National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-15

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wanted to avoid bringing on disturbance.
l.. J.. lrey quite an intelligent colored
man, testified that on the day of the riot he
was at his stand in the Danville market. He
heard noise, which he supposed to be an
alarm of FIRE, and ran up to Main street to
see where it came from. He saw white men
standing in front Of Voolfolk, Ruilin
& Blair's place. with pistols aimed at q
crowd of colored people in the street. A
white man and a colored man were fighting,
and the men with pistols seemed to be daring
any one to interfere. The shooting soon be-
gan, and the witness ran back to his place.
In few minutes he saw Jack Redd como
down the market. He said to some col
ored men, What are you all running
for; the white men are only burning
powder" They pointed to a dead man
lying not far away, and one Of them said
Whats the meaning Of that, il they don't
intend any harm?" Jack had lost his hat,
and going back to the corner he encountered
Nsd Hatcher and man named Riggin. They
ran at him with drawn pistols, and kicked
him all the way through the market. They
told him to run and when lie did run Riggin
fired after him, but did not hit him. The
ball went through covered market wagon.
Y he witness was meDaced with pistol by
Willie Bouldin. " sou of tho editor Of the
lauville Times, and charged with being
l ader in one Of the coalition clubs, but
through the Intervention of Lawyer Harri-
son, Houldin was induced not to shoot Rig
gins also threatened the witness the next
morning, and said to him, ~ want you to
understand that | am not hiding from any
thing that have DONE
At 1890 a recess was taken until 2 p. M,
and the afternoon session Of the committee
was devoted to tho examination of three Of
the best citizens" Of DGnvillC, who took
part in tho shooting. They were all intelli.
gent gentlemen, and testified with perfect
frankneSs as to the part they took in the
affair and seemed entirely unconscious of
having done anything wrong. The first one
examined was W. Il. Taylor, young man
apparently about 20 years Of age He tosti-
lied that on the day of tho riot he was at
democratic meeting in the opera house. which
had been called Tor the urpose OF indorsiDg
II campaign circular attacking negro rule"
which lad been issued by the democratic
committee. This circular had been de-
nouncgd by Col. Sims at Teadiustcr meeting
on the previous evening as malicious and
false. Noel, IA young friend of his, came to the
opera house and told him that he was going
10 whip Hanse Lawson, negro, who had
insulteu him, and lac wanted him (Iaylor) to
70 with him and prevent any interference.
Noel, Lee, aud Taylor (the witness) left the
opera house while the meeting was in
progress and went up Main street and stopped
IN front of Woolfoiks. Noel recognized the
negro who had insulted, and proceeded to
whip him. Taylor and Lee stood by and
prevent I'd any one from interfering. A crowd
OF cOlored people gathered, two policemen
came up, and Noel and the negro were
separated. The crowd became threatening,
and, hearing his name called, Taylor looked
around and saw large negro trying to
wrench Lees pistol from him. Taylor
struck the negro with his cane, and in the
melee was tripped and fell. At the same
instant Lees pistol was discharged
whether accidentally or intention
ally the witness did not know
TIE negroes crowded up and wanted to know
who fred the pistol Some one said II was Tay-
lor. The negroes made threats, saying they
were going to have their rights. Capt Irel
Oliver stepped out and said if the negroes
would disperse the white people would but
they refused to leave. The witness saw one
or two negroes with pistols; and they con-
tinued to ask for the man who had fired the
shot A tall negro accused Taylor of firing,
and he replied that he had not fired, but he
had pistol in his pocket, and If the negro
wanted its contents he could have them. The
negro drew pistol ftom his pocket and re-
turned 1t again. By this time 200 or 300
negroes had gathered and probably fifteen
white men. The witness heard three or four
bullets whistle past him. and young white
man named Holland who was just in the act of
stepping to the sidewalk, was shot and fell.
One negro turned and fired as he ran away.
In less than minute tho negroes had disap-
peared. Inc Witness Salu tnaJ ne nlnSelI
fred five shots into the crowd.
objection was raised by Senator Vance
when Senator Sherman asked the witness
whether he had shot into the crowd, but the
witness had no hesitation whatever in answer
ing the question and no fear of eliminating
himself. He said that he would do the same
thing again under the same circumstances.
He regarded the attitude of the negroes as
threatening and he thought he was defending
himself If he had finched he might have
been murdered. One of the expressions used
by some of the negroes in the crowd was that
'the black people could shoot as well as the
white people," Taylor was appointed special
policeman by Mayor johnson after the affair
was over. The military company of which
IIel Oliver was captain was called out to
preserve order. The witness, in accounting
for the excitement of the white people, said
that they were incensed at the bad local
government and the insolent conduct of the
colored people in the street. The negro
whom Noel chastised had insulted him by
trampng on his heel and afterward called out
TO him on the street. He denied that there
was any intention on the part of the white
people to bring on riot for the pur-
pose of intimidating the negroes and
preventing them from voting. Col. Sims in
his speech had denounced the signers of the
negro rule" circular as malicious liars,
sGoundrels, and perjurers, and said its state
ments were u pack Of lies. He charged that
it was the work of Col. Cabell, but he was
too smart to sign it. lie advised the negroes
10 20 to the polls aud assert their rights. and
if any one threatened them or attempted to
bribe them to report to him (Sims) and he
would have him sent to the penitentiary.
Mr.. Taylor regarded this as the most exas-
pcrating speech he had ever heard.
The next of the good citizens" who testi-
fed was DR.. b. b. Temple, q leading physi.
clan of Danville and 10 witness could have
answered more fully and frankly than ne did.
DR.. Temple said he was al the democratic
meeting at the opera house where 600 or 700
people were assembled An alarm was raised
on the street, but somebody said it was
merely un effort to break up the meeting, and
but little attention was paid to it till a shot
was heard. The witness left the ball and
when he reached the street saw n
few white men on the sidewalk and large
crowd of negroes in the street. Somebody was
trying to got the crowd to disperse,
but they wouldn't go, He hurried
TO the spot without knowing that
there had been fight, or anything about
the situation, except that ten or fifteen men
of his own race were menaced by an angry
negro mob. When the firing began he him
self fired four shots into the crowd; but as
soon as the negroes ran he exerted himself to
stop the shooting and the pursuit. Mr.. Sher-
man led this witness along in q gentle, easy
way, and encouraged him to express his
political views DR. Temple said that like
any other good citizen he wanted to get rid
of the terrible miserable local government
that had been imposed on them by negroes
and the United States officials. The men
who owned the property of the city had no
voice in its government "YOu think, then,n