Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-30
DANvILLEs STREET FIGHT.
New Witnesses Describe the Famous
Election Fusilade

New Witnesses Describe the Famous
Election Fusilade.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-The Dan
vile investigation was continued to-day.
A number of witnesses were examined,
principally white Coalitionists, but very
little of new fact was gathered. The sto-
ries were, in substance, the same as have
been talked over and over again.
James j. Pritchard, a white Democrat, a
merchant of Danville, was examined. just
before the riot he heard one negro say to an
other that that would be a bad day for the
whites. He saw the riot and described it.
The crowd was on the street earlier than
commonly that day. The negroes had been
restless all that week. The colored
men IN front OF the crowd on the day Of the
riot were not in the witness opinion there
merely to crafty their curiosity. On cross
examination the witness said that he went to
the scene of the riot to help protect the few
white men that he heard were surrounded by
negroes. He was armed and fired three times
into the crowd of negroes. The witness de-
scribed one tall mulatto with small side whis-
kers, who turned and fred as he ran. He did
not know his name.
THE RIOT DESCRIBED BEFORE IT OCCURRED.
Jacob F. Shaw, a white Readjuster, OF
HenricO county, Va, near Richmond, was
called. He was County Commissioner of
Elections. He first heard of the trouble in
Danville about the middle of the week before
the election. He was at Gallego Mills in
Richmond. and was asked by J. e. Hardy if
he had heard of the trouble in Danville. Re
plying in the negative, Hardy described the
riot, at which several people were killed.
some colored women had crowded white
women of the sidewalk and the riot grew out
of it. Hardy said that it would draw the
color line more plainly than ever before. The
witness was sure that this conversation took
place before the day of the riot.
j. G. Richards was recalled. He was a 10
cal historian, and was in both counties gath
ering material for book. Party feeling ran
very high. He heard Of the DanvIlle riot on
Saturday before noon (some hours before it
occurred). He picked up circular without
date, which purpOrted TO be an account of the
riot.
ANY STORY ACCEPTABLE TO SHERMAN.
Senator Vance objected to a description of
circular which could not be produced, and
the origin Of which was unknown. He was
Overruled.
The witness continuing, said that the gen
eral substance Of the circular was that "a
black wave had struck Danville' and four
| blacks and one white man had been killed.
The witness read this sometime between
O'Clock in the morning and noon. He picked
1t up in the depot and went out and sat deWn
and read it. He was sure that it was before
noon on November 8. On cross examination
he said that he lived at Prairie Depot Bath
county. He went into Virginia last Septem-
Der. His business was to get subscriptions
for geographical and biographical encvclO-
pedia of Virginia and to get up biographies
of prominent citizens. The witness s'had
saw other circulars previous to the one he
described. The purpose in calling this and
some of the other witnesses was to endeavor
to prove that the riot was premeditated by
the whites and that reports of II were current
at a distance before its occurrence.
DIRE VENGEANCE THREATENED.
Edward Lewis, a colored Coaitionist of
Chalk Level, Va, described the disturbance
which took place in his precinct. Jesse Keen,
a Democrat, threatened that the colored
people would be shot down like dogs and
driven of like Indians if they did not vote
with the Democrats. Keene said that the
Danvllle people would rule by the ballot or
bullet.
DR.. S. A. Goodwin, Baptist minister of
Danville, testified that there was great excite
ment resulting from the acriminious manner
in which the campaign had been conducted
on both sides. kumOrs of contemplated
mischief by the negroes were circulated, and
owing to the excited state of feeling created
he believed them and armed himself for pro-
lection, but in day or two the idleness Of
these rumOrs became apparent. The usual
relations between the races were friendly,
ana IL was only when the negroes were mis-
led by bad and mischievous men that these
relations were interrupted, The witness
| frequently preached ~ colored churches.
i. l.. Bass, a white Democrat of Danvile,
was called. He belonged 10 the Democratic
! Club He saw the riot and described it. The
negroes fired over their shoulders as they ran.
SIMS INFLAMAToRY SPEECH.
