The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-15


they could shoot a. well as the whites. Some
persons, among them policeman, wer'
endeavoring TO allay the excitement. Th,
negroes would not 60 away, however, and
soon the shooting began. The white mer
fired yolley, which the negroes returned
and on the firing OF second volley by th'
whites the negroes ran, firing as they ran
Witness was armed, and fred with th.
rest. He fired four shots into the crowd
OF negroes. He said he was obliged TO dc
II. lie did not make inquiries as to the
cause OF the trouble. He only saw ten oil
fifteen OF his fellow-citizens contendine
against mob OF negroes, and he took the
side Of his own people. Witness had
bought his pistol month before this thing
occurred. II was, he said, notorious fact
that the negroes were armed, and the
whites had taken measures for their own
preservation. When witness fired his
pistol he fired 1t right into the
crowd; he did not know whom he hit
did not fire after the crowd began to run,
and tried 10 prevent others from firing.
Witness had taken part in the discussions
which preceded this riot. Like every other
good citizen, be said he wanted TO get rid
OF the terrible, miserable government they
had. Witness had often said he would
leave the country If that government were
not overturned. His complaint was that
the people who built and owned the town
had no voice in its management. He said
that every white man, woman, and child
had been enlisted in the fight TO get rid OF
the government they complained Of, and
had promised TO implicitly obey the orders
OF their leaders. They bad been warned
by every man in authority TO avoid any
collision II they could. He denied that the
riot had been preciptated In order to i'm
timidate the negroes from voting, but
thought IL had that effect. II didn't make
any difference In Danyile, AS that
county was Democratic without the col
ored vote. He stated that he had
heard part OF Colonel Sims's speech, and
that Il was the most villalnous he had ever
heard a decent man make. He thought
that the speech had wrought the negroes
up to q pitch OF excitement that ended in
the riot. On cross-examination by Senator
Vance. witness said that he had not known
of collision between the whites and ne
groes in his county since the war that
some mean white man was not responsible
for, and that they invariably left their ne
gro dupes to bear the brunt OF any trouble
that followed.
A. II. Blunt, OF Danyille. was next call
ed. He was in the Opera-House meeting,
and heard there was fighting on the street.
He went out, bought pistol, and went to-
ward the scene of the disturbance. a
crowd OF escaping negroes met HIM, ran
against him, and knocked him down.
Witness went with the purpose OF shoot
l.s. hot
down." But he did not fire himself.
Witness was informed by Senator Sher-
man that the previous witness had shown
that witness had been seen to shoot into
the crowd Of escaping negroes. Witness
put in broad and emphatic denial. In re-
ply to Senator Vance, witness said there
was state of great excitement. He at
tributed it to insoence on the part OF
negro women and negro men. Witness
thought il those two gentlemen Senator
Sherman and Congressman Wise) had seen
their daughters slapped off the sidewalk as
witness had seen those Of respectable men
in Danville theyIwould want to leave Dan
willie and Virginia. There were great
many low negroes there. but there were
also good colored people there, whom he
respected, and who acted as good citizens.
Senator Sherman asked ii the overbear-
ing manners OF the white people-formerly
-holders--had not contributed to the
excitement. and that degree OF Difference
was demanded from the colored people
that would not have been demanded from
any other race?
Witness thought that might be so. Wit
ness thought the chief difficulty arose from
the insoience OF negroes. Their acts OF
insolence were OF everyday occurrence.
He had seen white man escorting white
lady to church or the opera-house, and had
seen negro man "bIrst right through
their arms"
The proceedings were adjourned until
tomorrow at 10 O'Clock.
WHAT THE WITNESSES WERE EXPECTED TO
PROVE - GOVERNOR vANCE's KNOWLEDGE
OF TEE AFFAIR.
Especial telegram TO the Dispatch.I
WASHINGTON, February 14.-The SUBJ
committee on the Danville affair met this
morning in the Senate Elections Committee
room and proceeded to examine col0red
witnesses. Mr. Sherman presided, and
Hon. John S. Wise was very active in
making suggestions to HMM fact, he
wrote many Of the questions. Governor
Vance was on hand, and did not look
as if he thought much harm could be
done to either Danville or its good
people. Colonel Cabell and Hon. George
d. Wise sat in rear of him, and the former
conferred with him from time to time.
The negroes had their stories well pre-
pared, but were sometimes disconnected
by cross questions. They were expected
to prove that the white people at Danville
were armed and belligerent as Comanches,
while the negroes were without arms and
peaceably disposed as Quakers. They were
also expected to prove that the negroes
We're kept from the polls by fear on cleo
Governor Vance asked one wit
ness if negroes did not generally keep guns
in their houses, and he admitted that a good
many did.
HE WILL NEXT ASK ABOUT RAZ0RS.
Southerners present looked from one to
another as il to say the Governor is fami-
lar with the habits of negroes. One said
he will ask about raZors before he gets
through. Mr.. Sherman, in most pater-
nal way, here informed a country looking
witness that he could get his pay at once,
but could stay in Washington as long as
he wanted. II is wonderful how lamb-like
the Ohio Senator can look on occasions
like this, and what wolfish sentiments he
can utter on the stump when assaillng the
South and endeayoring to fire the heart Of
the loyal North.
IyEY, A COL0RED HUcKsTER,
asserted that the negroes were
shot I'm the rear, to show that they were
retreating when fired upon. When pressed
by Governor Vance to explain how he
knew this was the case, he became deci-
dedy mixed in his explanation. Accord
ing to his statement Mr.. higgins was par
bloodthirsty, and so was Willis
DALAI. Diar1rino In xrtiln