic drama that occurred in Washington County in 1886.  If you are interested in Washington County history, you will see a “Who’s Who Listing” of many well known names and some that are more obscure like Bob Sloan. Unfortunately, even though Bob Sloan’s name appears in the testimony on numerous pages he did not provide any direct testimony.

The petitioners in the Congressional investigation were Stephen A. Hackworth, James L. Moore, and Carl Schutze.  Their petition referred to intimidation and lynchings that created a reign of terror in Washington county:
Alfred Jones, Shadrach Felder, and Stewart Jones, three colored Republicans, were arrested upon pretended and malicious charges of crime, and, while in the custody of the civil authorities of said county, were, on the 2d day of December ultimo[1886], surrendered by said civil authorities into the hands of large numbers of armed and disguised men—known as Ku-Klux—who wantonly and cruelly hung them to death; that this outrage was committed while the friends of these men were preparing to have their cases fully heard and investigated by habeas corpus proceedings, and the civil authorities of said county, together with their leading political friends, well knowing that reasonable and adequate evidence would be obtained at such trial which would expose and make public their political crimes and outrages, ordered and instigated, as your petitioners verily believe, the death of said Alfred Jones, Shadrach Felder, and Stewart Jones; that John Ireland, governor of said State, has failed and refused to make any effort whatever to have arrested and brought to trial the lawless men who committed this outrage, although the facts were made known to him and he was earnestly requested to take prompt action therein.
There is currently no known historical marker devoted to the lives of Alfred Jones, Shadrach Felder and Stewart Jones.  By using the keyword functionality of the Portal to Texas History, you can find dozens of references to the surname “Felder” in the Election Outrages book. I chose the name “Felder” as it would have fewer matches than “Jones.” Here is a description of what happened to Shadrach Felder and eight other men from page 38-40 in the testimony of Felix Kinlaw, an African American who worked as an election official in 1886.  Mr. Kinlaw was one of the eight African American men who were arrested on election day, November 2, 1886:

Q. How many of you were arrested and put in jail ?-A. Eight of us. Q. Who were they?-A. Shad Felder, John Glass, Stephen Jackson, Ephraim Jones, Felix Kinlaw [the witness], Andy Hayes, and William Davis. Q. All colored men?—A. Yes, sir; all colored. Q. What were they charged with? A. I could not tell you what they put us in there for. Q. You had not done anything, had you?—A. Hadn’t done a thing, sir. Q. How long did you stay there in jail?—A. We staid there four weeks and two days, I think it was. Q. What became of Shad Felder ?-A. They killed him...Q. Who else did they take out and hang?--A. They took out Alfred Jones...Q. Was he related to Stewart Jones?--A. No, sir; he was my father-in-law. Q. This Alfred Jones, was?--A. Yes, sir.
The FindaGrave Memorial for Shad Felder cites a Dallas Morning News article about his death:
In the early morning hours, a mob of 20-60 men overpowered the jailer and took three prisoners from the jail: Shed [sic] Felder, 45; Alfred Jones, 60; and T.H. Jones, 40. The men had been charged with the shooting murder of D. Bolton in November. The bodies of the men were found later that morning hanging from a pecan tree about a mile from the jail on Independence Road. ("Three Negros Hanged at Brenham", The Dallas Morning News, December 03, 1886)
Burial place: Unknown; Virtual Cemetery info created by: M. L.;  Record added: Sep 05, 2006; Find A Grave Memorial# 15629719

The 1880 census provides us a little more information on a young man named Shadrack Felder who may be related to the Shadrack Felder aged 45 described in the newspaper article:

