Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1883 — ELIZA PINKSTON. [ARTICLE]

ELIZA PINKSTON.

The Notorious Woman who Aided John Sherman to Steal Louann’s Vote, Eliza Pinkston died in Juil at Canton, Miss., last week. She wns the negiess who, with James E Anderson (killed recently in a brawl in.the West). J. Maisdon Well and Agenes D. Jenks, made the counting iu of Hayes in Louisiana in 1876 so pic-, tuiesque a proceeding. She is described by a Republican correspon dent who approved the result as follews: Mrs. Pinkston was rather under medium size and had a small head covered with short, tightly curled, woolly hair. Her face was quite black and with the tendency common among the Ignorant negroes to get involved in details anq lose the thread of her story. S|Eliza was in 1876 a resident or uachita Parish. Ou the eve of election Dr. A. 8. Helmick was sent for to attend her. and to him she said that her house had been attacked that morning by fifteen or twenty negroes, who killed her husband and wounded her, and in that story she persisted, though a negro woman present threatened her for laying the crime upon murderers or her own color. Dr. Helmick dressed her wounds, finding but one that was at all serious, and she remained in the neighborhood for several days, walking about from place to place. Her next appearence was in New Orleans, when, at the suggestion of General Harry White, of Pennawlvania, she was brought before ine “visiting statesmen,” among whom were General Garfield anq Senator Sherman, as a victim of Democratic buldozers, She was carried in upon a sofa, hav> ing been, it was explained, so desperately cut, shot and beaten by the ruffians who 1 ad killed her husband for being an uucompromissing Republican leader, that she was unable to walk, and it was probable that her death would ensure. So terrible, in deed, were the wounds, thot the visiting statesman" were to modest to inspect them. Eliza Pinkston proved a very useful agent in firing the Repudlican heart at the North. In 1878 she turned up in Madison County, Miss., having recovered and married again, and on .the 23d of June made in affidavit to the effect that Henry Pinkston nad been killed and she herself attacked by unknown colored men, that ne had net been engaged in polities, that two Republicans had paid her to recite the story told oefore the Returning Board, that she had feigned tjxat her wounds were serious when jn reality she was able to walk, and that her condition was known to Senator Sherman, who, another affiant swore, was overbeard rejoicing noisily at the success of the imposition. On the 4th of July the Postmaster at Canton obtained irom

her a withdrawal of her affidavit and* an assertion of the correctness cf her story told nt New Orleans, but later ( testimony es*ablished the incorrect* ness of his statement. In November. 1879. Eliza was arrested on a I charge of murdering her husband, who died suddenly on the morrow after they had separated, but she was released in the absence of any sign of violence or poison upon the body. In September last she was sent to Jail with a number of other thieves. Th«* “Old School House” and the ground on which it stands, consisting ing of abofit ten or twelve lots, is for sale, cheap for cash. Apply to EL. Clark, R. 8. Dwiggins. 01M.F. Chilcote, School Board.