Z. IL. Norton, contractor and builder of
DanYille, was next examined He employed
forty or fifty hands of both colors He had
seen some colOred men in his employ with
arms several days prior to the riot. He saw
pistols in the pockets of colored laborers
Very few were at work on the day of the riot.
He had twenty-five or thirty negroes who
worked all the week, but on the day after
Col. Sims speech 1.-THE day of the rot, all ey-
cept two quit work. They were greatly ex-
cited. They gave reason for quitting
work All last summer the negroes were
more dlthcult to manage than ever before.
H. II. Perrow, a white Coalitionist of Camp
! bell county. was examined. He described
the circulation in his county of
Representations were made that the negroes
were rising against the whites. The effect
was an estimated loss of 500 votes in the
J. b. Stovall, white Coalitionist of Halifax
/ county, described the rumOrs of the riot which
/ were put in circulation before the election.
! The negroes were said to have risen against
! the whites in DanviIle. The effect was to
| induce nearly every white ReadjusIer to vote
with the Democrats.
! CIRCULATION OF THE CIRCULAR
| Thomas J. Wilson, of FincastIe, I25 miles
from iron Danviile, awHte Coalitionist was called.
| Inc DanYllle cil leular was sent 10 every white
! man In his neighborhood and in the surround
| ing counties. He produced a circular signed
! by Col. Cabell the one which the committee
! had not before seem. which was circulated
| the day before the election, 1t embodied a
/ statement that the DanvilIe circular set forth
! the true state of affairs in that county. The
/ eHect OF the circulation of these papers was
| TO keep at home many white COaltionists and
| induce others to vote the Democratic ticket.
>. Z. Klch3rds, white man, of Ohio. but
| VINO was IN Bath county, Va, on the day of
| the riot, was examined. On the Saturday be-
lore the election he picked up a little circular
senator Vance objected TO his further ex-
duced.
The witness stepped aside for the present.
w. .S. Jones, Of Martinsville, Henry Court
House, Va, was called. He first heard of the
Danvllle riot Sunday morning, the day after
It's occurrence.
Senator sherman asked If the witness had
ever heard of the trouble in Danville before
the day of the riot?
The witness answered in the Affirmative.
lie was on train on Friday before the cleo
lion, and fell into conversation with a strap-
ger, whose name he could not give. This man
told the witness that he was afraid of trouble
in Danvllle, where he lived. He had received
telegram that morning to return home. as
trouble was anticipated.
100 ARMED MEN WITHIN CALLING.
Three signals on the Star warehouse bell in
Danyllle, SO the stranger said, would call
together 100 armed men. The witness never
took no interest in elections, and didn't
know much about the details of the canvass
q. W. Swain, a white Democrat, was called.
lie lived in Danville and was manufacturer
Of tobacco. The witness accompanied Mr.
Barksdale the CoalitiOnist, to hear Col
Sims s-eech, Mr., Barksdale said to the
| witness; I'm - IL we haven't got you.
We've got the white men Of Southwest Vir-
ginia, and have the grOes solid. We can
turn tuem loose on you IN 0NC minutes
When they reached the meeting place the
witness turned back. The witness saw pOr-
tion Of the riot at a distance. He could not
recognize any of the rioters. The witness
heard Of no precOncert TO bring abOnt riot,
but. on the contrary, heard the Democratic
leaders say that the Coalitionists had the ma
chinery OF the election and the Democrats
were sure Of carrying the election. If they
were not careful some pretext would be
seized to throw ont ballots.
James l.. Browning, white, of Richmond,
was called by Senator Lapham. On the Sd
Of last August he was on his
way to Richmond, and passed through
ScOttsville. He knew Gen. Hill. then editor
of the Scottsville Courier, and afterwards
Sergeant at Arms at Richmond Gen. Hill
said that he had heard that the witness had
been nominated for the Legislature. Gen.
Hill said: "We win defeat your party this
time. We have more money than you.
We intend to use it. We intend to bully
where we can't buy"
The committee then adjourned until Mon
day.
Gold for Foreign Lands.
NEW YORK, March 29.-The steamship
Oregon, which sailed for Liverpool to-day,
took out 5000. 700 in American gold coin