Shadrack Felder  in the 1880 United States Federal Census[2]:
Name:                                   Shadrack Felder
Age:                                       15
Birth Year:                           abt 1865
Birthplace:                          Texas
Home in 1880:                   Precinct 1, Washington, Texas
Race:                                     Black
Gender:                               Male
Relation to Head of House:          Son
Marital Status:                   NA
Father's name:                  Guy Felder
Father's Birthplace:         South Carolina
Mother's name:                               Harrite Felder
Mother's Birthplace:       Georgia
Occupation:        Laborer
 Household Members:
Name    Age
Guy Felder                        55
Harrite Felder                   38
Patience Felder                 22
Mary Felder                      17
Shadrack Felder                15
Martha Felder                     8
Wiley Felder                       7
Julia Felder                         6
Lucy Felder                        4
Sharlotte Felder                  2
Jack Pink                           18
Clara Pink                         16

If these folks are related to Shadrack Felder, it appears that Mr. Felder would have many survivors and those survivors may have descendants that might be interested in his story.

The following persons that provided “Testimony on the Alleged Election Outrages in Texas” in August 1887 were indexed by Congressional Proquest as witnesses in order of appearance. I hope this information is helpful to Washington County researchers.  The testimony includes many personal details about these individuals.  Even though the subject of the report is a very sensitive subject, the genealogical facts that it contains may open the door to reconciliation and reunion with the ancestors and the descendants of everyone involved in the case.

Certainly we can look at the facts of this case and realize that the politicians of the 21st century are “trustworthy, loyal, courteous and kind” when compared to Texas politicians of the 19th century.

WITNESSES IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE:

BOOKER, Marshal, farmer, Washington County, Texas, p. 4.

SPANN, C. P., former election official, Washington County, Texas, p. 7.

JONES, T. M., teacher and election official, Brenham, Texas, p. 14.

NICHOLSON, J. M., planter and election official, Washington County, Texas, p. 22.

PENNINGTON, Lewis P., former election official, Washington County, Texas, p. 31.

KINLAW, Felix, former election official, Washington County, Texas, p. 39.

HAYS, Andy, farmer, Washington County, Texas, p. 47.

SHAW, William M., farmer, Washington County, Texas, p. 50.

BROWN, E. B., former election official, Washington County, Texas, p. 56.

MAYO, G. A., farmer, Washington County, Texas, p. 63.

WILLIAMS, W. L., farmer, Washington County, Texas, p. 66.

SCOTT, A. G., minister, Washington County, Texas, p. 69, 109.

BUSTER, W. S., resident, Brenham, Texas, p. 77, 607.

BROWN, G. W., Republican candidate for County commissioner, Washington County, Texas, p. 86, 108.

NEWMAN, Frank M., Democratic voter, Washington County, Texas, p. 90, 97, 610.

BAUER, Charles, former election official, Washington County, Texas, p. 100, 627.

POTTER, O. B., resident, Brenham, Texas; native of Ohio, p. 110, 612.

BLOUNT, W. H., farmer, Washington County, Texas; former candidate for Texas legislature, p. 126.

HOFFMAN, Joseph, assessor, Washington County, Texas, p. 130, 144, 615.

HACKWORTH, William W., resident, Brenham, Texas, p. 143.

HACKWORTH, Riggs P., justice of peace, Brenham, Texas, p. 145, 190, 608.

FRICKE, Paul, former candidate for sheriff, Washington County, Texas, p. 156,621.

JODON, Florent D., attorney, Brenham, Texas, p. 167, 635, 681.

SCHUTZE, Carl, attorney and journalist, Brenham, Texas; editor, Texas Staats Zeitung, p. 195.

HACKWORTH Stephen A., presiding judge, Washington County, Texas, p. 215, 658.

KIRK, Lafayette, judge, Washington County, Texas, p. 246.

CAWSE, William, former election official, Washington County, Texas, p. 303.

WRIGHT, Robert, former election official, Washington County, Texas, p. 310.

VERNON, John A., justice of peace, Washington County, Texas, p. 317, 604.

AWBREY, Benjamin Y., former election official, Washington County, Texas, p. 329.

IRELAND, John, Governor, Texas, p. 335.

