Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1867-08-13
Bolts and Hawxhurst.

Hon. John Minor Bolts is so dlsgTuntled With
the action of the recent Radical Convention
which would give him mo show at all" and
especially with the conduct of its President,
John Hawxhurst, that he refused to shake
hands with him-we cannot say that he refused
to speak to him, for he did that in the most
emphatic manner and not in the most agree
able terms. In the grand jury room of the
United States Circuit Court in Richmond, on
Monday, the 5th inst, the following scene oc-
Cured as represented by Bolts and Hawxhurst
themselves, as reported in the Richmond Dis
patch of the 9th instant
MIR. Bolts STATEMENT.
When came into the court room l spoke to
the jurymen therein assembled. MIR. Hawx-
hurst advanced and extended his hand. lsaid:
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?
I said: "You have done everything you ought
not to have DONE" He asked what it was,
when told him I'VE had met here some SIX or
eight weeks ago to see ifw could harmonize 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 l had
called at Charlottesville, to be held on the 4th
of July, was transferred to the city of Rich
mond, to be held on the 1st of August, when
we were to have met ON terms of political equal
ity Our wing of the party, representing some
$4,000 or $4,000 voters in the State, being
themselves gentlemen of respectability, infiu-
ence, and for the most part large property-hol-
ders, numbering between 200 or 300, came here,
1900 :cooxvoo;oroo opd ovpopco fo ottond
that Convention We had been frequently told
that you and others were constantly urging the
colored people to be on hand to till the house
the moment the doors were opened. MIR. Hun
nicutt had assured me that seats should be re-
served 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
possession of the keys of the house, sneaked
around to the back door, accompanied by
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 crowded and
packed with colored 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 the country in attendance on oav Conven-
ton. Finding that no business could be trans
acted there, you finally adjourned to the Capitol
Square, where about five thousand persons
mostly colored men, were assembled, which had
more the appearance Of a riotous mob than
Convention for business, 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 al
lowed any fair participation in it. We tkens
called meeting of oar Convention to be held
in the House of Delegates at s clock that
night, when we should have finished our busi-
ness 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 delega-
tions to oar Convention next morning at lO o.
clock, and had extended an invitation to several
gentlemen, myself among the number, to ad-
dress the members of your Convention at that
hour. We appeared there, and before we were |
allowed to address them, or before we were IN
vited upon the stand, resolution was offered
and adopted declaring that the business OF that
Convention was completed, and they adjourned
sine die, and then resolved themselves into a
mass meeting, and in that capacity alone were
we allowed to address them. Now, Mr. Hawk |
hurst, your conduct has been such as not only |
to disgust every decent and respectable white |
man, but there wasn't respectable colored |
ashamed to have been guilty of the conduct you |
were, and therefore don't care to hold any in
tercourse with you.' Mr. Hawxhurst said he |
would like to make an explanation | said, II
don't want to hear any explanation from you. |
What we said | know to be true, and you can't |
explain it away" Here the matter ended.
MIR. HAWXHURsT's STATEMENT.
was sitting in the grand jury room. when
Mr.. Bolts came In He spoke to several of the |
Jurors as he walked in. was sitting in posi-
ton as to somewhat interfere with his taking |
his seat. [ arose as he was approaching and
extended my hand He said, sNo! Hawk
hurst, I will not take your hand, nor will any
gentleman, and will tell you the reason. You
so packed and 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 and push an adjournment of
the Convention. My answer was, 'tBoth of
those statements are false; that while claiming
it was a mass Convention, had requested that
the people from Richmond should not fill the
church until after the country delegates were
seated that in reference to introducing DIR.
Bayne to procure an adjournment, l had been
to him personally and endeavored to- dissuade
him from doing it at that time asked him to
modify his resolution so as to declare business
closed, and give Bolts, Pierpoint and others, an
opportunity to address the Convention. /
At this point one of the jurors interfered and
demanded that the business of the jury should
be proceeded with and the matter dropped
After writing note to Judge Underwood re- |
questing my discharge from the grand jury, l
left the room.
Up to the hour of adjournment of the court !
the Judge had not accepted the resignation OF
Mr.. Hawxhurst.