Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-11-28
The DanviiI Riot.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF FORTY
"A PEACABLE ELECTION.

"A EAOhohb llbES1 lOAfs
DANvILLE, Va, Nov. 21.-The
committee of forty, appointed at a
meeting of the citizens Of the 10th inst.
to inquire into all the facts and publish
full and true statement OF the causes
leading TO the riot here on the Sd inst
concluded lie labors this evening. The
committee reports that they requested
all persons having Information OF the
matters to be investigated 10 appear
before q sub committee at the Office OF a
notary public and testify as TO such
matters; that said sub committee at.
tended regularly at said office from the
morning of The 18th till the evening Of
the 2lst. during which time thirty
seven witnesses were sworn and testi-
fed. The witnesses so deposing were
for the most part known 10 the CON-
mittee personally, aud represented all
classes and vocations, including two
policemen present at the riot. All
these witnesses (whose names are
signed 10 their deposltions) are known
to the citizens of Danville, and will be
recognized as intelligent and thorough
ly reliable. After careful and Impair
tial con sideration OF the evidence so
taken, Your committee submits the fol-
lowing statement Of facts developed
thereby;
First. That by their Success in the
election of a large majority of their
party nominees to the town offices IN
the May election Of 1882, and the subse-
quent appointment by the council so
elected of negro policemen, as well as
by the conduct of officials so elected,
there was engendered in the minds OF
the negroes OF Danyille a belief that
as against the white men they would
receive the support and protection ol
the municipal government; in conse
duence of which belief they became
rude, insolent and intolerant 10 the
white citizens, and the bad temper and
Ill feeling between the races thus gen.
GRATED continued to increase, and was
of late greatly aggravated by the heated
political canvasS preceding the last
election, and that in the midst OF the
intense excitement of the last days oil
the canvass, Wm. /. Sims, the coali-
ton candidate Tor the Senate from
Pittsylvania county aud Danvlle, made
in front Of the courthouse of the town,
OH the night OF the second of Novem'
Der, a most inctndiary and violent
speech 10 more than five hundred ne
.roes. in which he denounced many OF
The most respectable aud prominent
white citizens of the town as STARS,
scoupdrels aud towards, =" because The il
exposure of the evils Of negro rule"
10 Danvllle.
Second. That on the morning iol'
lowing The night of Slms's speech the
excitement OF blacks and whites alike
was violent and acrimonious, and
among the negroes there was an evl-
dent expectation OF a conflict; that
about midday two negroes insulted a
white man on the public streets and en-
gagged him in fight, which was ended
by the white mans going away; and
that at last two hours later in the day
and while a large portion Of the men oi
Danyllle were assembled at the Opera
House in public meeting, the same
white man. when ir buggy and on his
way out of town. was again loudly and
repeatedly called on and insulled by
one of the negroes with whom he had
been pre-, lously fighting during the day.
and he thereupon, iu spite Of his pre-
viously expressed determination not to
engage in further difficulty, because OF
the then public excitement, having
called two friends TO insure fair play,
aud assuring them that he would use
M we.non. engaged in a GsticUil upon
the street with the negro that during
this fight large number Of negroes
gathered around, but were KEEP! from
interfering by two friends of the white
man until a policeman arrived, when
tie combatants were separated and
each was taken away from the street;
that a short time thereafter The negroes
assembled in large numbers around the
two friends OF the white men. and some
ten or fifteen other whites who had
gathered about them, aud With lOud
exclamaiions and great violence o.
manner asserted their determination to
have their rights, and their belief thai
conflict between themselves and the
whites was inevitable, and had as well
come then as at any other day, az vel
"a their readiness for it at that time
thit these negroes, numbering not les;
than 200, in open defiance OF the au
thority of tie policemen. who rrp, aied
|, commanded them TO disper'e, ant
in disregard of the ptrsuas'ons Cf the
white men who united with the police
men In their tfiolts to disperse them
continued 10 press upon the few white
men IN front of them, and 10 exhibit
arear.us, and proclaim themselves
ready Tor a conflict, until the police
men retired TO the rear of the whites,
whereupon firing commenced on ool'
sides. aud after some forty or fifty shots
the negroes dispersed; that about seven
negroes were wounded, four OF whom
died, and two white men seriously
wounded; one was certainly shot by a
negro, and the other white man mOs'
probably; that more negroes were seen
with pistols in their hands during the liz
ing than there werewhite me1 present a.