Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-16
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
TOLD BY WHITE MRN.
The Story of the DanviIIe
Riots.
HOUSES RAzED BY THE FLOODS
And the Inmates Swept Into
Eterni v.
GORDON ASKS FOR MORE ARMS.
But Hopeful of Set thing the
Difficulties.
GORDON ASKS FOR MORE ARMS.
But Hopeful of Set thing the
Difficulties.
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
story OF the whItes-Hovw the Negroes
Acted at OanvIlIe-TestfmOny Which
the Committee Cam Swallow Accord
ing to Their Notions.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15-The investigation
into the DanvllIe riot was resumed this morn
ing. J. G. Reagen (white) detailed the cir
cumstanoes respecting the riot, which did not
differ materially from the statements made
heretofore. Under direct examination wit
ness declined to answer whether or not he
fred any shots. He was pressed to reply by
Mr.. Sherman, but emphatically declined to
do SO. He admitted having had pistol on
his person on the morning of the riot. Wit
ness also declined to say whether or not he
struck anyone during the riot. Gross exam
ined by Mr.. Vance witness testified that there
were only about half a dozen white men on
the sidewalk when the fight began, but the
crowd was swollen to about twenty men. In
reply to demands of the policemen that the
crowd of negroes dispense the latter replied
that they would not dispense, that they did
notipurpose to be driven away. He thought
that the policemen were in earnest in their
endeavor to dispense the crowd. The neigh
borhood where PatrolmRn Hubbard was shot
on the night of the day of the riot was
thickly settled with colored people,
Witness saw no one shoot, but
did see man who, it is alleged, had died
from the effects of wound received in the
riot Witness said that the whites and blacks
were very close together and, notwithstand-
hot kha NH
firearms, the blacks still pressed upon them.
s. F. Ferry, (white) of Danville, saw
coIorsd man coming across the street with a
knife. He was soon afterTard cut with
knife by some one in the crowd, but thought
the cutting was accidental. Saw Mr.. Bangs
with double-barreled gun. Saw but one
white man with q pistol. Cross examined
Just before the riot witness saw from his
place of business white man with pistol
in his hand and a negro trying to wrench it
from him, and during the scuf1e the weapon
was discharged. Shortly thereafter the
crowd of coIored men pressed upon the few
whites who were congregated on the sidewalk.
He thought it necessary for the white men to
defend themselves.
R. W. Glass (oolored) of Danville, testi-
fed that the white men ordered them to
dispense. He heard policeman say: THE
white men have this hall and If you id
niggers don't leave here we will kill you"
Shortly afterwards pistols were displayed by
the white men. 1t was not long before
thirty or forty shots were fred, After the
crowd was dispersed, and the firing was
over, crowd of whites got together and
shouted "Hurrah for we Democrats" Pre-
vious to the shooting witness saw bag full
of pistols in a small Office near the hall in
which the meeting was being held. He
thought 1t was planned to kill the coIored
people, He heard Mr.. Barbour at a meet
ing a week before election day say: "We in
tend to carry this election If we cannot
do it by fair we will do it by foul" Wit
ness did not vote because of intimidation.
All of the readjuster Republicans stay ed
away from the polls on election day.
Mr.. Lee (white) saw several pistols in the
hands of negroes and saw them pointed at
his head and they looked quite large. Wit
ness had been conveying arms for three
weeks His action in seeing fair play he said
was complimented by several of the negroes
who were present during the encounter be-
tween Noel and Lawson. As soon as the firing
began the negroes ran and shortly after the
crowd dispersed. ross-examined by Mr.
Vance-Witness explained the reason he
carried a pistol was because of the threats
which had been made against himself and his
brother. In the Judgment of the witness, If
the white men had not acted determnedily
they and their families would have been
murdered. Witness testified that IN MS
opinion he was justified in going with his
friend Noel to see that he had fair play In
the ARRAY between Noel and Lawson.
At this point Senator Vance was ask ed it
he would have any further use for the coiored
witness Glass. II have had none from the
start" jocularly replied the Senator. Mr..
Glass was discharged.
he
been represented as the one who gave the
negro Lawson genteel thrashing, was the
next witness Bring sworn he said he was
passing down the street and was tr1pped by
q negro whom he struck He stopped at the
opera house and had brief talk with Lee
after WHICH he took his buggy and
while going up the road he met the man
with whom he had the difficulty early in the
day. Upon seeing witness the negro SAID,
s'B- G. here am" Witness considered
this insult rather more than he should be
compelled to take and went back to bis
place of business and got his pistol, intend
ing to go in the country. He went in COM
pany with Taylor and Lee to get satisfaction
out of the man who insulted him, Intending
to use his FISTS. He did this in his best style.
but could not remember how often he struck
the negro. During the time he. was en- gagged
he heard the report of Lees pistol a
Charles G. Freeman [white), a Demo cratic
policeman, told the same story about the riot
end repeated the story about the endeavors
to disperse the crowd. 7. Jefferson CorbiD,
white, fof DanviIe was called and testified
that in his opinion the unusual excitement
was due to Colonel Simms speech.
r. D. Murphy of Mobile, Ala, was sworn.
Was in Danville on the day the riot occur
red. Heard Colonel CabeD urge the multi
tude to keep quiet when the fighting began
Matthew +. Jordan, white, of
Danviile, the next witness. was present
at the riot and was armed. He declined to
answer the question, Ibid you shootF he
thought there we're possibly fifty or seventy
ave shots fred Witness denounced as false
the storv of Glass to the effect that white
men ran into his Office to get pistols with
which to shoot colored men. He thought
that If the white men had shown any oispo-
sitjon to weaken or recede it would nave
been q sorry day for them ana the SHUTS
populace of the town.
Lemon Coleman, colored, (minister), of
DanyilIe. testified that when he saw there
was disturbance he went in the direction OF
the crowd for the purpose of giving his col
ored friends good counsel. He saw one
vhite man shoot another white man. Gross
examined he said the white who shot the
other white man continued to IRE up the
street after the colored men who were run-
W. d. Williamson, (coloredl who keeps q
| grocery store in Danville, took the stand and
4 said he H40 q GILL AOE nk4AAAoAAeAOA IA bA0
morning of the day of the riot, but did not
| have any. Saw several men before the fir
| ing began with pistols raised up.
John Stone, (colored) the last witness, ate
dinner at the Market House on the day of
/ tina riot Saw Reagan shoot pistol into the
! crowd. Colonel Oabell caught hold of Res
/ gan and told him not to kill the negro Redd,
/ 81 whom he had shot.
Adjourned until Mopda7.
Il
The TariR- Republican OppositIon to
Any Rurtfal Changes.