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Notes |
From a photograph. [The Ku-Klux conspiracy has extended its mysterious links through every Southern Stte : it has usually flourished before and after every election with a sudden vigor, and has then sunk into obscurity until the hour for new efforts arrived ; its measures are always the same, whether in Texas or Missouri ; its members ride around at night in strange disguises ; their victims are white and colored Republicans, their wives and children, honest working-men, teachers, and active Baptist or Methodist ministers ; sometimes United States officials or State judges and Senators have fallen before their rifles ; sometimes the clergyman has been shot in his pulpit or the lawyer in his court-house ; but often they are content to rob and burn the negro cabin, to seam the backs of its unlucky tenants with pitiless lashes, or leave the husband and father bleeding and dying in the midst of is horro-stricken family. The pitiless cruelty of these Southern Democrats--for the chief object of the Ku-Klux assassins is always to insure the election of the Democratic officials--surpasses the barbarity of the savage]. [CHARLOTTE FOWLER, an aged colored woman, thus relates the story of the murder of her husband, whose head was white as snow. "Tell how he was killed" said one of the Congressional Committee to her. We give the narrative in her own touching words. "The night he was killed--I was taken sick on Wednesday morning, and i laid on my bed Wednesday and Thursday. I didn't eat a mouthful ; I couldn't do it, i was so sick. So he went out working on his farm. We still had a little grandchild living with me--my daughter's child. I never ate nothing until Thursday night.
When he came home his cooked something for me to eat, and said, "Old woman, if you don't eat something you will die.' I think I have got the fever, and I don't want you to get it.' He said, 'No, I don't want to get the fever, for I have too much to do.' He got up, and pulled off his clothes and got in bed. So he lay there for about half and hour, and then I heard the dogs. Then I got up, and went into the room to my bed. I reckon I had not laid in bed half an hour before I heard somebody by the door ; it was not one person, but two --ram ! ram ! ram ! at the door. Immediately I was going to call him to open the door ; but he heard it as quick as lightening, and he said to them, 'Gentlemen, do not break the door down ; I will open the door ;' and just as he said that they said, '-you, I have got you now.' I was awake, and I started and got out of the bed, and fell down on the floor. I was very much scared. The little child followed its grandfather to the door. You know, in the night it is hard to direct a child. When he said, '- you, I have got you now! and he said, 'Don't you run! And just then I heard the report of a pistol, and they shot him down ; and this little child ran back to me before I could get out, and says, 'Oh, grandma, they have killed my poor grandpappy! He was such an old gentleman, I thought they just shot over him to scare him ; but, sure enough, as quick as I got to the door I raise my right hand and said, 'Gentlemen, you have killed a poor innocent man! my poor old man! Says he, 'Shut up! I never saw but two of them, for by that time the others had vanished." The murderer was masked. The victim had been a firm Republican, but had never been an active one. The aged wife screamed and called in vain for help ; in the dim moonshine she saw the body of her husband lie bleeding before the cottage door, and his assassins ride swiftly away]. |
