The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-04
SHERMAN'S SUBCOMMITTEE.
yesterdays INVESTIGATIONS.
OF Colored Democrats - Squire
'h'la'erro's Great InHuonce-whIie Re-
pubiicans Who Vote the Democratic Ticket.

| 0'Ios 1reat Influonce-Nhite Re-
p"oicans Who Vote the Democratic Ticket
-, lBy telegraph 10 The Dispstch.l
-, "ashIN0ToN, ID. c.. April 3.-Alexander
W. Miller (white) Of Danvile, was the first
witness examined by Senator Sherman's
subcommittee to-day. He narrated certain
FEATURES OF the riot and many circum-
stances bearing on the condition Of affairs
before and after the riot. .On one occa-
SION, before the riot, he heard a pistol-.ho
III distance. A col0red man who was
walking in front pf him thereupon drew
MS revolver and fred an answering signal.
saying at the same time, "My brother.
meet you" lie had seen colOred
women "butt" white ladies off the
sidewalk. When the negroes were fiy-
ing from the scene Of riot witness
saw r. Nj. Hatcher. q white man, chasing a
colofed boy. Witness caught the boy,
placed him in hallway. and told Hatcher
TO let the boy alone. Hatcher. who was
under the influence of liquor, ceased his
pursuit.
;. i. Dance (white). OF Powhatan coun-
ty. Va, testified to hearing a negro say TO
a crowd Of bis fellows that he wanted 10
get chance to Kill q white man. The
same scene was described by Mr.. Ruflin
yesterday.
Chess Ingram (cOlored) was called. He
/ had been Democrat for five or six years.
George Adams, a cOlored man, had threat
ened at the election before the last that il
witness voted the Democratic ticket he
should not live out his days. COlOred
people followed him after voting his ticket
so that he had TO take refuge in his stable.
Colored people in DanVile did not visit or
associate With him.
Aaron Pointer (colOred), OF DanviIlc.
who described his occupation Gs gen
eral handy man. saw The riot. He re-
hearsed the fight between Lawson and
Noel. The white man (NoeD had Il
slight advantage. when George Adams
jumped on the white man and
in the struggle the pistol which the white
man had went of. Some one then ran up
and took Adams off. Lawson was drunk.
and he thought the white man was also.
George Adams went across the street and
said to 4 crowd OF colOred men there.
Let's get him (he white man) and kill
him." JCtr. COrbett came to the crowd
and tried to prevent disturbance. but
without success. Adams got some more
negroes, and they started after Noel. Seven
or eight OF the negroes had pistols. Glass
had a pistol, and started after the man they
said hit Lawson, and would have killed
him but for a little white man with big
head, who stood IN n door way and pointed
gun at the cOlOred men. He concluded
to get under sign-bOaTd near there, and
did so. and ii the Sign-bOardO was there yet.
Presently the firing began. and lie got from
under the 81 gn-bOard and ran until he came
TO little store, and went in and flung him
self on a pile OF tUrnipS. He did not
know who fired the first shot, but the col
ored people would have killed Noel "just
as sure as you're a man and Pm a man."
Lawson had done nothing for several
weeks prior to the fight except drink and
loaf. Witness bad been attacked by Squire
TallaferrO. Arthur Ratchet, and George
Wilson for voting the Democratic ticket.
They threatened to get rope, tie il TO a
horse, and, make a moose at one end,
ketch him on il. Some cOlored
people said "howdy" to him, but
none visited him. Squire Talqferro
advised colored women to leave their huS-
bands if they voted with the Democrats.
The Squire had great influence around
there because he did no work, wore good
clothes, could read. and went around with
newspapers in his pocket. He tried TO get
the woman witness was counting TO give
him up, but witness hearing Of it married
her right away. Squire TallaierrO had
stood up well till the firing began, and
then he didn't stand up at all. Witness
didn't see him until two weeks after the
riot.
On crosS-eXaminatiOn, witness said Law
son, the colored man who was the princi-
pal in the preliminary fSt-hght, was drunk,
and was generally in that condition.
A. Wimbish, commission merchant Of
Danville, who lives a short distance from
town, testified that George Adams, the
leading witness SUbpGnded by Senator
Sherman, was very quarTeIsome man.
b. f. Walker (white), an eX-FCderal SOL
der and Republican, helper in livery sta
bic, was examined. He saw two Of the
men who were killed by the rioters. Sew
eral white men picked up one OF the
bodies and a pistol dropped from the
pocket. He heard cOlOred man depre-
eating the riot on the ground that it was
brought on prematurely. He saw ten or
twelve OF the colored men IN the crowd OF
rioters flOurishing arms and saying 10
their cOlored associates behind: Come
on; it is rs good a time now as ever" He
had heard colored men planning to divide
up the stores IN Danville.
Senator Vance: "You say you are Re-
publcan?"
ayes, sir; | am a Republican"
GLOW did you vote the last time!"
~ voted the Democratic ticket straight"
How is that?"
"Wel. I'll tell you"
Senator Lapham: "Well, | object to
that"
Senator Vance: ~ think when pro-
fessed Republican votes the Democratic
ticket t.
Senator Lapham: That's the reason
why | object; because he is professed
Republican"
Senator Vance - Wei, insist upon
! it,"
Witness DWELL, I'll tell you. didn't
consider there was any issue in Virginia at
| the last election except the Niger against
the white man, and I'm for the white man
every time"
Senator Lapham Smiling contentcdly :
" Exactly"
r. w. Valentine, merchant Of Danville,
was examined. He said he thought he
sold greater number Of pistols to colOred
people than he did to whites.
G. c. Lance, of Lynchburg, agent OF the
West Virginia Coal Company, Republican
| in national affairs, was examined. lie
votes the Democratic State ticket in Vir-
ginia for the reason that he thinks the
Democrats best qualified to manage State
affairs. Was in Danville on the day OF the
riot. Saw people running down the
street. both white and black, "getting
out OF way together" Saw no firearms;
~ L.. ha