The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-23
THE DANVILLE MASSACRE
Methods Adopted by the Virginia
BuIIdozers and Murderers.
Overthrowing Majority by Murder, Intim-
idation and Fraud-A Straightforward
Statement by Colonel Sims.
National Republican.

Lie HULL w llIldlll OilllS tuG ISSelu JooGCA
candidate for the State Senate OF Virginia
in Pittsylyania county, in which Danville is
situated, being in the city on private bust
ness, was interviewed by representa-
tive of the National Republican. He is a
short, well-built gentleman, apparently
little more than forty years OF age, and of
very pleasing address. He is native of Vir-
ginia, and has acted with the Conservative
or the Democratic party until 1882. He
stated, upon this point, that he did not sup
port the Readjuster party as long as the
debt question was an open one but that
when it was settled by law he very cheer
fully gave his support to General Malone
and his political associates because in
them he believed, was the only hope for the
State. Nothing" said he, could be hoped
for from the Bourbon party for the advance
ment of the State" Colonel Sims is a
lawyer of ability, and was last year the can
didate of the Readjuster party for Congress
against Mr.. Cabell. He made an able can
vass, but was defeated, as was well nigh
| certain from the start would be the case.
In the recent campaign he was the chair
man of the committee of his party, and
month before election made returns to State
| headquarters of the strength of the parties
respectively. He says that the canvass
showed majority of 265 for his party, and
that he can prove specifically that in the
election he was, by force, intimidation and
| fraud, deprived of votes which can be named
and which, had they been given him, would
have given him 256 votes being within nine
| of his canvass.
| In reply to the question as to whether he
| found any difficulty in establishing facts and
| collecting evidence since the election, he
said: II have been actively engaged in get
ting together evidences in places outside of
Danville, because the work there was OF a
| character that could be delayed | shall
commence taking testimony there on Thurs
day" -
would administer an OATH Has that been
| the case?'
at has. My friends could not induce any
white magistrate in Danvlle to administer
an oath for the taking of atfidavits. went
| to Chatham, the county-seat of Pittsyvania
county, twelve miles from Danville and
| called on the commissioner in chancery to
administer oaths, he being the only well-in-
clined person l could call on. He said he
could not do it. l asked him why. He re-
plieds You don't know the condition of the
| country or you wouldn't ask me to do 1t.
| The condition is terrible He said would
| be murdered if | went on. and, as peace
loving citizen, he besought me to desist from
the taking of any aff1davits. l finally had
to go seventeen miles for magistrate, and
| those who were to be sworn had to go that
| distance to him."
| upon Iu6 question: MS W Wudb WlbueoStS
could be found who would be willing to tes-
| tify as to the massacre he said he had not ct
| entered upon that. not having been in Dan
| vile since the Sunday following the affair
| and preceding the election. One colored
man had told him OF having stood with
| his back to the crowd and hearing a pistol,
turned around and saw several white men
with pistols, but he ran himself upon one of
| the pistols being fired, and knew no more.
He said he had no idea of any disturbance,
| the pistolshUt being the first notice that any
| thing was going on. Col. Sims named
| prominent white man who was said to have
| seen the performance from window, and he
| expressed an intention of having him sworn.
1t is the intention OF Colonel Sims to in
| sist upon being himself examined as a wit
ness by the committee of forty, and to him
| self examine before a commissioner, in his
contested case, such witnesses as can throw
! the light of truth upon the fearful tragedy
| which is now the subject of such painful in
terest. This testimony will be presented to
the readers of the Republican as early as it is
obtainable. Following are some of the mat
| tiers of which Colonel Sims already has proof
which occurred outside of Danville.
When he went to Richmond on Sunday
| the 4th, to ask that State troops be sent to
| Danville, he relied on a certain colored man
| to distribute his tickets in seven precincts.
| certain Democratic leader induced this
man to give the tickets into his custody for
three hours, and when the packages were
returned about half dozen tickets on the
top of each package were genuine, while
the rest were changed. AT two precincts a
similar fraud was practiced by collision with
his men. The bogus tickets were voted ig-
norantly by number of negroes before the
| fraud was discovered.
At three precincts Democrats attended the
polls armed with shotguns and pistols AT
one precinct they discharged guns and pis
tolls all day to fr;ghten off timid white, as
| Ill IL Doa1 ttgtn To oh Of
these precincts a colored man was sent by
| the Democrats on the night before
the election. to inform the coiored men of
the Danville massacre, and to warn them
that if they voted the next day their fate
| wGald be the same.
The Danville Register. of the week before
| the election said editorially that the Demo-
Gratis knew how to carry the county and
Danville and there would be no difficulty in
| the matter.
The Pittsylvania Tribune, in its issue of
| the same week. advised Democrats through
out the county not to be timid, but to try
| the bluff game and it would win.
A New Design, three miles from Dan
vile, the Readjuster voters had registered in
| squads of ten, and numbered about 500. Of
these only one voted.
The military in Danville only increased
the danger to the Readjusters at New De-
sign Leaders of the Danville mob to the
number of from fifty to seventy-five. after
voting at Danvlle, marched over to New De-
! sign with pistols strapped around their
waists, and not negro dared come near the
polls.
cat Danville, North Danville and New De-
sign" he said, I'VE had about 2100 Read
ulster voters registered and intending to
vote our ticket. OF this number only twenty
seven dared TO vote, though every
effort was made to induce them to
do so. These votes together with others
we can account for by name as deceived by
false ballots or bulldozed would have given
us 256 majority in the county. AS it was
the Democrats carried it by about 1000.
They knew perfectly well that they were
beaten, before the Danville murders. The