ROBERTS, J. H., secretary, citizens group opposed to Republicans, Washington County, Texas, p. 348.

LEWIS, Hugh M., County clerk, Washington County, Texas, p. 362.

MULLER. Henry bookstore proprietor; editor. Texas Volksbote. p. 380.657.

SEARCY, W. W., attorney; chairman, Washington County Democratic Executive Committee, p. 391.

ENGELKE, F. A., president, First National Bank, Brenham, Texas, p. 402.

REICHARDT, E., proprietor, furniture store, Brenham, Texas, p. 405.

HAYNES, Harry, farmer, Washington County, Texas, p. 409.

FISCHER, Frederick, farmer and butcher, Brenham, Texas, p. 427.

PERRY, William, superintendent, cotton press, Brenham, Texas, p. 433.

ELDRIDGE, Boling, resident, Brenham, Texas, p. 440.

FISHER, Hermann, merchant and saloon proprietor, Brenham, Texas, p. 447.

TRISTRAM, Joseph, druggist, Brenham, Texas, p. 455.

HOFFMAN, Rinehardt, merchant, Brenham, Texas, p. 465.

LEHMANN, Bernhardt, saloon proprietor, Brenham, Texas, p. 468.

CURRY, E. P., attorney, Brenham, Texas; former People's Party candidate for magistrate, p. 471.

HODDE, Henry, merchant, Brenham, Texas, p. 486.

THOMPSON, William, cotton dealer, Brenham, Texas, p. 489, 555.

HOPKINS, Gus, cartman, Brenham, Texas, p. 492.

HUNT, Algie, farmer, Washington County, Texas, p. 499.

LEVIN, John, editor and publisher, Brenham Banner, p. 502

MOORE, James L., merchant, Brenham, Texas, p. 506.

ROBERTSON, B. F., planter, Washington County, Texas, p. 528.

ROUSE, E., mechanic, Brenham, Texas, p. 541.

WESSON, J. M., attorney; captain, militia, Grimes County, Texas, p. 545.

ROGERS, B. S., County attorney, Washington County, Texas, p. 548.

BRYAN, Lewis R., attorney, Brenham, Texas, p. 558.

GIDDINGS, De Witt C., former U.S. Representative, Texas, p. 582.

DEVER, N. E., sheriff, Washington County, Texas, p. 623.

SLATER, James E., telegraph operator, Brenham, Texas, p. 628,657.

HART, D. H., Clerk, Federal District and Federal Circuit Courts, Western Texas, p. 641.

DURFEE, Edward D., Railroad agent, Burton, Texas, p. 649.

WILSON, Robert, resident, Washington County, Texas, p. 651.

TOLAND, Elijah J resident, Washington County, Texas, p. 658.

MOORE, Robert J., member, Texas legislature, p. 668.

SWEARINGEN, J. T., p. 687.

To learn more about reasons for the congressional hearing on the “Alleged Election Outrages in Texas,” I recommend that you read the full text of the petition:

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES.

February 4, 1889.—Ordered to lie on the table and be printed.

ALLEGED ELECTION OUTRAGES IN WASHINGTON COUNTY, TEX.

Mr. Evarts, from the Committee on Privileges and Elections, sub-
[To accompany Senate resolutions of January 26, 1887, and February 2d, 1888.]

The Committee on Privileges and Elections respectfully reports that it has inquired into the circumstances and events referred to in the resolutions of the Senate passed January 26, 1887, and presents to the Senate the testimony taken before the committee and the conclusions upon such testimony to which it has come. The resolutions referred to the committee are as follows:

