Former Postmaster John H Woolums, Midway, filed suit against
Postmaster Henry P Waits, Midway, and Burnett Ellis, colored, for 
$20,000 damages for slander.  All parties are Republicans.  It is
claimed that Woolums was slow in giving out the ballots in 
Precinct #1 at Midway and thus shut out about 140 voters, nearly
all of them colored Republicans.  Waits and Ellis claimed that
Woolums sold out his party to the Democrats.  Woolums was post-
master during the Harrison administration and was formerly
police judge.  He is one of the oldest Republicans in the county.  
Ellis is a leader of the colored Republicans and is the wealthiest
Negro in the county

Woodford Sun 11/23/1899