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.

1942 CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN TItE SOUTHERN STATES.
Question. Is Luther R. Smith one?
Answer. Luther R. Smith was elected judge of the circuit court; Tobias Lane was
elected judge of the probate court; a negro by the name of Richard Harris was elected
sheriff; and one by the name of Ben. Bardwell, I think, was elected solicitor.
Question. Could the negro solicitor who was elected read and write?
Answer. IIe could not; he told me he could not.
Question. Could the negro who was elected sheriff read or write?
Answer. Yes, sir; he could read and could write, sir. There were some other negroes
elected to different offices.
Question. George Houston and Ben Inge?
AnswtJer. Yes, sir; they were elected to the legislature, I believe, neither of whom
could write. George Houston could not write. I am not sure about Ben Inge; he
lived in a disttant part of the county, and I never knew anything of him until about
the time of his election.
Quecstion. I aTvL a list here of those elected. Luilther. Samith was elected what?
Ansrcer. Circuit judge.
tuestio'e. Yordy i
Anaiswer. i wras electedl to the senatte. He is a wwlite man.
Q1,,estio. And 1tulin was elected to the legislature
A:nZSie. I do not remember distinctly. I never saw him. He floated in after the
war. I ne ver k'ew himi t at all.
ue,!stion. Ge1orge Houston and Ben Inog were elected?._Ansiwe'. Yes, sir; I knew Houlston; he lived in this town.
(Qust',ion. Tobias tLane was elected probate judge?
AiJ.swCr. Yes, sir.
QleCstio. lichard li H arid,k a negro was eci:ited' sherifi?,iaswver. Yes, sir.
ioetcsttion. John B. Cecil, treasurer?
iAsw:er. Yes; I had lbrgotton himu, sir. Hie was a white man, and came in in mmediastely after the close of the war. I think he was not in the army, but perhaps
ttalchled to somei bra.nch of th.e Federal Arm-y-sutler, or something.
(,estion. Badger w's elected assessor?
Aiswer:c. I never saw him. He came in also.
Qe:ion. Do you klnow e was elected?.As? cve r. That is my recollection.
Qulestion?. Benl Bardwell, negro, solicitor?
A>swer. Yes, sir; I know he was elected solicitor.
Qzst'io,,n. And Daniel Price?
Ati'sswer. Circuit clerk.
Qt cestionl. All of these white men elected to these different places were carpet-bagiges, so-called, were they?
Answere. They were, sir, except Daniel Price. I have understood tlat he was born in
A labt:it; anod raised here; and I have also heard that he was a former convict in the
ji'nitentiary, thoug(hl I do not know that of my owni knowledge.
Qu4estoio. Thait is all I desire to ask.
Asittc. You as1d e at short time sine about some late disorders. There was one
cse lhappenedL dur(ing tllis past summer of some negroes Ku-Kluxing some other:meg-rocAts at iight. I do not 1know that it was for political purposes-sonme private matt% c, sir. BoIe ive or six took a ne gro at night and whipped himl pretty badly.
By the CftiM. I AN:
QiA/iioA,. Tat, is t!,e only case of Ku-Knuxing you remember within the last year?
Everytluing lha been orderly, quiet, and peaceable, and the laws well executed, except
ithi,;t little ripple on the surface.
iA.s!iWr. Wichil one —that single act?
Qetc; ion. Yes.
_Aicer. Ti at- is not i the onlv offense.
Qeistio,. I umlerstood you to start out with the statement that the laws had been
well executed for twelve months, and the commlunity peaceable and quiet.
Ans,78'er. Ai.s Imlch so as before the war; that was my statement.
Oe)rstioen. You qualify it in that Nway?,I'awe. I imade that statemenit at first.
(Qestio,0. V'ere you here (during the war?
Alfi'er.'No, Sir.,Qestiom. Where were you?
Answlcer. I was in the confederate army; I was here a short time on furlough, but
only a short time.
Question. What was your rank in the army?
nswer I was ptain, sir, portion of the w and privatir, a portion of the r
war.