Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-19
SHOTGUNS IN THE SOUTH
sHERNIAN's BLACK RRoTHERs
STILL TELLING WHITE LIES.

! SHERMAN'S BLACK BROTHERS
STILL TELLING WHITE LIES.
A Danville Aunt Dianah Who Mixes
Little Politics with Her Love
Tales of the Two Negroes Who Pre-
cipitated the Trouble at DanyiIle-
Copiah's HOodlums Not the Demo
cratic Party.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 18.-The investiga-
ton into the Danville election trials was
resumed this morning by Mr.. Sherman's
subcommittee of the Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections. Mr.. Sherman
submitted map of Danville prepared by
Congressman Wise, with an index to the
various localities of interest in connection
with the investigation.
Mr.. Vance objected to the nomencla-
ture, 1.-THE place where the whites formed.
etc" The evidence, he said, did not indi-
cate that there was any line formed.
Mr.. Sherman said that the nomencla-
ture was not material. The map itself
was the only essential matter.
THE NEGRO WHO CAUSED THE RIOT.
Henry Lawson, a coIored man. whose
quarrel with Charles ID. Noel preceded
the riot, was the first witness. He is a
small man, weighing about fifty pounds
less and standing six inches shorter than
MS assailant, Noel. He said that he met
Noel tor the first time on the Sd of No
YemDer. The witness was getting out of
the way of some ladies and ran against
Noel. The witness said. "Excuse me,
SIR" Noel replied, "You id niger
what do you mean by running against
meE, Davis Lewellyn, one of the wit
ness companions, said, $50 on, Noel
ana LeWellyn came to blows, and Lew
ellyn Knocked Noel in the gutter twice.
he next saw Noel in buggy the same
day. Noel kept looking back, and the
witness said to Lewellyn: "You had bet
ter look out for him; he may attack you.v
THE FIRST PISTOL.
a few minutes later Noel having left
his buggy approached the witness and
struck him twice with a pair of knucks.
the witness head being turned away at
the moment. The witness had two COM
panlons. Noel had several companions.
Lea, one of NoePs companions. had a
cooked pistol in his hand as he came uD
and thrust it in the witness face and
threatened to blow his head off. After
preliminary quarrel the witness
escaped through store and had been in
Boston ever since, being afraid to live in
DanYilie. The witness, in reply to Sena-
tor sherman, described the quarrel. its
ahJecedents and the results in detail He
asserted that he said nothing to Noel. and
that he had never insulted or spoken to
w W Il. Taylor as alleged by both Noel and
Iaylor, when they were under eXamina-
tiOn.
Davis Lewellyn, the cOlored man. was
called. He told the story of the prelimi-
nary fight substantially as Lawson did.
Dut was somewhat clearer in his descrlD-
tion and expressions.
A UNION SOLDIERS STORY.
John f. Carl, the white Superintendent
OF the National Cemetery at DanvilIe. an
ext mon soldier, was called. He had
lIVed IN Danyille since the Sd of August
last. On the afternoon of November 8 he
was In store making purchase when a
disturbance began. He went out to as
certain its nature. He gathered from an
pearances that two or three persons were
nghtIng. The encounter seemed to last a
minute or two, wnen pistol was dis
charged. Going nearer he saw a crowd of
PROBABLY nfteen or twenty white men,
and a motley assemblage of cOlored peOple
oi al ages, ana both sexes, numbering
about htteen individuals. Some of the
colored people appeared to be demanding
tne arrest OF one OF the white men. One
OF the white men stepped to the front and
sad, Here l am, what do you want?',
A colOred man said in reply, ssYOu are
not the man. The man seemed to he
pointing out another man. The witness
had his little son with him and hastened
to place him in neighboring store for
safety.
IN BATTLE ARRAY.
While on his way the boy said: eFatber.
they are going to shOOt.V The witness
then noticed a number of white men in
the crowd holding pistols at what he
called rest" They held their pistols
in their right hands, the left hand serving
as a support. The whites seemed to be
formed in double line, arranged abreast
or nearly so, then right at building line.
extending diagOnally across the pavement.
The affair lasted about two minutes. The
witness estimated that there were 15O
shots fired. Smoke Obscured objects
across the street. He saw no arms in the
hands of the colOred people, and saw no
returning shots. He could tell by the
direction OF the discharge of the smoke
that the whites fired.
In reply to Senator Vance he said that
the slime" of the whites seemed to grow
OF the necessities of the case, leaving the
impression that the line was not the re-
suit of predeterminatiOn.
CoLORED wOMAN'S FRIGHT.
cOlored woman named Viola Keeting
described the neighbOrhoOd assembIaees
of colored people on Sunday to discuss
the riot and danger to the colored people:
ut seemed dey were all afeard to 20 to de
polls. l don't tink we hab got ober dat
fear up TO dis present day." The reason
why her husband did not vote was be-
cause she did not think it safe to let him 90
to the polls.
Senator Vance-"Are any of the colored
people in your county DemOcrats?"
The witness-"Well, don't hunt that
sort. If hear of cOlOred man votin'
the Democrat ticket l dOan hab nuthin
to do with him, and | doan let
him come in my house. | doan like
to see a colored man sell himself.
l tink If cOlOred man votes de Demo-
crat ticket he already sold himself"
Senator Vance-Well, when a white
man votes the Republican ticket do YOU
think he sells himself2
Witness-Pll just tell you what | tink.
He's man wots got sense and knows
wot he's dOin'
Senator Vance-Wen, supposing your
husband should vote the Democratic |
ticket.
Witness-Ill just tell you wot, | would |
just pack up my clos and go to my fader;
if didn't hab no fader I'd Just 60 to work |
for 20 cents week to support my own |
set.
The witness did not know whether her |
sentiments were shared by the colOred |
women generally. ''The colored people |
didn't hab no frens, and it was necessary |
Tor them to stand together" The witness |
was somewhat embarrassed at the begin |
nlng of her examination, but gathered |
courage as it progressed, and pronounced |
her brief political creed in reply to Sena-
tor Vance's inquiries with selfpossession |
and emphasis.