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.

1898 CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN THE SOUTHERN STATES.
the top of his head. I suppose if he had hit him with the barrel, it would not have
broke the skin; he knocked just a little blow.
Question. You say Burton struck him, thinking him the negro who took the pocketbook?
Answer. Yes, sir; that is what I believe. When he struck him, he says, " Who in
the hell are you?" and struck, and John said, " It's John Childers;" and I turned
around to stop him, and he said if it was John Childers, he had no more to say.
Question. You say he was very drunk?
Answe'r. He was very drunk. I staid all the day to get him out of town. I bought
a oottle of whisky to get him out of town with. I told him to come on and we would
take the whisky home and drink it. I was afraid he would get into some difficulty.
He is a very foolish man when he is drunk. He agreed to go when I bought the bottle of whisky.
Question. Has he been on good terms with John Childers since that?
Answer. Yes, sir. They were drunk together a few days after, in town, a hugging
one another around since that.
Question. Here the other day after John Childers gave in his testimony, he went out
and was drunk?
Answer. Yes, sir; hin and Mr. Burton were drinking together. I saw them down
here on the street myself.
Question. There is no animosity between them at all?
Answer. No, sir, none at all.
Question. Was John Childers drunk that evening?
Answer. He was very drunk when he left town. I suppose that lick he got did scare
or sober him a little.
Question. Was he fighting with some other negroes?
Answer. Yes, sir. I don't know as they hurt each other, but they were making a
terrible fuss.
Question. You rode up to see what was going on?
Answer. Yes, sir; I spoke to Mr. Burton and Mr. May, and said there was a fight on
the bridge, and let us go and see; and when I came I heard Jolln say somethilng
about his pocket-book, and when I rode up he said, "That damned nigger has my
pocket-book." I jumped off of my mare and catched him. I knew John pretty well:
and Burton run up and struck him on the head with his gun, and says, "Damn you.
who are you?" and John said, "John Childers," and I turned around as soon as I
could, and told him not to hurt him, and caught hold of his gun and took it away
from him, and told him not to hit hi i any more. He said he wouldn't. They kept
jawing like drunken men. They made friends, and would get mad again in a minute,
like drunken men. I told John then to get out of the way.
By Mr. RICE:
Question. Is John a pretty clever fellow?
Answer. Yes, sir, when he is sober; but a terrible fellow when he is drunk. He don't
mean to be insulting except when he is drunk. He got a terrible beating a few days
after that in town.
By Mr. BLAIR:
Question. How did that occur?
Answer. A young man, a carpenter, working with Mr. Barker, and another young man
was drinking, and John was drinking with them. They proposed to John to change a
ten-dollar confederate bill, and he made some slighting remark, and they got into a jaw
about it, and they pelted him with brick-bats. I only heard how it happened.
Question. Did John ever tell you about it?
Answer. No, he only said he got a beating up town; that some white men beat him
with brick-bats. They had a drunken row there. He told me he was drunk.
Question. Were the other parties drunk too?
Anszcer. I do not know; I reckon they were; it was on Sunday.
By the CHAIRIAN:
Question. Were you all drunk that night?
Answer. I had been drinking some whisky all day long; I was not drunk. Mr:
Burton was drunk and so was John Childers. Mr. May was sober; he was a man that
never drunk but very little. I had drunk some whisky, but I was as sober as I am now,
I suppose.
Question. Did Burton knock him down when he struck him?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. You say you all drank afterwards, and made friends?
Answer. Yes, sir all drank out of the same bottle on that hill, and said we would
all liake friends and never say anything more about it; it was a foolish trick.
Question. When lie felt his sore head next morning, when the drunk had passed off,