The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-27
THE DANvILLE RIOT.
ONLY C0LoRED WITNESSES EXAM.
INED YEsTHRDAY.
A Negro Who Saw Many DoubIe-Barfelled
Suns Londed-A Suspicious Witness Who
Evaded All cuestions-what Listener
says He Heard In the Democratic Commit-

~ Nuns VIZ NONtiHOeE o. w NoNtHpNi
he was at SCHOOLGIRLS hardware store,
and saw two white men loading about
10 doublc-barrelled guns; saw no pis-
tolls there; had seen guns In the store be-
fore. but not that many; did not know
the men who we're loading guns
could not tell whether they were clerks or
outsiders. Did not hear them say that there
was going 10 be riot. When he left
Schooltield's store he went to another hard
ware-store to buy n pocket-knife. Saw. a
white man there loading double-barrelled
guns. A gentleman came In and asked the
man what he was going to do. The man
replied that he was going to Kill all the
damned something. Witness didn't hear
the rest OF the sentence. Did not know
either Of the men.
Rufus Hatchett. (colored) testified he
was in VASES hardware store on the first
Monday In October. In came Mr.. Fox,
and said TO Vass, Isn't this town in a
dreadful fx?" Vass said, Yes; we are
not going to stand II. Before we stand it
we are going TO she'd blood" Then Fox
went out, and Charlie Holland came in and
said TO Vass. "Isn't them boys come yetY'
Vass said, "Not vet, but have bill Of
lading for them. / am expecting them on
every train. / ordered five hundred"
Then Mr.. Gerst came In and said II the
"boys" did not come soon there would
not he any time for practice. Witness was
at the pOst-ofice Friday before the riot,
and he heard white man say "White
folks are going to rule this town II we have
to kill all the niggers." Witness detailed
a conversation which he held with Captain
Graves on election-dav, in which the
latter said that the riot bad taken place
three DAYS before he expected, and that il
il broke out again the white people were
going to spare none.
Manuel Harvey (colored) said that he was
at work upon the new warehouse on the
day Of the riot: heard the flre-bells ring
ing, and after that pistols firing, but did
not leave work until O'Clock. He did
not vote, because he had been used to
voting with ballot, and there were so
many pistols around that he was afraid he
would have TO vote with a bullet. He
didn't want to 10 that.
James Bruce (colored) was present in
DanvIle on the day OF the riot. He saw
fifty or sixty colored people standing IN
the middle Of the street and about fifteen
or twenty white gentlemen standing on the
sidewalk armed; did not see any cOlored
persons armed; heard somebody say
"Get off the street." and he got off the
street. This was before the general firing
began. When the firing began he was at
his huckster stab. The shots were so
rapid that he thought they were set OF
souibs fired off. The people came rushing
down Market street in solld mass. Some
time before the election witness was pass
10 al, h-r atn1 hap rn
some one--he thought, Henry Barksdale-
say the Democrats intended to carry the
election by fair means or foul.
William Jackson (colOred) gave de-
scription OF the riot, but was unable to say
whether the white people tired in the air
or not; only saw one colored man with n
pistol. but he was not using it. He pulled
it out Of his pocket, showed 1t to Mr.. Tay-
lor. and then put it back.
A colored barber named Fillmore
Hughes was the next witness. He was an
inteligent-looking young man, but the eX-
animation failed TO elect anything OF in
terest. His testimony was evidently dis
appointing TO the examiner, Senator Lap
ham, who inquired whether he had told
anybody about what he would testify TO-,
an inquiry to which witness responded
with an emphatic negative.
John Holdemess (colored described the
riot and the events which preceded it. He
went to the back door OF a store in the
course of his business and found it locked.
The clerk let him in. He asked why the
door was locked, and the clerk said " II IL
was to pay" and In a short time he would
sec more dead negroes than he had ever
"seed" before. There were two hum
dred loaded pistols lying on the counter.
Just utter the firing eight or ten colored
men rushed into the store. Burch and
another white man came in with empty
pistols and exchanged them for loaded
ones. Burch got behind the cOlored men
and ordered them out. He said they (the
negroes) had raised this thing, and they
must not harbor there.
Senator Sherman gave notice that the
money for the payment OF witnesses was
exhausted. He said he was willing to adj
vance money and asked Governor Vance
for his opinion.
Governor Vance said he could see no OBJ
lection. lie supposed Congress would sup
ply all the money necessary.
Mr.. Sherman said the bill appropriating
money Tor the Senate's contingent fund had
Dtcn pdSSeu ny luc SChdtC anu was hoN
upon the House table.
Warwick Read (mulatto) was called.
Keeps a private clearinghouse in Dan
vile. He was asked with respect to the
proceedings OF the Democratic committee
of fifteen or sixteen men which he had
overheard. lie asked the committee to
excuse him from answering. He said he
was a resident OF Danyile and must go
back there. His bread depended upon his
patronage in Danville, and to testify
would be to risk his living. lie repre-.
sented considerable real property, and
his interests were considerable. Inqui-
ries upon this point were pursued at con-
siderable length by Judge Lapham. but
without result. He was asked II he knew
r. W. Glass (colored), who testified before
the committee several days ago. Witness
knew him well; Glass lived in rear Of
witnesses lot. In reply to further inquiry
witness said Glass had disappeared imme-
diately after his return to Danville from
Washington. Witness declined to tell
what he knew of Glass's whereabouts.
With respect to the cause OF his disappear
ance witness was proceeding to tell what he
had heard, when Senator Vance objected
on the ground that it was hearsay.
Senator Sherman being absent at the mo-
ment, witness was asked to step aside tenn
poraiily, and William III. Paxton (colored)
was examined. lie was apparently rather
stupid, and upon cross-eXaminati0n be-
came very suspicious Of traps and pitfalls.
He managed successfully TO evade every
question put to him for half m hour, at the
end Of which time he was discharged.
Senator Sherman having returned, the
examination of Warwick Read was re-
sumed. Mr.. Sherman told witness that no
power was lodged with the committee 10
excuse him from answering, aud the sue
cess OF all investigations depended upon
the fiankness Of witnesses in giving their
answers to proper questions.