Whereas Stephen A. Hackworth, a native citizen of the United States and of the State of Texas ; James L. Moore, a native of Alabama, and now for twenty years a citizen of Texas; and Carl Schutze, a native of Germany, for thirty years a resident of the United States and now a naturalized citizen thereof, have presented their petition to the Senate, wherein they allege that they have been driven from their homes in Washington County, Texas, and compelled to abandon their property at a great sacrifice, and that armed and lawless bands of ruffians have taken possession of and destroyed certain ballot-boxes in said county at a late election therein for county officers and member of Congress, and have murdered three citizens of said county, and overthrown republican government therein, and committed other outrages and crimes, all of which have been done in order that the majority of the voters therein may be deprived of their lawful and constitutional right of suffrage, and that the minority may unlawfully usurp and exercise control in said county, and that the constituted authorities of said county and State refuse all remedy for said outrages and crimes: 

Be it Resolved, That the Committee on Privileges and Elections be, and it is hereby, instructed to inquire into all the circumstances of, and connected with, the said alleged events, and that it report as soon as may be; and that said committee have power to send for persons and papers, to employ a stenographer, and to act by any subcommittee, and that any such subcommittee shall, for the purposes of such investigation, be a committee of the Senate to all intents and purposes. Resolved, That the necessary expenses of said committee in said investigation be paid out of the appropriation for the miscellaneous items of the contingent fund of the Senate, upon vouchers to be approved by the chairman thereof.

The petition to Congress upon which the resolutions of the Senate were based states with perspicuity and conciseness the history of the transactions in Washington County, Tex., out of which the grievances of which the petitioners complain arose, and which constitute the public grounds upon which their appeal is made to Congress to investigate these transactions, and take such action as in its wisdom may seem appropriate to its jurisdiction and duty in the premises.

RESOLUTION.

 ALLEGED ELECTION OUTRAGES IN TEXAS.

The petition reads as follows:

PETITION.

To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States :
Your petitioners, Stephen A. Hackworth, James L. Moore, and Carl Schutze, respectfully state—
That they are citizens of Brenham, Washington County, Texas, but that they are now refugees from their homes in consequence of political persecutions.
That they are law-abiding citizens and are not charged with the commission of any crime whatever against the laws of said State, and they possess the confidence and esteem of all law-abiding citizens who know them.

That, having in vain appealed for protection for their lives and property and for the security and property of their families to the local and State authorities of said county and State, they have now no other recourse except to appeal to yon in the earnest hope that there may somewhere exist sufficient power to protect a citizen of the United States in his own country.
Your petitioner, Stephen A. Hackworth, is a native-born citizen of said Washington County, Texas; has resided a greater part of his life in said city of Brenham ; is now forty-seven years of age; is by occupation a dealer in real estate ; and from 1870 to 1882 held several civil positions in said county; owned real citato and personal property in said city of Brenham to the value of $4,000; was comfortably situated, the income from his business securing an assured support for himself and family.

Your petitioner, James L. Moore, is a native of the State of Alabama, but has been a citizen of said Washington County, Tex., since 1866; is now forty-five years of age, and by occupation a merchant ; and from 1876 to 1882, held the office of district clerk, and from 1882 to 1884 held the office of sheriff of said county; owned real and personal property in said city of Brenham to the value of $6,000 ; was comfortably situated and earning a comfortable living for himself and family.
Your petitioner, Carl Schutze, was born in Germany, but was many years ago naturalized, and has resided in the United States during the past thirty years, and has been a citizen of said Washington County since 1871; is now thirty-five years of age and un-married ; is by profession a lawyer, and from 1877 to 1880 hold the office of district attorney of said county and State; was, until recently, editor of a German Republican newspaper, published at the said city of Brenham, known as the Staats Zeitung ; was comfortably situated, owning personal property to the value of $3,000 ; the income from his profession and paper earning him a competent support.

Your petitioners are white citizens of the United States, and dared to believe and maintain the right to be Republicans in politics. For this, their only crime, your petitioners are now exiles from their homes, having been compelled to leave under serious threats of assassination, and abandon their property or accept for it such prices as were proffered them.

