National Republican., 1883-12-04

nring, numbers of citizens came TO the scene Of
action aimed with pistols aud shOguns.
QHcsttOn STATE whether or not YOU saw either
before the firing commenced or Ultcr u nad
ceased' or while i was going on q single negro
dnsiCcr. ~ no tune durhy Tie occurrence did see a
negro loHh any tCtdDOn iUhltercr
From the deposition Of Mr.. Daniel Digger,
referred TO above as having, in Judge Black
wells company, viewed tho massacre, we
make the following extracts:
l was in Danvillo that afternoon, and at the
time of the shooting was IN the law office of
Blackwell e Crumpcoker, opposite the place where
the difficulty occurred. | heard the cry of muir
der. l went Immediately to the window, aud saw
Nocll and negro named Lawson engaged IN Nh
nftny; NOEL was beating him over the head with
small black stick, igih tWier0u,d hgdd 10 IT, and
the negro was crying murder. SdJD h,nl do moth
tng bWt duCmptt n Shie himself
Mr.. Digger has since requested the Rich
mond lVhig TO state that it was blr. Taylor
lone of Mr.. Noolls frionds) and not Mr. Noell
who beat the negro over the head with cane.
Mr. Taylor, Mr.. George Lea nnd one or TWO
others we've there. Mr.. Dance was standing in
the door With a dUuble-barrel shot7Hn m his hdnd
~ an altitude Of being ready 10 fire. A negro man
ran over TO where this difficulty was occurring
and tempted TO jerk from the hands oil George
LeA pistol which he had plosented. The
efforts OF this man 10 get the pistol from the hands
OF Mr.. George Lea jerkcd Mr.. Lea down; when he
did 50, Mr.. Taylor struck the negro man In the
mouth. which made him stagser; and as he rose
A considerable crowd both white and colored,
collected around this dfculty-the colOred in
the street near tho sidewalk and the whites on
the sidewalk / heard some OF the colored people
sny when the officers approached the scene,
That's the man that shot," pointing to MrGeorge
Lea, In few minutes after good many white
people, both from up the street and below, came
up UcTU much ercited, Wih pistols, and good many
colored people had collected, too; and Mr.. i. NJ.
Hatcher came out in the street and right III front
of the colored people, and hallooed to them "Git,
every one OF You" Some icere going dtoly and
others were looking OH when he shouted Stand
by me AMI fire" Theu crowd OF white mon
formed across The street and drei into the crolVd OC
co'ortd people
saw after the firing ceased, three colored
men, two up near Wisemans store and one
on the market, lying in the streets dead. did
menccd the aiIray. did not see either before he
nrtng commenced, or Gtter had ceased nor trhtlc
tUdS ROing on, A SINGLE CoLoRED MAN WITH PISTOL
OR OTHER FIREARM IN MS HANDS l was standing
in II second story window, about thirty or forty
feet from the point where the affray began.
of the colored people If they had attempted to
use any. The white people were iuoing me,
and Iho c0lored people had their backs to
me- The colorcd people scattered and ran away
when the general firing commenced. | sdU none
wHh Vcopons as they turned and ran. one Of the
dead men was shot in the chin; apother In the
back of the head. do not recollect how the other
was shot.
/ have dl,Onys voted for tho conservative ticket
with the exception OF some personal friend, and
ticket.
Peter Smith saw the private brawl which
preceded the massacre. He swears that as
soon as the negro who was being beaten cried
murder" "a good many white democrats
rushed up and formed in line, and one of them,
Mr.. Ed Hatcher, called to the democrats who
were in an office near by and said Come out
if you are not cowards.' Then the democrats
rushed out to him, and about The same time
the democrats came rushing out of the opera
house which was near by, and in which they
had been holding u meeting and Mr.. Ed
Hatcher gave the order to the mon Cho pere
drd'cn up IN line ready when tho democrats
drew their pistols, and Mr. Hatcher gave the
word fire, and then the firing commenced.
Nearly under the window where | was
standing colored man was holding the
horses which were hitchcd to wagon
and Capt. w. p Graves walked up to him
and presented his pistol at him. The colored
man said Don't shoot me, am not doing
anything and Graves Immediately fired,
shooting the colored man in the arm and
breaking it. The colored man ran into an
open door near by, and Graves walked off.
The witness swore that he refrained from
voting through fear i, and tho balance of
the colored people, preferred to stay away
from the polls. We had seen men killed only
few days before simply because they were
colored and were readjusters. We could not
change our color, and did not wish to change
our political principles; but valuing our
lives more than the right of suffrage we
stayed at home.'"
This testimony as to intimidation is re-
peated in various forms by more than twenty
colored witnesses. Col. Sims A. NJ. Wheeler,
postmaster; j. II. Raulston, and many colored
witnesses all sworc that there was no founda-
tion for the bourbon statement that the
negroes abstainGd from voting under advice
of leaders. strong effort was made to in-
duce them to vote. 1t appeared in evidence
that danger was apprehended of another riot
If the bourbons should SEQ that the negro vote
was coming ont and endangering their success.
William Powell, of New Design three miles
from Danville) testified: you have no idea
of the condition of affairs in that neighbor-'
hood at that time (day of election). We did
not know whore to go for safety, and were
expecting to be murdered Mt any time by the
white democrats" "While we were attached
to our party, we were afraid to risk our lives
for tho right of suffrage"
Jack Redd, chairman Of the rcadjusters at
New Design, 5S years of age, testified: "The
democrats of Danville and surrounding neigh
borhood from the day of tho disturbance
to the day of tho election were
going all around that country armed with
shotguns and pistols, firing of their guns
at night, and threatening the colored people.
We were unarmed and defenseless." "Somc
of the very men who were shooting at Dan
vile on the third were there that day armed,
and there was no chance for q colored man."
Witness was at Danville on the third. After
the firing he says: II went back and met
Col. Cabell on the corner of Main street. He
asked me, Where are you going2' told
him was only walking up the street." He
says: go back, this ID what have been
telling you ten years ago. Now you see it is
right at hand here. and you Just get right
from here" At this time Mr.. Ned Hatchett
and crowd ran up with their pistols and
guns. Hatchett said, Get away, colonel,
and let me blow his damned heart out.
Col. Cabell said: Don't shoot the
damned scoundrel, but let him get
out from here At this time Ned Hatchett ran
out from the crowd and struck me in the face
with something, don't know what. / then
ran down the street, and they shot at me. /
suppose dozen Shots"
Charles Adams, the teamster, who was shot
by Graves while holding his horses, testified:
While was In the house the firing began on
Main street. and Mr.. Nicholas told me to go out
ana watch my team. went out Immediately, but
the horses had run of, l started Rfler them and
to get out OF the way. / told him was not dis
lurbing anyone, but was looking after my horses.
lie snlu get III the house. spoke in very loud
voice, and had Just come out of the door turned
immediately 70 20 back IN the house, wnen |
he presented his pistol at me- and said, pulling
off my hat TO him, for Gods sake, Capt Graves
don't shnoti am not doing anything. lie seemed |
determined 70 shoot, and | threw up my
the ball struck me in the right forearm, breaking
the small bone OF the arm. ] ran Immediately |
into the house, ana as ran in he fired a second |
time don't know whether at me or somebody |
! don't know why he wanted to shoot me- unless |
because was q ColOred man and a rcndiuster