Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-03-04

congressman John =. Wise Explains
Testimony of IA COali zionist Who Was
Warned by Democrats that There
Would be Trouble Oh Election Day.
Etc.

Etc.
Inc Dsnvflle Investigation was resumed this
morning Senator Sherman said that Mr.. Wise
wished to make correction OF his testimony. 10
make an additional statement Mr. Wise, taking
the witness chair, said that while he did not wish
% make any issue with the Official reporter in re-
gard TO the language imputed to him in connection
with the visits OF colored members OF the legisla-
,uFe TO MS house. stiA rs general statement OF
MS dealings with members OF the legislature. the
report did him injustice. What he referred TO
was a particular instance Of a person who had
come ton to his house to see his mother ard had called
as reflection upon them in anysense. but 10 Illus
trate that that man in that position was less eX-
acting than white person similarly situated would
probably have been. Before he began his teStl-
mony he had asked the reporter TO submit the notes
TO him for the Insertion OF tables. etc.
senator Nance.-Well. now. Mr. Wise, I wish to
ASK you sir. how are We 10 understand you in re-
Iation to this correction? DO you say that the
statement which the reporter made Is not what
You SAID, or that it Is not what you wished or in
tended to say?
issue with the reporter as to whether he took my
exact words or not. say do not believe he did.
Al ,Iie same tli!e pursuant to what had been the
UNDERSTANDING from the moment | testified.
IlStd H. Tor the reason that before spoke word
ioid hiin desired TO revise the testimony and put
In the tapuated statements.
Senator Sherman said that when Mr.. Wise first
appnel 10 him for leave 10 revise his Saementhe
lNr. Sherman) told him that he thought he would
oe allowed the usual privilege accorded to MEM
perS ol congress TO revise his testimony.
Mr.. WISE ADDS THIS
Mr.. Wise said he would like to add one sentence
more SIN so far my testimony is sought to con-
vey the impression that 1 made a discrimination
between colored and white members OF the legis-
lature. as II rule, in their communication with me-
II does them and me injustice. | have always
sOever made without any discrimination whatever
anu always expect TO do So"
MR.. wISE-S REVISION
rThe following is the official report Of the remark
which Mr.. Wise revised: 1.-The fact that 1 agree
with them politically does not mean that 1 invite
them to my house. could not do such a thing in
| Virginia and maintain any social standing. There
| Is no such condition there Black members or the
legislature have 10 come to consult me as to poll
tlcS, and they go to my kitchen and send up their
meSsag,. and go to the back yard and see them"
.Mr, NseS revision is as follows: The fact that
! agree With them politically does not mean that 1
invite them To my house socially. / could not do
such thing in Virginia and maintain any social
standing and there is nc such condition there. For
! eXalnbe, a black member of the legislature came
to consult me as TO politics You would have
thought that, being member OF the legislature lie
would have gone t. the front door: but he went to
| the kitchen-hiS mother being the cook-and sent
| up his message, and went 10 the back yard.''l
A cOALTIoHIsT WHO WAS ADVISED BY DEMOCRATIC
FRIENDS TO STAY PRETTY CLOSE IN HIS ROOM
ELECTION DAY.
| The next witness called was ]. ]. verser a
deputy revenue collector who testified that about
| ten days or two weeks before the election was
passing by the store of Mr. Graves when he stopped
me and began talking politics. He said they were
gong 10 carry the city and the county. said
thought 1t WAS close. He replied that they were
going TO carry the county by large majority.
! He said we had been friends. and he wanted to
give me some good advice lie advised me to stay
! pretty close TO NV room on election day. as there
was going to be trouble and he didn't want to see
! me hurt Graves is democrat. Next day X. Ii.
WolfOrk. a democrat. stopped ME and said there
was going to be trouble. on election day; that we
were friends and he didn't want me hurt: that If
w ba od nph hla a
vsed me to go to the country; TO go and vote If
wanted to, but then to go hunting or somewhere
away from town.
MI. Vance objected that this was not competent
testimony but he overruled.
