National Republican., 1883-12-04

opponents, and also that well disposed county
judges have been easily dured into appoint
ing judges of election who were under bOur-
bon control.
The central question at issue, of course, is
rs to tho Danvilic massacre. The late Candi-
date for state senator, Col. William T. Sims,
lawyer of high reputation, y native of the
state, and Yale graduate of the class OF 1851,
is contesting the election Of his opponent, Mr..
Hurt on tho ground of fraud, and also that
thcro was no valid election nt Dauville and
othor places in tho county of Pittsylyania,
because of the terrorism created by the mas
sacrO of Nov. g. lie says he found IL neces-
sary to delay tho commencement of taking
dcpositions in his case at Danville until the
beginning Of the term of the United States
district court at that place, as many witnesses
feared to testify until some scmblance of
federal power aud authority was present TO
give them help If called upon. As many
dcpositiOns were taken as tho dilatory tactics
of the opposing counsel would permit. and the
testimony of others was taken by affidavit.
Tho deposition Of Hon. William J.. Sims,
the contestant, relates in great part TO the
knowledge he had obtained as to the number of
registered cOlored voters, and the circum-
stances under which he was deprived of over
1000 of their votes by the revolutionary acts
of the democracy. lie tCstifos as to the char
acter of the speech in which ho disproved
the intlammatory statements of tho Danvillo
circular, and swears that, although he re-
manned in town nearly twenty-four hours
after its delivery, nobody complained TO him
of it, or called him TO account. His speech
was not incendiary, but, on tho contrary, he
exerted himself to promote good conduct on
the part of his followers. When on the fol-
lowing night between and 10. he approached
Danville after brief absence, the massacre
had taken place, and the appetite for blood
thus sharpened was directed at him rs the
.,TN 4
was next to that of Mahone's tho dearest OBJ
ieot of the Danvillo bourbon heart. His evil
dence shows that riding peacefully into Dan
vile Saturday night before election he had
good reason TO believe that he was riding into
the jaws of death.
After alluding to his speech of Friday, Nov.
2, he says:
was in Danvllle NIL that night and until tho
next day Mt noon, walking about as usual and
hearing not one word about any disturbance or
attack on me. left there at IL M, Saturday, Nov
3, TO go into the country, where had mn appoint
ment TO speak, and returned to Dnnvile that
night about 10 O'Clock in u buggy. When | ar
rived within three miles of Danvllle l heard of
the massacre of that afternoon, and was warned
mat parties were looking for me to hang me, and
that my friends sent me word not to come to Dan
vile. i frlt innocent OF having done anything
10 GO where my business called me-nameiv, TO
Danvllle. met on the way armed men, who
seemt d to ho watching the ronds; they seemed to
nj me- asked me II that was Col. Sims, and wanted
me IL stop, hut drove on rapidly; IL was too dark
Tor them TO recognize me, but they were ev dently
on the watch for me. On my arrival in town
got out oil the buggy aud went Immediately to my
room. and Il friend, who was with me, drove the
buggy to the livery stable, when on his arrival
he was Immediately surrounded by about 100
armed white democrats, who said they were look
ing for me-
1 knew by name, and had on my books every
nlrn who was IL ColorCd rcadiuster did not have
the names of all the white readjusters because
they were not willing in some eases to declare
reported as registered transferred, and ready to
vote our tckei, lS} cOored voters. and yet only
IecrIv, SoiS yo es in ALL many of which know
list hows That was entitled to ,3ul cOored votes
be ,dc, many white votes; at North Danville. to
275 colucd votes md few whites at New De
,irn 10 80 colored votes and few whites (At
these pInCeS only twenty colored votes were
cast for Col. simsJ
The fcclin OK sting in Danville is still intense
co not believe ! Could have induced many OF
my winos c. lat is, the colored portion Of them
70 ire iho,r rdenoStions or even forced them 10
do II IN the mi I'd line had 10 prepare for this
to"tc't, had it not leen that the United States
Z oult Was IN session in Danvilie, and that gave
s. nc heart 10 the cOlored people who, while they
have no confidence In democratic Virginia sol
diriy yet have hearty respect for the United
snr' EnN eminent and ierl safe under its wing
o. oi my Colurcd witnesses, ms sworn to Satur-
Gay, Ccr'fed that he was shot at on the open
5 rect nt midday Friday last, and even now there
Is ceiling u ere of great uneasness among the
CO lorgd ana white reRdjuSters.
1t H. perfectly impossible now, and was OH the
sixth auy of November. lSS3. and 1t Will be next
year, 10 have nny free or fair election either at
Danvlllo or in Piitsylyania county without the
presence of deral Eoldiers
Col. Sims is a man of heroic mould and
throughout this eventful month Just past he
has borne himself in a manner to challenge
general rcspectand admiration. Clothed about
with the Righteousness of his cause, and with
the genius of courage, he has moved about,
ms duty called h i'm, over mines and pitfalls,
in an atmosphere surchargcd with murder,
and among armed lcgions Of men who openly
threatened to take his life. When Martin
Luther went from Wittenberg to Worms in
spite of the remonstranccs of friends, declar-
ing that he would go though there
were as many devils there as there
are tiles on the roofs of the houses"
he did not display greater devotion to prin-
ciple or less regard for consequences than has
this noble Virginian battling for his personal
right to uphold n political cause. His tosti.
mopy as to the condition of affairs in his own
country will carry conviction to all unpreju-
diced minds.
Judge Blackwell, of Danville, is citizen
of very high character, u nephew of ex-Gov.
LetCher, and bears Il stainless reputation.
HIS office window overlooks the
locality where tho seven negroes yielded
their lives to bourbon hate. He
viewed the tragedy from that point
in company with democratic merchant
of the place named Dugger, aged 52. He
stood but the short distance of from thirty to
forty feet from the awful scene, and that, too,
Mt an elevation. His evidence. with that of
Mr.. Dugger, who fully corroborates him, will
be the accepted history of the
event in all time 10 come. Let doubling
Thomases and heartless apologists read the
tragic story.
Hon. John d. Blackwell, judge of the cor
poratiol court Of Danville, being duly sworn
leposeth as follows:
! was in Danville on the afternoon of Saturday
Nov. 0, ai the time the shooting took place. i
was II the law office Of Crumpecker & Blackwell,
ronling on Main street and nearly opposite the
office o Rutin, voolfolk & Blair The law office
NaN TWO windows, At about O'Clock on that Rf- |
erncon / was engaged in conversation with |
Daniel DuRRer, who was standing in front of me
Ny attention WIS attracted by loud noise upon |
ne street, made by some one shouting or yelling |
t the top, OF his voice. Dugger and myself |
mn mdmcdISS!s,y ran to the he, upper window
white man beating negro named |
Hence lawson over The head with q stick.
Hence had his head bowed down. aud had both |
If his arms extended over his head apparently |
Hnrd!ng Off the blows, and was yelling murder as
oud Ms he could bawl. l also saw two other |
white mon, namely, George Lea and - Taylor |
who We're standing near to Noell and Lawson, eRch |
v,t pistol in his hand pointed in the direction
these Two men, also saw young man by the |
lame OF Dauct standing near the window OF the |
flee o. Ruiin. WoodfOlk Blair, apparently |
OoRing at Noell and lawson. l also saw few |
or four Notwithstanding in the |
tr e few feet from the sidewalk on which |
SOell ard Lawson were, evidently watching the |
anne difficulty Almostimmedately many persons