The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-16
THE DANVILLE MASSACRE.
Additional Testimony Before the Senate
Investigating Committee.
The Negroes Fired Upon Without ProvOcatiOn
by the Whites Incendiary Speeches
of the White Leaders

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15.-The investigation of
the Danville election riots was resumed this
morning. Edward NJ Hatcher (white) denied
that he assaulted Jack Rudd on the day of the
riot Saw marks of bullets on buildings in the
rear of the white people, which must have been
fred by the negroes.
j. c. Reagan (white) testified that he saw a
crowd of angry negroes, and went to hardware
store and asked for box of chopax He told
the clerk there was going to be a knock-down
fight. The clerk refused to give them to wit
ness He hunted for them, but could not find
any He returned to the scene of the riot. Was
armed with pistol
Senator Sherman-Did you fire on that cca
sion}
Witness-I don't care to answer that question.
Senator Vance-You are not obliged to answer
that question unless you choose.
Senator Sherman put the question to you.
Did you you fire on that occasion.
Witness-I decline to answer that question.
The witness refused to say how many times he
shot into the crowd that day. He thought it
necessary for the white people to fire.
r. W. Glass, colored, was called. He said he
did not feel safe in telling what he knew about
the riot
Senator Lapham-Why notl
The witness-I live in Danvile, and have got to
go back there. The witness had heard it said
that any negro who testified
Senator Vance-Oh we don't want that Mr..
Chairman. .-a".5~a
Senator Lapham-I have right to know the
grounds of his fear r. e..
The witness, being treasured. told the story
that he heard pistol fred rushed to the scene
md tU- man and
twenty-five white men. The white men and
policemen were telling the negroes to leave. The
negroes replied eve are not doing anything;
why should we leaveP Hatcher said, This is a
white mans town, and | am - if we don't rule
you all You are going to get killed if you don't
leave" The white men drew their pistols.
The witness named Hatcher, Lee Covington and
Oliver whom ne said had pistols. Lee gave the
order to fire, and they did fire. Then the colored
men began to leave. The whites came out of the
opera-hOuse
"How manyq'~
Itlooked like two or three hundred" They
(the whites) went into the hardware store and
god pistols Saw pistols in the hands of twenty
five or thirty of them and bag of cartridges
in real estate Office where he took refuge, and
the white people came in and supplied them
selves. When all the negroes had left the wit
ness heard the whites going about the streets,
shouting: "Hurrah for we Democrats" Laugh
ter. Heard some whites say xiii every
id niger we can see." Heard Henry Banks
dale make speech, in which he said: ave in
tend to carry this election by fair means or foul"
Heard him say it was to be carried ''By de point
of de gum" At the time of the riot he saw white
men riding up with guns Saw white men run
ming home after their guns. Saw no colored men
armed
George A Lea white saw several pistols in
the hands of the colored people. Believed the
first volley was fired into the crowd of negroes;
but, after the latter began to run, a great many
shots were fired into the air. Saw some
aiob+ ytctc fha o1n
pointed at Taylor and himself; the negroes de-
manding that Uhey should come out and show
their faces. If the whites had not used their
pistols we should have been shot into smither-
eens sir; and not only that wives and sis
ters would have been murdered in their houses,
sir, murdered in our houses. l know this by
threats made two Or three days before, by their
leader.
Senator Sherman-Did you hear that threat2
The Witness did not hear it.
The witness couldn't imagine how an excited
crowd of people could have shown as much
mercy they 1.-THE whites) did. The general
remark was that it the leaders who ought to
have been killed and not these poor negroes.
The direct cause of the excitement was Simms's
speech. The original cause was the cold blooded
murder of one of 'best citizens" by our
''Readjuster brinde tailed mayor" The witness
spent the better part of the day in the real
estate Office where the witness Glass had
seen arms and cartridges, and saw
arms cartridges 1t was
positively not true that men went in there and
armed themselves. 1t is positive there were no
arms there. The witness feared for the safety
of the wives and sisters of whites because of the
threats he heard that on election day while the
white men were fighting the negroes at the
polls the negroes would be numbering women in
their homes
Senator Sherman-Did you not know that
during the war the whites left their wives,
mothers and daughters under the protection of
colored men}
The witness-That was before a class of mis-
chievous men came there to lead the negroes