William Neifing, local harness dealer and undertaker, was one of the judges and he sent out for a copy of the amendment, and learned that it was adopted. The judges sent a messenger for Dave and he returned to the polls where apologies were made and he proceeded to cast his vote, no doubt for the reelection of Mr. Wathen as mayor. Later in the day, Dave's brother, Charles Strother also cast his vote, unquestionably the second Negro to vote under the new amendment.
Needless to say, Strother's vote made history. Gersh Martin was then El Paso's newspaper editor, and he lost no time in telegraphing the news to the Associated Press, and soon people all over the United States were reading about an obscure Negro barber who had cast the first vote of his race following the change in the Constitution. Had it not been for our peculiar charter which called for an election on Monday, fame might have passed Dave up because there is no question other Negroes voted the following day when regular elections were held in many other communities.
David A. Strother (his signature shows the middle initial as "A", and not "H" as was generally written) was born in Lexington, Missouri, August 18, 1843, the son of parents who were slaves. His
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