Your petitioner, S. A. Hackworth, was obliged to sell his homestead for $1,150, being less than one-half its real value. Your petitioner, James L. Moore, was obliged to sell his homestead for $2,000, being less than one-half its real value.

Your petitioner, Carl Schutze, was compelled to remove his paper to Galveston, Tex., thereby destroying its patronage and support, and preventing him from obtaining even one-tenth of its real value.

Your petitioners would further state, that at an election held on the 2d day of November last, for the election of county and State officers and member of Congress from the ninth Congressional district of Texas (of which said Congressional district said Washington county forms a part), a perfect reign of terror existed in said county caused by armed bands of white ruffians, who, by violence and by the destruction of ballot-boxes at Graball, Flewellens, and Lott's Store election precincts, prevented the free and fair expression of suffrage by the citizens of said county, whereby men in whose interest these crimes were committed were declared elected who were not in fact elected, and by the most shameless and unblushing frauds the election was made a farce. That every effort made by your petitioners and by other peaceable, law-abiding citizens to obtain lawful and peaceable redress for wrongs, and security for their lives and property, by appeal to the local and State authorities of said county and State, has been prevented by the wanton and cruel murder of important witnesses, and by the further fact that a body of State troops, ostensibly ordered to said county by the State authorities to preserve law and order, in fact acted in open concert with the lawless men who had committed the election outrages, and were then actually engaged in terrorizing the county preparatory to the commission of other outrages, afterwards perpetrated by them.

Your petitioners further state that, since the said 2d day of November last, no protection has existed in said county for the lives and property of citizens who are Republicans in politics; that one-half or more of the white citizens of said county are Republicans in politics, and, together with the colored citizens who are Republicans, have at least 2,000 majority votes over and above the citizens of said county who are Democrats in politics, and also own more than one-half of the real estate and personal property of said county; that said citizens are peaceable and law-abiding, and have never resorted to unlawful acts or measures to secure political ascendancy or to re dress their many grievances; that if said citizens should collect in sufficient numbers to secure protection to the lives of proscribed Republicans, such an assemblage would be declared to be a "negro insurrection " by the civil authorities, and would furnish a desirable pretext to said civil authorities and their armed bands of ruffians to call for and obtain from the State authorities sufficient re-enforcement of State troops to suppress the so-called "negro insurrection."

Your petitioners further declare that in pursuance of such repressive policy, and to prevent Republicans from securing their political rights and privileges in said county, Alfred Jones, Shadrach Felder, and Stewart Jones, three colored Republicans, were arrested upon pretended and malicious charges of crime, and, while in the custody of the civil authorities of said county, were, on the 2d day of December ultimo, surrendered by said civil authorities into the hands of large numbers of armed and disguised men—known as Ku-Klux—who wantonly and cruelly hung them to death; that this outrage was committed while the friends of these men were preparing to have their cases fully heard and investigated by habeas corpus proceedings, and the civil authorities of said county, together with their leading political friends, well knowing that reasonable and adequate evidence would be obtained at such trial which would expose and make public their political crimes and outrages, ordered and instigated, as your petitioners verily believe, the death of said Alfred Jones, Shadrach Felder, and Stewart Jones; that John Ireland, governor of said State, has failed and refused to make any effort whatever to have arrested and brought to trial the lawless men who committed this outrage, although the facts were made known to him and he was earnestly requested to take prompt action therein.

And your petitioners further declare that prompt action upon the part of the civil authorities of said county and State, together with the earnest protest of Democratic political leaders of said county and State, against the lawless acts of said bands of armed ruffians would have, at any time since the said 2d day of November last, restored the supremacy of law and order and secured ample protection to the lives and property of all citizens of said county and State; but, as already stated, no effort or protest has been made by either the said civil authorities or the leading Democratic politicians to prevent the commission of such crimes by said lawless bands of armed ruffians. 

