Testimony on the alleged election outrages in Texas Page: 691

                                
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT.
THE UNITED STATES )
vs.           August term, A. D. 1887.
LAFAYETTE KIRK ET AL.)
TESTIMONY OF JOE HOFFMAN.
JOE HOFFMAN sworn:
Q. Where do you reside ?-A. I reside in Burton, Washington County.
Q. How long have you been there ?-A. I have been there several
years.
Q. Are you well acquainted in Washington County ?-A. Yes, sir,
I think I am.
Q. Are you acquainted with the different voting places in Washington
County?-A. Yes, sir, I think I am.
Q. Can you state what voting places there were returns from at the
election in 1886 ?-A. Well, to the best of my recollection, there was
no return from Flewellyn and Chadwicks, and I think some others.
Q. You seem to be speaking from information --A. I have reference
to the election of 2d of November, 1886.
Q. What kind of election was it, a general election --A. Yes, sir;
general officers, State officers, and members of Congress.
Q. State whether or not you were at that election.-A. I was.
Q. Were you a candidate for any office--A. I was a candidate for
the office of assessor of taxes.
Q. State something of the nature of the canvass in that county.-A.
I went to the meetings as much as I possibly could; the meetings were
generally at night; the Democratic candidates went there as well as the
Republican candidates.
Q. State what tickets were running.-A. There was a straight Republican
ticket and a People's ticket.
Q. What ticket did you run on ?-A. I ran on the Republican ticket.
Q. State whether any of the defendants ran on the ticket.-A. Kirk
ran on the People's ticket for county judge.
Q. What part did Kirk take in the election ?-A. Kirk ran for himself
and for the People's ticket against the Republican candidate.
Q. What was the relative strength of the Republican ticket and the
People's ticket ?
(Objected to by defense.)
Q. What was the relative strength of the parties in the election before
that?-A. Do you mean in 1884?
(Objected to by defense as irrelevant and objection overruled.)
A. In 1884 the Republicans were largely in the majority.
Q. In that county ?-A. Yes, sir.
'Q. Do you know anything about the Flewellyn box ? Was it Republican?-A.
In 1884 it was. There were two Democrats running for
county judge I think.                                 69
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