Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-04
DANvILLE DEMOCRATS.
Further Light Thrown on the Election
Troubles in Old Virginia.


WASHINGTON, April 3.-Alexander w.
Miller white), of Danville, was the first
witness examined by Senator sherman's
subcommittee to-day.
He narrated certain features Of the riot and
many circumstances bearing on the condition
OF affairs before and after the riot On one
occasion before the riot he heard a pistol shot
at distance. A colored man. who was walk
ing in front Of him, thereupon drew his re-
VOlver and fired an answering signal saving
at the same time, ''My brother, meet YOU ?
He had seen colOred women butt white ladies
of the side walk. When the negroes were
living from the scene of the riot, the witness
colored boy. The witness caught the boy.
told Hatcher to let the n'''Ssy So9 alone Sna
Hatcher, who was under the influence of
liquor, ceased his pursuit
). L. Dance. of POwhatan county, Va, tes-
Tined 10 hearing negro say to a crowd of
ms fellows that he wanted to get a chance to
kill white man. The same scene was de-
scrIbed by Mr.. Rufiin 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 the
witness voted the Democratic ticket
he should not live out his days. The colored
people followed him after he voted his ticket,
so that had to take refuge in his stable. The
colored people in Danville did not visit or as
sOciate with him.
THE LAwsON-NOEL FIGHT.
Aaron Pointer (colored), of Danville, who
described his occupation as a general handy
man. saw the riot. He rehearsed the fight
between Lawson and Noel. The white man.
Noel, had slightly the advantage, when Geo.
Adams jumped on the white man, and in the
struggle the pistol of the white man went off,
some one then ran up and took Adams of.
Lawson was drunk, and he thought that the
white man was also George Adams
went across the street and said
him (the white mani and kill him." Jef
COrbett came to the crowd and tried to pre-
vent disturbance, but without Success.
Adams got some more negroes and they
started after Noel. Seven or eight of the
negroes had pistols. Glass had pistol and
started after the man they said had hit Law
son,and would have killed HIM but for a little
white man with a big head. who stood in a
doorway and pointed a gun at the colored
men. He concluded to get under a signboard
near there and did so and it (the
sighDoardl sg IS there yet. Presently
the firing began, and he got from under the
signboard, and ran until he came to little store
and went in and flung himself on a pile of
turnlps. lie did not know who fired first,
put the colored people would have killed
Noel (''just as sure as your a man and I'm a
MANI. Lawson had done nothing for several
weeks prior to the fight except drink and loaf
HOW coLoRED DEMOCRATS ARE TREATED.
The witness had been attacked bv 'squire
TaliaferrO, Arthur Hatchet and Geo Wilson
for voting the Democratic ticket They
threatened to get rope, tie it to a horse, and
make moose out of one end and sketch him
IN It" Some colored people said "howdy" to
him, but none visited him. Squire TallaferrO
advised colOred women to leave their hus-
bands If they voted with the Democrats Tho
Squire had great influence around there
because ne dld no work, wore good clothes
could read, and went around with newspapers
in his pocket. He tried to get a woman the
witness was counting to give him up. but the
Witness nearing OF 1t, married her right
until the firing began, and then he didn't stand
up at all. The witness did not see him until
two weeks after the riot. He heard from him
however, that if the cOlOred DeOple did NOT
vote and could prove that it was from fear.
the government would give them two votes
for one. This was circulated among the col
ored people. The negroes had talked of kill
ing Captain Graves. On cross examination
the witness said that Lawson, the colored
man who was the principal in the preliminary
fist fight, was drunk and was generally IN that
condition.
A. Wimbish, a commission merchant of
Danville, who lives short distance from
town, testified that George Adams the lead
ing witness subpgn@d by Senator sherman,
was very quarrelsOme man.
THREATS OF THE NEGROES.
B. F. Walker (white), an ex-Federal soldier
and Republican, who is a helper in a livery
stable, was examined. He saw two of the
men who were killed by the rioters. Several
white men picked up one of the bodies and a
colored man deprecatng the riot on the
ground that il was brought on prematurelv.
He saw ten or twelve of the coiored men in
the crowd of rioters flOurishing arms and
saying to their colored associates behind:
Come on! II is as goodsa time now as ever;
He had heard colOred men planning TO divide
up the stores in Danville.
Senator Vance-''You say Won are a Re-
publIcan|
Yes sir; am a Republican,"
How did YOU vote last tlme?"
~ voted the Democratic ticket straight"
swell, I'll tell you."
Senator Lapham-''Well, l object to that
senator Nance-''I think when A professed
Republican votes the Democratic ticket
Senator Lapham-"That's the reason Vvbv
object. Because he is a professed Republi-
cam
Senator Vance-s'Well. I insist unor If
The .witness-''Well, Tll tell you. | didn't
consider that there was any issue in Virginia
at the last election. except the niger against
the white man, and I'm for the white man
.,I Senator Lapham, smiling contentedly-
GUN DEALERS TESTIMONY.
X. w. Valentine, merchant of Danvlle,
was examined. He said he thought that he
sold greater number of pistols to cOlOred
people than he did to the whites.
{. {. Lance, of Lynchburg, agent of the
west virginia Coal Company, Republican
in national affairs. was examined, He votes
the Democratic State ticket in Virginia for
the reason that he thinks the Democrats the
best qualified to manage State affairs. He
was in Danville on the day of the riot. He
saw people running down the street. both
white and black, getting out of the way to-
gether. lie saw no firearms and heard no
threats The only person he heard talk about
the riot after it was over was Major Suther-
Iand, who expressed regret for it.
He was in South Boston Thursday.
There had been a political meeting of the
colored people the night before, at which
threats were made to burn the town. Since
he has lived in Virginia he has seen no ar
tempt or disposition on the part of the white
people to intlmidate blacks or prevent their
voting.
Roger A. Prcer, Jr., and VIM. A. Moor
man, both of Danville, testified to the con-
dltion Of affairs in Danville and to certain
features OF the riot
At O'Clock the committee adjourned until