The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-11-29
A CHASTITY Farce.


ders in Danville on the Sd of November
The idea of appointing such, committee
was farcical. 1t was like placing a man
on a jury to try his own case. So far as VI
have been able to learn, the committee was
composed of forty white democrats, and a,
subcommittee was delegated to take the
testimony. Notice was published that
those who desired to testify could do so.-
AS matter of course few, if any, besides
persons whose views were known to coin
eide with the committee, would for a mo-
ment think ofplacing themselves in posi-
ton that could be construed into an en-
dorsement of the farce.
Under such circumstances it is not sur
prising that the so-called report should
'conclusively vindicate" the part taken by
the democrats in the tragedy of the 3rd OF
November.
1t goes on to say that the conduct OF the
negroes brought about the most intense
race feeling, and that Col. Sims speech
was the torch to the mass of inflammable
matter. Not one word, whatever, is said
about the circular which was the text OF
Col. Sims speech, and which every one
must recognize as the real cause OF the
outbreak.
The account of the actual conflict, as
given in the report is as follows f
End, That on the morning following the night
of Sims's speech the excitement OF the blacks
and whites alike was violent and acrimonious,
ana tos
negroes insulted o white man on the PUBIC
streets and engaged in a fight, which was ended
hours later in, the day, and while large portion
OF the men of fDanville were assembled at Inc
man. when in a buggy and Oh his way out of
town, was again loudly and repeatedly calieu
on and insulted by one of the negroes with
whom he had been previously fighting during
the day, and he thereupon (in spite of his prey1-
Ously expressed determination not to engage
IN csied two % friends to insure
fair play, and assuring them he would use no
weapon, engaged in a fisticuf upon the street
with negro; that during this light a large
number of negroes gathered around, put We're
kept from interfering by the two frieuds OF the
white man until policeman arrived, WIEN .no
away from the street; that short Time Inere-
after the negroes assembled in large numbers
around the Two friends of the white man ana
some ten or fifteen other whites who had gath
cred about them, and with loud eXclamations
determination to have their rights, and their
belief that conflict between themselves anu
the whites was inevitable, and had as well come
then as at any other day. as well as their resaol-
ness for it at that time; that these negroes,
numbering not less than two hundred, i'll open
defiance of the authority OF policemen, who re-
peatedly commanded them to dispense, and in
disregard of the persuasions of white men VINO
united with the policemen iii their efforts 10
dispense them continued to press upon the lew
white men in front of them and to exhibit IRE
arms and proclaim themselves ready for con-
tiict, until the policemen retired to the rear OF
the whites, whereupon firing commenced on
both sides, and after some forty or fifty shOtS
the negroes dispersed that about seven negroes
were wounded four OF whom died, and two
white men seriously, but not MORALLY that the
white man most seriously wounded was certain
ly shot by negro, and the other white man
most probably; that more negroes were seen
with pistols in their hands during the hrlng
than there were white men present at the com
mencement, and that the meeting OF white cltl-
Zens assembled at the Opera House was not aei-
journed, and for the most part did not reach the
street until after all the firing was over; that
very soon after the firing the Sergeant appeared
upon the streets and, with the aid OF prominent
white citizens, restored peace and good order
which was not afterwards violated except Dy
the wounding of white man on duty that night
as special policeman, by a shot fired from be
hindthe house of a negro man.
As q specimen of the. evidence upon
which this report was based, we give the
testimony of NOEL, the man whom allpar-
ties agree precipitated the difficulty:
NoelI, who told his story under oath, says that
toward the meetne e was e paws sne came
near knocking my left foot from under me. L
asked him what he did that for The reply was
In very 1nsOlent manner Il was getting out
OF the way of O lady and u white lady at that.
Ireplied that was all right. Then another ne
gro repeated that it did not make a damned bit
of difference whether it was all right or not. y
NOEL turned and struck the first man. Twenty
ne h two ns
gan to draw their pistolsthdt is, made motion
as If they qcoattd draao them. 1 don't remember
to see If had my pistol, but didn't have it,
Noell says he then went home to dinner, and
Main street in buggy, shout, ssBy God. here l
am !" three times in u very defiant manner.
He went to the opera house meeting and told
George Lea that that rascal had lnsulted him
crowd in front Of Ruffin, Voolfolk 4 Blair's Of,
most every negro in the crowd were directed
to me as came up, as if they were expecting
son and asked him what he meant by calling at
me in the street. He said he didn't call at me-
told him that he did, and struck him. M, G me
Lee (white) drew their pistols and told them to
stand back and allow fair play. The negro, Geo
pistol. The negro fell, and when he got up
LEAFS pistol went off, whether accidentally OF
not don't know.
Some Of the witnesses (democrats) stated
! that there were between two and three
| hundred negroes present, and about % or
80 whites. A number of these witnesses
declared that they did not see single ne
gro with a weapon, whilst others stated
that they saw '.lots of them.
Mr.. Daniel Digger, who witnessed the
difficulty from an upper window near by,
but who was not examined by the commit
| FOO nakoc tbic ctatnnapt
He saw NOEL beating Hense Lawson over the
head with small black stick, and the negro
Mt. Dance stood in the door of the Office with a
double barreled shotgun, in an attitude Of be-
ing ready to fire. Mr.. George Lea had pistol
The negro Adams tried to take 1T away. In Try
| ing to take it he jerked Lea over. Bob Taylor
struck the negro on the mouth and staggered
| him. AS he arose Lea fired at the negro, !
heard some of the negroes say: 'sThat the man
that shot," pointing at Mr.. George Lea. In a few
minutes good many white people. both from
up the street and below, came up very much eX,
people had had Collected too. E. NJ Hatcher came
ed men and hallooed: Cit, every one Of you y
Some Were going away and others looking on
when he shouted, Stand by me and fire! Then
a crowd of white men formed across the street
and fred on the crowd ofcolored people; There
| We're several white gentlemen whom knew
L. G. Berkeley and John Robinson-doing their
best to prevent this difficulty, and Il. j. Cort,
also persuading the coored people to go away.
Then there was a general firing all over the
Streets up and down. i saw after the firing
ceased three cOlOred men-tWo up near WISE
man IS store and one in the market-1ylng IN tne
street dead.' He said that he did not see, eitn-
err before the firing commenced or after II had
ceased or while it was going on, single colored
man with q pistol OF other tire-arm Ill his hand,
although he was 80 or 10 feet from the point
where the affray occurred. He thought there
were three or four hundred negroes and one or
two hundred white men present. He had (, 4
ways voted the Conservative ticket, and at the
last election voted the straight Democratic
ticket.
AS matter of course, no Importance
whatever will be attached to the report OF
this committee. Nothing short of legal
Investigation and the bringing to justice
of those who were engaged in the bloody
work, will ever satisfy the public or remove
from the city of Danville the stain placed
upon her. And the remarkable part OF
this whole affair is that as yet no steps
have been taken looking to such investi-
CATION. No coroners inquest was held,
and no effort, SO far as. we have been
able to learn, has been made to arrest the
guilty parties. Here was an open viola
ton of the law, in the presence of hum
dreds Of witnesses. If those who sought
to quell the disturbance were unable to do
so at the time, certain it is they are in pos
session of the information necessary to
bring the offenders to trial now. Why
have these offenders not been summoned