And your petitioners further declare that there exists no republican government in said Washington County ; that large numbers of citizens who are Republicans in politics have been terrorized and compelled to leave said county, through open threats of runnier and violence made by said lawless bands of armed ruffians, who are acting under orders of said civil authorities and loading Democratic politicians of said county and State ; that the lives and property of other citizens of said county, who are unable and unwilling to leave said county, are now in great peril, and in their behalf your petitioners humbly and earnestly appeal to you for their relief and protection. 

And your petitioners further declare that the commission of such crimes and outrages is resorted to in other sections of said State, to prevent citizens who are Republicans in politics from making organized efforts to secure representation in the local and State and Federal governments, and the dangers attending such organized efforts is so well known and understood that in many sections of said State Republicans have disbanded their political organizations and abandoned all hope of securing such representation.

And your petitioners further state that, on the 4th day of December ultimo they were informed by a prominent member of the Democratic executive committee of said county, who was acting for, and in behalf, and with the full knowledge and consent of said Democratic executive committee and civil authorities, that if they would leave the county at once their lives would be spared, but if they refused to do so their lives would be sacrificed; and your petitioners being without hope, worn out by persecutions, and at the complete mercy of armed ruffians who were then collecting and preparing to murder them, and well knowing that their lives would be sacrificed unless they did not comply with the demands of leading Democrats, had thus to abandon their homes and become exiles.

And your petitioner Stephen A. Hackworth was, on the 16th day of December ultimo, escorted to the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway depot at said city of Brenham by members of the Democratic executive committee of said county, also by a number of friends who went with him to protect him from being murdered by armed bands of ruffians who had collected in said city of Brenham, on the 5th and 6th of December ultimo, for the purpose of murdering him if he refused to obey the demands of the said Democratic executive committee requiring him to leave said county, and as the train bore him away from the depot said lawless bands of armed ruffians rent the air with several prolonged and exultant yells of triumph.

And your petitioner S. A. Hackworth further states that no time was given him to remove his family from said city of Brenham ; and knowing it to be unsafe for him to remain in Texas, he came to Washington, D. C., where he is now temporarily residing.

Your petitioner James L. Moore was permitted to remain until the 12th of December ultimo, to enable him to dispose of his property, and on said date he, with his family, left Brenham for Los Angeles, Cal., where he and his family now reside.

Your petitioner, Carl Schutze, was compelled to leave Brenham on said 6th of December ultimo, but returned to Brenham on the 13th of December ultimo, for the purpose of removing his paper, the Staats Zeitung, to Galveston, Tex., and on said 13th day of December was, while leaving the depot at Brenham for Galveston, attacked by armed ruffians, who fired two pistol shots, and also threw a heavy stone at him through the car window, but he escaped unhurt, and is now in Galveston, Tex.

And your petitioners further say that they are unable within the limits of this petition to state all the facts and set forth the long lists of cruel crimes committed upon helpless citizens of said county because they dared to exercise their political rights as Republicans to obtain representation in the local, Stare, and Federal governments of the country ; and your petitioners are prepared, and stand ready when called upon to do so, to establish by conclusive evidence the truth of all facts herein sot forth and submitted.

And your petitioners hereby respectfully submit all matters herein stated and complained of to your honorable body for your careful consideration, and such action as you may deem necessary to cure the evils herein stated, and thereby secure to all citizens of the United States their rights under a republican form of government in fact as well as in name. As in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

Stephen A. Hackworth.
James L. Moore.
Carl Schutze.

By the written authority and request of Messrs. James L. Moore and Carl Schutze, I have signed their names to the above and foregoing petition, this the 6th day of January, 1887.





[1] United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Privileges and Elections. Testimony on the alleged election outrages in Texas, book, 1889; Washington D.C.. (texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth33012/m1/2/?q=sloan: accessed November 7, 2016), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Star of the Republic Museum.
[2] Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Precinct 1, Washington, Texas; Roll: 1331; Family History Film: 1255331; Page: 48D; Enumeration District: 141; Ancestry.com and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line].