The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-08-06
NO BLOWS-THEIR STATEMENTS.

|
| NO BLOWS-THEIR STATEMENTS.
About II o'clock yesterday the city wa!
rife with reports Of difficulty having oc
cured in the grand jury room of the
| United States Circuit Court between the
Hon. John Minor Bolts, foreman Of the
grand jury, and Mr.. John Hawxhurst
President of the Republican Convention
| Our reporter endeavored to get the fact!
| about the affair, but so numerous anC
varied were the reports that he concluded
it would be better to get the statements
of the interested parties. He went tt
| them, and after much reluctance on theil
part, succeeded in gaining the statement:
| appended:
MR.. BOTTS'S STATEMENT.
When l came into the courtroom
spoke to the jurymen therein assembled
Mr.. Hawxhurst advanced and extended hi:
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 | done?
said "You have done everything you
ought not to have DONE" He asked what
| it was, when I told him "we had met
here some six or eight weeks ago tc
see if we could harmonic all Of our
difficulties and bring the two wings
Of the party together to organize the
Republican party in such way as to
secure our success. BY that agreement the
convention which | had called at Char
lottesville, 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, repre-
senting some $4,000 or $4,000 voters in the
State, being themselves gentlemen OF re-
spectability, influence, and for the most
part large property holders, numbering
between 200 or 800, came here, at
great inconvenience and expense,'to attend
that convention. We had been frequently
told that you and others were constantly
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 sh ould be reserved for every
member Of the delegation, who should be
treated with the utmost respect and cour-
tesy. Instead of which, on the morn
ing of the lst of August, by some means
you obtained possession of the keys OF
the house, sneaked around to the back
door, accompanied by large crowd
of your peculiar friends, who We're
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 crowded and packed with CO.
lored people, who the moment the doors
were opened, as previously instructed,
rushed in and occupied all the vacant
space in the house, to the exclusion OF
every gentleman from tho country in at
tendance on or convention. Finding that
no business could he transacted there,
YOU finally adjourned to the Capitol
Square, where about five thousand per-
sons, mostly colored men, were assem-,
bled, which had more the appearance OF
| q riotous mob than convention for buSi-
ness, and through which no gentleman
would undertake to make his way. Over
this body you and your toWnsman, George
Tucker, took sole control, and we were
not allowed any fair participation in it..
We then called meeting Of our conven.
ton, to be held in the House Of Delegates
at O'Clock that night, when we should
have finished our business independent OF
YOU or yours but before the time of meet
.ng we were informed that your mass meet
| ing had adjourned in better spirit than
had been exhibited through the day, and
had invited cooperation with the delega
tions to or convention next morning
at 10 O'Clock, and had extended al
invitation to several gentlemen, myself
among the number, to address the mem
hers of uOur convention at that hour. w
| appeared there, and before we were al
lowed to address them, or before we
| were invited upon the stand, resolu-
ton was offered and adopted declaring
| that the business of that convention wa:
completed, and they adjourned sine die
and then resolved themselves into mass
meeting, and in that capacity alone were
we allowed to address them. Now, NIT
Hawyhurst, your conduct has been sucf
as not only to disgust every decent ane
respectable white man, but there wasn't
resnectable colored man in the crowd tina
would not have felt ashamed to have
been guilty Of the conduct you were, ant
therefore ] don't care to hold any inter
course with you." Mr.. Hawxhurst said NJ
would like to make an explanation.
] said 81 don't want to hear any explana
| tion from you. What I've said l know ts
be true, and you can't explain 1t away
Here the matter ended.
MIR. HAwKHURsT's STATEMENT.
was sitting in tho grand jury room
when Mr.. Bolts came in. He spoke t.
several of the jurors as he walked IN.
was sitting in a position as to some"ha
interfere with his taking his seat.
arose as he was approaching and extendet
INV hand. He said, "No! HaWkhurst,
will not take your hand, nor VIII an.
gentleman, and l will tell you the reason
You so packed and arranged the Alrieal lS Al
church on the day of the Convention ina Una
no respectable people could get IN; @ so'
induced DR.. Bayne, OF Norfolk 10 Que Que
and push an adjournment OF the Conven M
ton" My answer was, "Both OF thos' @
statements are false; that while ciaimln!
It was a mass convention, had re
uuested that the people from kichmoh'
should not fill the church until altet W
country delegates were seated; that i \
roforance m introducipg DR.. Bayne 10 pro