The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-11-23
THE DANyILLE RIOT.
The Remarkable Report Off the Bourbo
Investignting Committee.

riot at that place, has finished Its labors
after examining thirty.seven witnesses, and
last night reported its conclusions. The
committee, Of course, was selected from
the white men. to whom, as they say in
their report, the negroes had been rude
and It's extraordinary findings, which came
by wire, are as follows:
/. That by their success in the election
Of large majority Of their party nominees
10 the town Offices in the May election Of
1882, and the subsequent appointment by
the conncil so elected OF colored policemen,
as well as by the conduct Of officials 80
elected, there was engendered In the minds
OF the negroes OF Danville a belief, that, as
against the white men, they would receive
the support and protection OF the munich
pal government, in consequence OF which
belief they became rude, indolent, and in.
tolerant to the white citizens, and
the bad temper and i'll feeling
between the, races thus generated
continued 10 increase and was Of late
greatly aggravated by the heated political
canvass preceding the late election; and
that in the midst OF the intense excitement
Of the last days Of the canvass, William E.
Sims, the Coalition candidate OF the Senate
from Pittsylyania county and DanyiIle,
made, in front Of the court house OF the
town, on the night OF the second Of No
vember, most inceudiary and violent
speech TO more than 500 negroes, in which
he denounced many Of the most respect
able and prominent white citizens OF the
town as 'liars, scoundrels and towards" i"
because OF their exposure OF the evils OF
NEGRO rule" in Danyille.
TWO WHITES SEE FAIR PLAY.
2. That on the morning following the
night Of Sims speech the excitement Of
blacks and whites alike was violent and
acrimonious, and among the negroes there
was an evident expectation OF q conflict;
that about midday two negroes insulted a
white man on the public streets and en-
gagged him in fight, which IVES ended by
the white mans going away, that at last,
two hours later in the day, aud while a
large portion Of the men Of Dan
vile were assembled at the opera
house in public meeting, the same
white man, when in buggy and on his
way out Of town, was again loudly and re.
peatedly called on and insulted by one OF
the negroes with whom he had been pre-.
viously fighting during the day, and he
thereupon, in spite OF his previously ex-
pressed determination not to engage in
further difficulty, because Of the then pub.
lie excitement, having called two friends to
insure fair play, and assuring them he
would use no weapon, engaged in a hstl-
cuff upon the street with the negro; that
during this fight large number OF negroes
gathered around, but were kept from inter-
fering by the two friends Of the white
man until policeman arrived, when the
combatants were separated, and each was
taken away from the street; that short
time thereafter the negroes assembled in
large numbers around the two friends Of
the white man, and some ten or fifteen
other whites who had gathered about them
and with loud exclamatious aud great yio-
lence OF manner asserted their determin.
atien to have their rights and their belief
that conflict between themselves and the
whites was inevitable, aud had as well
come then as at any other day, as well as
their readiness for 1t at that time.
"N1aGERs" ATTACK us.
That these negroes, numbering not less
than 200. in open defiance Of the authority
OF the police, who repeatedly commanded
them to disperse, aud in disregard Of the
persuasions OF the white men who united
with the policemen in their efforts to dis
pers. them continued to press upon the
few white men in front OF them and to ex-
hibit firearms and proclaim themselves
ready for conflict until the policemen re-
tired to the rear OF The whittg, whereupon
firing commenced on both sideJ, and after
some forty or fifty shots the negroes dis
persed; that about seven neprots were
wounded four OF whom died, and
two white men seriously but not
mortally; that the white man most
seriously wounded was certainly shot
by negro and the other white nan most
probably; that more negroes were seen
with pistols in their hands during the fir
ing than there were white men present at
the commencement, and that the meeting
Of white citizens Al sembled at the opera
house was not adjourned, and for the raost
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, re stored peace and good or
der, which were not afterward violated ex-
cept by the wounding, while on duty that
night, OF special policeman by shot fired
from behind the house OF negro man.