The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-11-29

meeting, lie same white man Mhen in
buggy aud on his way out Of town, wac
again loudly and repeatedly called on
and inoultel by one Of the negroes with
whom lie had been previously fighting
during ti.c day, and he thercupon, in
spite Of his previously expressed deter
mira,iOn not 20 engage III u further
difficulty bccau,c Oi the then public cN-
citcmcnt, having called two fIcn'is TO
insure fair play and assuring them lie
would Use 40 weapon, engaged III iIati-
cuffs upon the street With the negro.
Tina. during Til, Ugh, a large number Of
u"grpc, gathered around, hut were kept
from interfering by the Two I.cnI- II
the white man untii policeman arrived.
when TIE cOmbatants were separated
and each taken away from the street.
That a short time thereafter the negroes
assembled in large numbers around the
iwJ friends Of the white man and some
ten or fifteen other whites who had
gathered about them, aud with loud
cXclamaliOns anl great violence Of man.
uer asserted tbeir determination TO have
lLcir rights, and their belief that conflict
between themselves and whites WAS
inevitable aud mad rs well come then as
at any other day AS well rs their readi-
ness for it AT that time. That these
negroes, numbering lo; less than 200. iii
open defiance OF the authority of the
them to dispcrse, and in disregard of the
persuasions Of the white men who united
with the policemen in their efforts to
dispcrsc them, continued to press upon
the few white men in front of them and
t/o tl,f.ir q IL
selves ready for u conflict, until the
whi;cs, whetcupon the firing commc need
on both sides, and after some forty or
fifty shots were fired the negroes dispers.
ed. That about seven negroes 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 man most probably.
That more negroes were seen with pis.
tolls in their hands during the firing than
there were white men present at its
commencement, and that the meeting of
white citizens assembled at the opera
house was not adjourned 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 rpnn The streets, and will. the
aid of prominent white citizens restored
peace and good order, which were not
afterwards violated except by the wound.
ing while Oh duty that night Of special
policeman by shot fired from behir
the house Of Il negro man.
Third. That from within one-half all
hour after the commencement Of the riot
the town WAS completely under the con-
troll of the Sergeant and his police force,
| and that no further disturbance of the
peace and good order, except the
| shooting Of the special policeman as
stated above, occurred, and that such
peace and good order continued to pre-
vail up to and including the day of cleo
ton. That on Sunday prominent citi-
zcns prepared aud caused to be printed
| and circulated, and also on the day pre-.
ccding the election, circulars signed by
| themselves and by the superintendent Of
both political parties, guaranteeing to
each aud every citizen, without regard
to color or party the tree righ. Of voting
That no violence, threat nor intimidation
whatever WAS shown towards negro or
coalition voters, but, on the contrary,
such voters were repeatedly assured by
the citizens, policemen and military
officers sent TO DanviI!c by the Governor
Of the State that they would be protected
in their right to vote rs they chose.
That election day was quiet and without
any disturbance or difficulty at auy pre-.
cinct or elsewhere in the town, and the
election was honestly conducted and was
free and fair in all respects, and that the
negroes as body retrained from voting
under the advice and command of their
party leaders, while others voted the
coalition ticket without hindcrance from
any quarter.
Your committee has thus confined
itself to an investigation of the facts and
the preparation of the statement requir-
ed, and herewith submit the evidence as
full and complete yiuGica.ior Of on,
Town and people from the gross misstate.
ments which have been circulated
through portion of the press of the
| country.