The Portland daily press., 1884-03-29
DANVILLE'S MASSACRE
The Committee of Investigation Resume
Gts Work.


WASHINGTON, March 28.-The Danvills in
vestigation was renewed this morning. aud Is
witnesses were examined. NJ. B. Bertz, post
master at Waynesborough, Virginia, 20 miles
from Danville, described the state of political
| feeling in his neighborhood and said he was
himself the chief object of local Democratic
eDmity. He heard of the Dsnville riot the
day after it occurred. There was inlification
speech after the election. A Democratic
speaker said ne thanked God for Danyille. Il
was blessing in disguise.
4. M. Shoemaker, farmer resident of Dam
vllle described the autecedents o the riot. The
democrats were much excited and said they
| were being better organized than ever before,
Anq were determined TO carry the election
.. W. Simmons of Floyd county said the
Danville circular was extensively circulsted
| before the election. The fleet of the circular
was to change about 150 votes in Floyd county.
| job .uxhurst Of Fairfax. coalition candi-
date for State Senator, said that the DanvilIs
circular caused q change in the election from
| hea61ustar to Democratic victory The
Democrats relied on the race issue in the eau
| vass.
The Republicans suspended examination at
| THIS point although a few more witnesses re-
msined TO be examined and Senator Vance
began the evidence in rebuttal calling TO the
| VILE.
He described the riot, saw preliminary quar-
rel and went to the place. Cnlored and white
men were fighting with their fists, no weapons
neiDg used. After two me n we're sepsra'ed,
tne witness turned to a crowd of o or. peopl8
and asked them to leave. They refused aud
displayed pistols saying they had b1en misused
and they would not leave TIE witness went
among the colored people, and with several
Others whom he named, tried to get them to
disperse The witness was not armed. When
the firing began there were about 15 whites
ON 0oln nrud Ha oardx
to fire. The witness did not see the whites
when they first fred back. The witness saw
the colored men fire aud fully believed if the
whites had not fred they would all have been
murdered. The witness never heard of any
act on to bring about the riot In all meetings
at ended by him, the leaders cautioned their
followers TO avoid rioting and violence. The
election was quiet one. The witness repeat
edly tried to get the colored people to vote
without success They said they didn't want
TO vote The witness said 1t was untrue that
he fired at George Adams. He did not shoot
at any one.
W J. Dance member of the firm of Rufus
Wolfold q Blair in front of whose office the
riot took place described the riot He seized
a gun, cooked both barrels and stood in the
door of his office. Didn't fire but leveled the
gun when he saw the colored men aiming pis-
tolls. The bullet holes ON the front OF his office
building could not have been made by shots
from the white crowd. Ut was in this Office
that witnesses had said white men went and
supplied themselves with arms, there being,
according TO several colored witnesses large
quantity OF arms and ammunition stored
there) witness said he was the only man In the
otice and he kept the crowd out and refused
to let anybody in except two or three of his
friends. There were NO arms in the office ex.
cept toe gun held by witness and one old pistol
which was not serviceable and it was absolute
ly untrue that there were arms and smmuni.
tion in the office and that men went in there
and supplied themselves. It had been testi-
ned that four young men were seen going iu.o
the office on the day of the riot with two guns
piece. This was false. 1t was false that
young men were in the back yard OF the office
cleaning guns. Witness believes that II the
whites had not fred they would all have been
murdered. Negroes fired and then ran. At
ter the negroes began to run the white men
did not fire. Witness saw some 25 or thirty
black men with pistols All he could see in
the crowd had pistols. Witness was present
at the meeting of the club when the resllu-
tton was passed to Withdraw all patronage from
coalltonists. Witness could not name sim
gle colored man or white man who fred pis-
tolls. Tue Danville regiment assembled at the
ringing OF the bell. There was a peculiar sig-
nal known only by the members OF the COM
pany for assembling.
Mr.. John d. Ticker was called. Describ-
ing the cause of the excitement witness said
that there had been TWO or three bad magis-
trates and two or three negro policemen. The
negroes were impudent and the white men FIR
ed in self defense. w. W. Meeks fred on the
crowd Of colored people. The colored men
were firing at the whites. Witness could not
name-any colored men who fred
Adjourned to tomorrow.