Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-08-13
WAR OF THE ROSES.
Bolts and Hawzhurst Quarrel in the
Grand Jury Room Of the Circuit Couft
of the United States.


the Hunnicutt party, at the recent Radical
cODclave in Richmond. On Monday last he
gave Hawxhurst, the President of the negro
wing Of the radical forces, hauling over. in
the grand jury room of the United States
Circuit Court. The difficulty between these
two worthless created quite sensation in
Richmond, and various were the rumors
afOat concerning it. The Richmond Dis
patch gives the following authentic state.
ments of the affair -
MIR. DoTTs's STATEMENT.
When came into the courtroom spoke
to the jurymen therein assembled. Mr.. Hawk.
hurst advanced aud extended his hand. |
said: "Mr. 'Hawxhurst don't you speak to
me; you have forfeited all claims to speak to
me or any other gentleman your conduct
has been most outrageous" He asked .
What have 1 done p you have done ey-
erything you ought not to have Done" He
asked what it was, when l told him I'VE had
met here some six or eight weeks ago to see
ii we could harmonize all of our difficulties
and bring the two wings of our party togeth-
er to organize the Republican party in such
way US to secure our success. By that
agreement the convention which called at
Charlottesville, to be held on the 4th of july,
was transferred to the city of Richmond to
be held on the lst of August, when we were
to have met on terms of political equality
Our wing of the party, representing some
45,OOO or $4,000 voters in the State, being
themselves gentlemen of respectability, iu-
tfuence and for the most part large property
holders, numbering between 200 or 300, came
here, at great Inconvenience and expense, to
attend that convention. We had been fre-
quently told that you and others were con.
stantly urging the cOlored people to be on
hand to fill the house the moment the doors
were opened. Mr.. Hunnicutt had assured
me that seats should be reserved for every
member of the delegation, who should be
treated with the utmost respect and courtesy
Instead Of which on the morning of the lst
OF August, by some means you obtained pos
session OF the keys of the house, sneaked
around to the back door, accompanied by a
large crowd of your peculiar friends, who
were made to occupy the platform and front
seats, having at the same time from one to two
acres of ground in front of the church crowd.
ed and packed with cOlored people, who the
moment the doors were opened, as previously
instructed, rushed in and occupied all the va
cant space in the house, to the exclusion of
every gentleman from the country in attend>
ance ON our convention. Finding that no
business could be transacted there YOU final
ly adjourned to the Capitol Square, where
about five thousand persons, mostly colored
men, were assembled, which had more the ap-
Pcarance of u riotous mob than a convention
for business, and through which no gentle.
man would undertake to make his Way. Over
this body you and your townsman, George
Tucker, took sole control, aud we were not
allowed any fair participation in it.
We then called a meeting of our conven-
ton, to be held in the House of Delegates
at o'clock thar night, when We should have
finished our business independent Of you or
yours but before the time of meeting we
were Informed that your mass meeting had
adjourned in better spirit than had been
exhibited through the day, and had invited
cooperation with the delegations to our con-
ventiOn next morning at 10 o'clock, and had
extended an invitation to several gentlemen,
myself among the number, to address the
members of your convention at that hour
We appeared there, and before we were al
lowed to address them, or before We were
invited upon the stand, a resolution was offered
and adopted declaring that the business of
that convention was completed, and they
adjourned sine die, and then resolved them>
selves into mass meeting, and in that capa-
city alone were we allowed to address them
Now, MIR. liawXhUrSt, your conduct has been
such rs not only TO disgust every decent aud
respectable white man, but there wasn't
respectable colorCd man in the crowd that
would not have felt ashamed to have been
guilty Of the conduct you were, and therefore
| don't care to holdany intercourse with you."
Mr.. Hawxhurst said he would like to make an
explanation. l said Il don't want to hear
any explanation from you. What I've said
know to be true, and you can't cxplaiu it
away" Here the matter ended.
MR.. HAwXHURsT's STATEMENT.
was sitting in the grand jury room when
Mr.. Bolts came in. lie spoke to several of
the jurors as he walked in. l was sitting in
position as to somewhat interfere with his
taking his seat l arose as he was approach
ing and extended my hand. He said, ''No!
Hawkhurst, will not take your hand, nor
will any gentleman, and will tell you the
reason. You so packed aud arranged the
African church on the day of the Convention
that no respectable people could get in you
induced DR.. Bayne. of Norfolk, to offer aud
push an adjournment of the Convention"
My answer was. "Both of those statements
are false that while claiming it was mass
convention, had requested that the people
IEoul hIchmOhu snOu!u not Nil the churca
until after the country delegates were seated;
that in reference to introducing DR.. Bayne to
procure an adjournment, had been to him
personally and cndeavored to dissuade him
from doing it at that time; asked him to
modify his resolution so as to declare business
closed, and give Bolts, PeirpOint, and others,
an opportunity to address the Convention"
At this point one of the jurors interfercd
and demanded that the business of the jury
should be proceeded with aud the matter
dropped. After writing a note to Judge
Underwood requesting my discharge from the