The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-02-15
THE DANvILLE RIOT.
Testimony Taken by thefSubcOm-
mtttee To-day.

mtttee To-day.
Before the Sherman Subcommittee,
charged with the examination Of the causes
which led to tho riot at Danville, Va, dur
ing the recent election, Edward Hatcher
(whito), of Danville, testified that he did
not strike Jack Redd, rs that witness
charged in the examination of yesterday.
Crossexamined by Mr.. Vance, witness
said he had never heard any threats of
violence made against colored men by the
whites.
J. @. Reagan (white), of Danvillc, de-
tailed the circumstances respecting the riot,
which did not differ materially from the
statements heretofore made. Under direct
examination witness declined to answer
whether of Not lie Fired Any Shots.
He was pressed to reply by Mr. Sherman,
but emphatically declined to do so. He
admitted having had pistol ON his person
on the morning of the riot. Witness also
declined to say whether or not he struck
any one during tho riot.
Cross examined by Mr.. Vance, witness
testified that there were but about half-a-
dozen white men on the sidewalk when
the fight began, but the crowd was swollen
to about twenty whites. Saw pistols dis
played by several colored men. To the
efforts of policemen to dispense the crowd of
negroes they replied that they would
not be dispersed; that they did not propose
to be driven away.
By Mr.. Lapham-Witness could not name
any one who fired, either white or colored.
He saw no one shot, but did see aman who it
was alleged had died from the effects of %
wound received in the riot.
"Do you still decline TO say whether you
shot or not"
do, sir"
Continuing, witness said that the whites
and blacks were very close together and,
notwithstanding the fact that several
white men displayed firearms, tho blacks
still pressed upon them.
s. +. Ferry (white), of Danville, saw q
colored man coming across the street with
knife. He was soon afterward
Cut with n Knife
in the crowd but thought that the cutting
was accidental. Saw one Bangs with a
double-barreled gun; saw but one white
man with pistol.
Cross examined--.Just before tho riot
witness saw from his place of business u
white man with pistol in his hand and q
| negro trying to wrench it from him aud
| during the struggle the weapon was dis
| charged. Shortly thereafter tho crowd
| of colored men pressed upon the few whites
| who were congregated on the sidewalk. He
thought 1t was necessary for the whites
men to defend themselves by firing.
| r. w. Glass (colored), Of Danville. testi-
| fed that the white men ordered them TO
disperse. He heard policeman say: "The
white men have this hall, and If you id
niggers don't leave here we'll kill you"
| Shortly afterward pistols were displayed
| by the white men. 1t was not long before
thirty or forty shots were fired. After thu
crowd was dispersed and the firing was
over, crowd Of whites got together and
shouted
.'Hurrah for the DemOcratsi''
Previous to the shooting witness saw a
bag full of pistols in small Office near the
hall in which the meeting was being held.
He thought 1t was planed to kill the col
ored people. He heard Mr.. Barbour, at a
meeting week before election day, say
that ave intend to carry this election. II
we cannot do it by fair means, we will do
1t by foul" Witness did not vote because
of the intimidation. All of the Read.
juster
Republicans Stayed Away
from the polls on election day.
Cross.examined by Mr.. Vance-Witness
said that when Holland was shot he was
in the ranks of the colored people. Wit
ness saw no pistols in the hands of colored
men. He could not say that any one gave
pistols out at the Office. Thought that any
one who wanted one ran in and got one.
"A free lunch," suggested Senator Vance
eyes, sir. They ran in and grabbed G
pistol and came out and shot"