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.

1448 CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES.
standing in front of him, and remarked, "Clear the track and let himl shoot m1e," referring to Jones. Other white persons who were there had left-ran off, I suppose, to
gct something to fight with, from what I can learn. They immediately returned with
some pistols, and ran up to Jones, some four or five, and some of them, probably, ran
their pistols in his face, or near his face. I understood his hat was knocked off. At
that moment he applied to McNeill to save him. McNeill said, "Give up your arms
then;" and he handed his pistols to McNeill. He said, "You saved my life once before;
save it again," and McNeill ran in between himl and the cweapons-the pistols —and
shoved him back inside of the court-house, and the door of the rerister's office was
kicked open, and he went in there and barred himself up in there. Whenl I came bacl
then, he was in there. I had not seen himr up to that time. I set about, with other
parties-the older men-to quiet the disturbance; we succeeded, except with one or
two drunken men, who were in no condition to be quiet about anything. I tried my
best to get the colored people to leave the town. There were lrge numbers blocking
up the street. I made them two or three speeches. and insisted upon their retiring,
and told them if they remained in large numbers it would be more likely to lead to
trouble eventually, and slowly the colored people withdrew. I then went, and insisted
upon the grog-shops closing their doors, which they did, at my solicitation. Judge
Young, who had been in the room with Dr. Jones, tbhen came out and informed me that
Dr. Jones wanted to sign a paper retiring from the candidacy for the office of sheriff
of this county, and that he would go home and try to keep down every disturbance;
and he asked me to go to my office and write the paper. I did so, as nearly in tle language Judge Young informied me as I could. I have a copy of that paper that Dr.
Jones signed, with me, [producing paper.] I will say this, that I wrote the paper, and
looked for Judge Young to go back with me where Dr. Jones was. I could not find
Judge Young. I asked Mr. McNeill, the brother of the gentleman who is here, to go
with me into the room. I went in there, and Dr. Jones was sitting in the corner of
the register's office with three pistols-a navy repeater, a pocket repeater, and a very
large single-barreled pistol-lying by his side. I told himn Judge Young had inform(
me that he desired to sign certain papers. He said he did, and asked if I had prepare
it. I told him I had. He asked to see it. I took the paper out and showed it to hii
He read it, and said, "That is all right; I will sign that," and did so, and asked me i
give him a copy. I did so. The original and the copy are in my handwriting. It i
in these words:
" THE STATE OF ALABAMA, M'arengo Coutty:
"I, William B. Jones, in order to quiet political excitement in the county, and for
the preservation of peace and good order, agree to retire from the canvass for the office
of sheriff of said county, and to do all I can to promote good order in the community.
"VW. B. JONES.
"OCTOBEn 7, 1871."
He asked me then to take that paper and go out and collect all persons who were in
town, and read it, and explain it to them. I did so. Blacks and whites collected
around me in large numbers. I read it to them. He asked me to ascertain if it was
satisfactory. I read it to them, and then I told them Dr. Jones wished to know if it was
satisfactory. There was one universal acclamation among all that it was satisfactory.
Question. Negroes and whites?
Answer. Yes, sir; of the negroes especially. I went back and told them what I had
done. I had told his black man, who was with him, to bring his buggy up the street
from the livery stable, and I asked him, "Now, do you desire to go honme?" He said he
did,' but I am afraid to go out there; I am afraid they wiill ill me." I asked him if,
when the men lie had known all his life gave him their word that he should not be
hurt, he did not believe them. He remarked, that he had ever confided in the integrity and truthfulness of southern men; that when they told hinm anything, he believed
it, and says he, "Here are my pistols; I want you to take them.;" He and I have
known one another all our lives; both born and raised in this county. He says,
"Take then and send them to me at Demopolis." I did not want to take them
-to have thenm about me. I told him that was useless; to take them in the
buggy. He says, "No, I will not touch them." I took them up off of the box,
and put one in each pocket of my coat, and carried tl-e large one in my hand;
I could( not put it in my pocket. As we went out in front of the court-house,
tie crowd collected around him. There was a large number of blacks and whites. As
lie went out he was crying loudly. When he got outside of the gate, into the street,
lie stopped and made a little speech, the purport of which was, that he was no ldnger
a candidate for the office of sheriff of Marengo County; that he intended to support
Captain Harris, the democratic candidate, and advised all black and white present to
do the same, and told the colored people to behave themselves, and be quiet, and go
home and attend to their business. He then went on up to his buggy, and remarked
that he would not go unless myself and a Mr. Tate who lived there would go with