Report of the Joint select committee appointed to inquire into the condition of affairs in the late insurrectionary states, so far as regards the execution of laws, and the safety of the lives and property of the citizens of the United States and Testimony taken.

1512 CONDITION O1F AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTtIHECRN STATES.
Answer. No, sir, I suppose 3not; the way I heard it was-I do not lknow that it is true —
the way I understood the report was, that there was a negro man in that neighborhood, and this young man had employed this negro man's wife to. cook for him, and
was sleeping with her, and the man became enraged at the idea of his sleeping with
his wife, and got assistance to have him whipped, thinking that would run him off.
Question. Did you understand that this was a band of negro men w\ho inflicted this
whipping?
Answer. No; I did not understand who it was. I never heard who it was. I understood several men took him out and whipped him.
Question. You did not understand whether they were white or black?
Ansuwer. No, sir.
Question. Is it probable that a nelgro man could!:ave enlisted twenty or twenty-five
white men to have inflicted a whlipping upon a young man for sleeping with his wife,
Answer. I do not know; I conuld not tell.
Question. You are acquainted with the sentimenlts of this communtity; lwhat is your
opinion; do you think twenty or twenty-five white mlen \wotuld have taken up the
cause of a negro under such circumstalnces?
Mr. BLAIR. The nunmber was stated at ten.
The CHAIR:MIAN. Put it at ten, then.
Answer. Well, sir, I could not state; likely they wouil.
Question. Is it not your information that it is a very coummnon thing, in IMarengo
County, for white men to have sexual intercourse with negro women?
AnsIwer. Yes, sir; I suppose that to be so; I do not know it.
Question. I asked for your opinion?
-2Answer. I reckon, in Marengo, it is about as in every other county.
Question. Do you think'it is a very colnmmon circumtstance?
Answer. I could not answer, for I do not know anything about it myself:
Questio)n. About -what proportion of the colored race, so far as your knowledge extends, have white blood in them?
Antswecr. I do not know; I never thought about it; I could not answer that; I do not
know.
Question. As muich as one-third, do you thinki?
isuswer. I would thlink not so much.
By Mr. BLAIR:
Question. Is this practice confined entirely to southern men; is it not found among
northern men who come down here?
AnswtIer'. Northern, I believe, are about as bad as southern men, or may be worse;
they are said( to be.
(Qesttion. Especially those who m:hake equals of the negroes in other respects?
Ainsicer. Yes. I do not expect there is 1much difference.
By tlhe CixAIRSAN:
Questioni. Hlave you ever:heard of any prosecutions being instituted against the men
who were concerned in the rmurder of Westbrook, or the whipping of this schoolteacher?
Answer. I (do not think they have ever been kInown; that is my understanding.
Qulestiot. My question is, whether you know of any efforts being made to discover
the offenders, and bring them to justice.
Answver. Well, sir, I was sick at the time Robin Westbrook was killed; I knew the
black man, myself, and his wife. This maln Robin Westbrook's wife is a sister of a
very excellent colored man, hllo is living with me; that is the way I happened to
know anything of it; he went over to see his sister, and my understalnding from himl
was, that his sister reported to him that she did not know who they were that killed
her husband; that is the statement.
Question. My question is whether any efforts have been made to discover the offenders.
Answuer. I could niot answer that; it is out of the neighborhood in which I live.
QItuestion. Would there be, an y practical difficulty, in your opinion, doctor, in fnlinig
out the mien who are concerned( in these outrages, if an earnest effort were mLade, at
the time they were committed, to (liscover them?
Alsult'r. Well, Mri. Plratt, I couitl not say, not knowing anything about theim at all.
I have been confined to my house since March, and I do not know. The impression is
here, I understand, that such a tlilng is done; hbt who did it? JThey will say, " The
negroes did it," but I do not know anything about it.
Question. Let me illustrate what I mean. Suppose a b)ody of disguised men were to
ride into the town of Linden at night, single out some prominent citizen, held in good
esteem in the community, and take himn out at night and whip him, or murder him,
is it not your opinion that there would be, a general hue and cry raised, and that every
man in the community would feel it his duty to turn out and attempt to discover the
murderers?