Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-10
THE DANVILLE lNVESTIGA Alto,
Col. Sims u Witness To-Day.
ELECrInN METHODS ~ yIRGrNI..


Col ". f Sims, the gentleman whose speech nc
Danville IL is alleged. contributed 10 the excite
ment out OF which came the riot OF November 50.
was examined by the Danvte subcommittee this
morning. The inquiry was conducted by written
lnterrogatorieS, on account OF the deafness OF the
witness, and IL was very slow and tedious lie was
WHY otlore the war, and opposed secession. but
went into the movement with his state tMisSS-
spp, and served for four years In the confederate
army lie accepted the result OF the war. and on
removing 10 Virginia his political sentiments he
found, We're not In accord with the democratic
party He, however. acted with the democratic
party. then called the conservative party In lss2
ne formally abandoned his adherence 10 the con-
servatve party and joined the read1usters In 1882
ie was feadjuster Candidate for Congress, aud in
Io>o candidate OF the same party for the 2Ith
atOIlal district. Describing
TIE LAST CANVASS IN PIrTsyLyASrA COUNTY,
ne said that county was a coalition county II had
majority OF colored voters. The bourbon party
mad carried the county before by ueSilimate means
and the coalitionists determined 10 watch and
couhteract these means in this canvass. Witness
was made county chairman. and made IL his tirSt
duty TO purge the polling list and Ia ascertain the
font1cal preferences OF each voter. The result
showed coalition majority OF fuzzy 500 duly regis
tered and qualified voters in the county. All ready
and anxious TO vote. Witness WIS canyaSSer fnr
the state AT large. He never INDUCED In any per
sonalitieS except In SpottSylyania county ANA In
tne town OF Danville and then only because he ana
aSSa1led personally.
HIS SPEECH IN DASvILLE
was the second speech he had made 10 that con-
sttuency. He called on To make IL by the citi-
zenS two days before. They had then Just heard Of
the Danvfe circular. He had appointments In
ullerent places, and told his friends that he could
spare them Friday night 10 answer that circular.
lhey lSSued notices II this effect Witness arrived
the political issues. witness dweit chiefly on the
Danviile circular and upon advice 10 his hearers
ABOUT their conduct on election day He had learned
throughout the county that the democrats counted
largely upon what they should be able 10 accom-
plish in Danvilie. They knew that they had a
majority of LOO to overcome and witness
and his friends could only conjecture what means
would he adopted. out OF his audience OF over a
lhousshd was safe TO say not over i've had ever
seen the circular.
COL SIMS SURPRISED.
The day before witness had converSed on a train
with one OF the signers OF the circular. The signrr
'Mr. Runlan." asked Witness smilingly "Where
did you get that CIRCULAR Witness replied that
friend had sent IL To him. and he was surprised at
II. Rufilan said: 1--WE intended YOU should be sur
prlS,i al II. and If somebody had not leaked YOU
would not have got knowledge or Il.
In the conversation Rutrian said ie had AT first
refused TO sign the circular because ne didn't know
that more than one of its allegations was rrue IN
had been brought To him by one OF the town demo
cratlc committee, of which Col. Cabe was chair
man, with the statement that II WAS considered
very important that II should be signed for Circula-
ton In the southwest portion OF the state He had
Deen assured that AT least one reputable signer
would be secured who had knowledge or every allie
CATION contained in II. Under these circumS ances
he had signed for his iirIn OF Rufian. Voolfolk a
Blair. witness narrated this conversation ia his
speech. and said he did not know how MANY O! the
Signers had been misled as had been Mr. RufIian.
but all WHO had signed il had signed their names
10 afalSehoo1 He asked ii il was mean villify
the coiorel people. who had been faithful. lie
said he had no words 10 apply 10 men who had
signed the circular, knowing its contents except
vhat they were
wILLFuL sLANDERERS AND FALSIFIERs.
There was considerable excitement al this Wit
ness does not hear perfectly. WAS informed by
friend that Capt. joel Oliver, captain of the Dan
Vile Greys, and then I'm the audience had drawn
his pistol and Threatened To shoot him then ana
there. Witness told the crowd what had been told
MIN. and said that was not the time shoot him:
IL they wished TO do so. daylight the place He
said he ha6no doubt that men who would Wlllfully
sign Sucll circular would stab shoot him I'm the
back. He had never known a liar who was not a
coward.
The witness testimony consisted OF an arraign-
ment OF the democratic party. its principles aud
methods and eulogism upon the coalition party
senator Vance objected 10 the testimony as a dis
QUESTION upon politics only.
THE RACE ISSUE.
Mr. Sims declared that the whole policy OF the
democrats was 10 raise the race issue; that white
men who sympathzed with the coalitionsts were
denounced and the cOalitioniSis were called the
negro party. He said that through threats OF dis
charging employees who Were coati0niStS and bv
denounclng the negroes as Inferior human beings
the democrats carried the election.