IonelHhS, ihe Wi!nesss SAID that J-B Westbrooks,
OF DanVle, also told him the night before election
: that the democrats had make up their minds to
| carry The election; that they
! COULDN'T STAND MALONE AND Niger RUE
any longer and there going to be trouble After
! the election, WestbrookS said to witness: "Jim,
what told you came true, but it came three days
| earlier than we expected"
Witness declared tnat the feeling OF the demo-
! Gratis towards readJusterS very bitter. He
saw armed men al the polls the day OF election
and he thought they We're democrats He tried TO
persuade negroes TO go to the polls and vote. but
| they refused. saying there were so many men with
arms that they didn't care to go up and vote
Cross-exainined 10y Mr. Vance: Witness said he
saw about 15 colored men little distance from the
poiS ana perhaps % or 30 around the polls. There
| We're 30 or 40 white men there some Of them were
armed. He heard Mr.. Corbin, a democrat urge the
|
AFRAID OF BEING SHOT.
Witness is a deputy revenue collector and is con-
stiered an active politician voted In Danvile went
TO the New Design precinct to urge the negroes to
vote. The evening before the election witness took
out and distributed circulars signed by Col Cabell
ana Others promising the negroes protection il they
wanted TO vote. Witness had heard il slI-greS-
| ted that the impending trouble would come from
the negroes Witness heard Col. Sims speech In
lle audience cooreG man remarked he was afraid
/ there was going to be trouble, as some men were
armed. Witness advised the mayor that there was
danger of trouble: did not think Sims speech cal
cuiated TO cause trouble. Heard Sims denuunce
the signeiS OF the Danyille circular
| AFTER SIMS.
On redirect examination witness said he in COM
pany with Sims, arrived i'm Danyille the hight OF
the riot; he took Sims, by out-of-the-way streets to
! his (witneSS) ROOM There were many armed men
on the streets. At the livery stable colored man
begged him to get out OF town. The excited crowd
seemed TO be after Sims. No threats were made TO
witness. Next day witness was advised to keep
| quiet ana stay in his roOm One man caught wit
ness by the collar, and witness threatened shoot
him. Next day the man apol0yized, saying he was
under the influence OF liquor at the time the act
Sims remained in witness room al! OF Sunday-the
after the riot that II the trouble broke out again
whites as well as negroes would be killed"
TWO coLoRED WITNESSES.
| ChaS. Wooding (cOlOred) was called. He met Mr.
Lea on Sunday night and was advised by him to 90
hcme Witness retorted that he had as good a
|
said that they (the demOcratS) were going to carry
the election any way, If they chad to Kill the last
ID n1gger In the country"
| Walter Gay {mulattO) was called. He heard the
speech OF SIMS and did not endorse It, He thought
the circular could have been condemned In a better
| way. Some OF its SignerS were good and reputable
| men, who had attached their names without being
| fully acquainted with its contents. Witness be-
ieved that had 1t not been for the riot the read
JuSterS would have carried the town. The cOlored
| people were united In the readjuSter cause They
were so united because it was natural for them to
| unite against party who denied them their pOtt-
cal rights He knew Of no secret ORGANIZATIONS
among cOiOrei people.
| A DEMOCRAT WHO SAYS THE WHITES WERE IN no
DANGER.
Daniel Dugger (white) called. He described
i the riot. He saw Hatcher fire the first shot. and
| believed that but for that shot no negroes would
have been killed that day. He knew Hatcher had
| denied having been armed Witness knew as we'll
as he knew he lived that Hatcher had pistol and
fired it. Witness voted the straight democratic
ticket lie saw nothing the day OF the riot to
Indicate that the whites were i'm danger Nothing
which he saw justified the statement that The,
| whites fred In stlf-tieiense.
The subcommittee took q recess from lao till
$50.
The ApprOp Ration BILLS and the
Tariff.
| Mr.. MUTCHLER DEFENDS MR.. RANDALL
| Mr.Mutcher said to STAR reporter to-day that a
| great injustice done MI. Randall when it was