The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-15
Details of the Examination.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14-The investigation of
the Danville election riots was begun this morn
ing. Congressman Cabell and John S. Wise
were present. Walter S. Withers, colored
policeman of Danville, testified that on Nov.
white man and colored man got to fighting,
when they were separated. The crowd
manned, and the whites ranged in line along the
curb and the colored men were in the street.
The whites had pistols in their hands, and said
the colored men could get enough if they wanted
it, and if they didn't leave some of them would
get hurt. The negroes objected to leaving, say
ing the whites were trying to override them.
The firing then began, the first shots being fired
in the air The colored people began to run,
and the whites fired at them whenever they
could see them None of the colored men had
pistols. One was shot dead and several
wounded In consequence of the riot the col
ored people did not vote at the election, three
days later, fearing violence. The affidavit of
the witness before the committee of forty was
incorrect, in so far as it stated the colored men
used firearms. 1t seemed that something had
been added to the affidavit after he signed it,
Jack Rudd (colored) chairman of the Republican
committee testified that he was in Danville on
the day of tina riot When the firing began he
left hastily. Afterward returning to see the
suit, he was met by Colonel Cabell, who asked
where he was going Colonel Cabell said: This
is just what have been telling you would hap
pen"
Ned Hatcher came along with another man
and asked Cabell who the witness was. Being
informed, Hatcher said: ''Let me blow his ID
brains OUT
Col. Cabell said: mo let the id scoundrel
leave here
Hatcher struck the Witness and as the witness
of t1eaxyh apo Hpi, ha
his white neighbors going into Danville that
night and returning with guns they had procured
in Danville. He them going to the polls
on election day with the same guns. The col
ored people were thereby intimidated and con
Guided not to vote
l.. L. JOY eolored saw white men drawn up
along the curb with pistols aimed. He started
away when the firing began, and the colored men
ran. One shot dead Jack Rudd the pre-
ceding witness came along and asked the col
ored men, What you all running FORT De
white peoples only burnin' powdah."' He
replied, What's de meanin' of dat dead man
ovah dar, if dey don't mean harmT
The witness described the maltreatment of
Jack Rudd by Hatcher and others and threats to
himself on the same day by the white people
The witness did not vote because of fear inspired
by the riot.
w r. Taylor, white, testified that an ordinary
row occurred on Nov between white man
and negro which led to a riot When the
fight began there were but three white men and
the climax there were between 200 and 300 ne
groes and about fifteen white mon. In the wit
ness opinion, had the white men shown fear,
they would all have been murdered there. The
witness two or three pistols among the ne
groes. The witness empted five chambers of
his pistol at the crowd of negroes Would most
assuredly do so again under like circumstances
Didn't know whether he hit anybody or not.
A. II. Blunt thought the whole trouble be-
tween the races arose from the insolence of the
negroes. He thought if Senator Sherman and
Congressman Wise had seen their daughters
slapped off the sidewalk as the witness had seen
those of respectable men in Danvile, they would
want to leave Virginia He had seen white
man escortng white lady to church the
opera, and negro man bust right through their
arms"
Dr. W. B. Temple testified that he was in the
opera house when the trouble began When he
got out on the street he fifteen or twenty
white men confronting an inturated mob OF
''niggers." The latter were violent and threat
ening and shouting out they could shoot as well
as the whites. The white men fired volley
which the negroes returned, and on firing the
second voey by the whites, the negroes ran
firing as they ran. The witness was armed and
fred with the rest. He fred four shots into the
crowd of negroes. He said he obliged to do
it. He did not make any inquiries to the
cause of the trouble. He only saw
ten or fifteen Of his fellow-citizens
contending against a mob of negroes and
he took sides with his own people The witness
bought pistol month before the thing oc-
Cured 1t was he said, notorious fact that
the negroes were armed, and they. the whites,
had taken measures for their own protection
When the witness fired his pistol he fired right
into the crowd He did not know whom he hit.
The witness had taken part in the discussion
which preceded this riot Like every other good
citizen he said, he wanted to get rid of the ter
rible, miserable government they had He said
every white man, woman and child had been en-
listed in the fight to get rid of the government
they complained of, and had promised implicitly
to obey the orders of their leaders They had
been warned by every man in authority to avoid
any collision, if they could