Where The Bloody Shirt Comes From

The experience of Charles Graham, one of Harper & Brother's artists, who has recently returned f'rom a sketching tour in the south,strongly illustrates the lawless antagonistn, which every northerner inay expect to encounter who attempts to live there. Mr. Graham started out in August to make sketches for the ilhistration of a series of articles, and returned to this city a few days ago. ín the eourse of a recent conversation with a Tribune reporter, Mr. Graham stated that as a northerner he was looked upon with extreme suspicion, and bis movements were so closely watched that his work was often seriously itnpeded. "They take every northerner," he said, "who goes there to be a repulilican, and they at onoe give him tho cold shouldtr and use various means to make him feel uncomfortably. They forget all about the democracy of the north, and nevor to think for a moment that a 'Yaflfc' can be anything except a republiean." "Were you shot at on your trip?" "Well, yes," responded Mr. Graham; " but that was not on account of politie.". I was then up in North Carolina, close to the Cherokee reservation. This part of the country is full of ' moonshiners' or illicit whisky distillers, and they suspeoted or pretended to suspect, that I was a revenue officer. My guide and I had cainped a short distance from Qualla, and were told that ' the boya ' were sure to come to see what we were after if we remained. The first day we were there 'Charley' Glass, the guide, noticed nevera! men lurking in the bushes, and prescntly qne of theun came up to the camp. He said they thought us to be revenue offieers; but I showed him my sketohes and took some pains to disabuse hi.s uiindof that notion andatlength he appeared satified and accepted my invitation to supper. In the evening the other men tethered their horses near the camp, and lay around on the grass smokng. None of them spoke to me, except the one who came iato the tent. Aftcr supper he started to leave the tent, but tiad not gone more than a few paces when be turned and deliberately fired two ahotfl at me with his revolver. I took up a repeater rifle with which Messrs. Harper had provided me, but eeeing the other men getting on their feet, refrained from using it." "Didyou hear of any caseswhere republioans were interfered with?" "I heard of- well, a great number. It was a common thing fbr a man to say: ' Two men were shot on tliat bluff last spring because they were republicana ; or 'A northerner dropped there bccauso he missed the ticket,' and ko on. Many of the cases have not been published m the -lapers." "Can j'ou name one or two ot tnose il'ICCS ? " I could name tho places nd persons n some cases, but I should obiect to doing so because the Tribune is read down there and it would lead to trouble. Several reíublicans mentioned to roo that they hought of leaving the soutb, not bocause their business was not prosperous, but because of the contemptous treatment they received from southerners. One man at Webster, who has a sawmill and as much work as he can manage, says he sball leave this year in consequence of threats that have been made against him. KnowiDg that I represented a New York paper, soine of tbc democrats were very kind to me. It was corumon for them to eay: ' Here, boys, this newspaper fellow is from tbe north, and Nast and the Tribune will give us h when he gets back.' In regaid to iho WalWla murder. lod;nK democrat introduced me to the crowd at the hotel af ter this mannner : ' Now, gentlemen, here is Mr. Graham, from the north, and can write this thing up for us. You see, Mr. Graham, the northern people have an idea that the man was shot because he was a republican. It was nothing of the sort ; simply a little scrimmage about some property. The man did have some influenoe with the negroes at one time, but at the time he was shot he had no influence so far as the republican party was concerned, and it is absurd to say he was shot for that." "I had not troubled my head about the affair, but its being pressed upon me in such a manner led me to make a few enquiñes, and from the statemonts of the democrats theoiselves, I feel convinced thut the man was shot to get rid of him because he had influence." " 'Charley' Glass, my guide, told me of several cases, not recent, but happening within the lust two years or so. Some of them I made enquiñes about, and others I did not. Glass is a thorough republican, and his word is thoroughly to be relied upon, but if you a.-k me for names or locations [ must decline to give them, as I know it will only occasion furthor trouble. " "There u one case of brutality that I heard of, which I think you ought to mention. In North Carolina they utilize prison labor for buildffig railroads, and when one of these prisoners escape they track him down with bloodhounds. This I know h) be a f act. Last year two oolored piiaonors etcaped and wcre tracked in thia way. One got away, but the other, an old man who had been sent up for stealing a pair of nhoes, was caught by the dogs and literally torn to pieces." "From what prison did he escape?" "The prisoner escaped from a tockade built on the railroad in Buncombe couoty, North Carolina. They build these stockades on various parts of the road, and remove them as the work advance?. 1 have seen these ganga at work. There are hardly any white men among them. You see, they send a man up for stealing a pair of shoes, but a murderer thoy dan't put in the stockade. He is hurried off to prison and there is loud talk of a trial, but presently you will see him 'sitting round the botel stoop ' chewing tobáceo - if he is a democrat, that is." "As I was going from the Highlands to Walhalla,anothersouthemer8houted to the lotel proprietor who was driving for me, 'What are you hauling to-day, Yanks?' - " other spoke of hauling sr. many jeef. This shows how thy esteem nortnerners." "On my tour I was several times told I would better 'get out of that,' simply because I was thought to be a northerner, I [teleive. Once, when camping between Wayneville and Webster, N. C, the residents were for taking me into custody for hooting a small bird. This was a pretense )urely, and as I started to 'clear out ' they ook no furthe notice of it, but annoyed me for a few miles with an escort that lay n ambush on the hillside."