Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-06
sHERMARs DANv1bLE eR1sr.
The Old Story Again RetoId Many Times
by New Witnesses

SouthaIl, postal clerk between Lynch
burg and Bristol, Veun., was examine
before the Danville Subcommittee thi
| morning:
lie was IN Lynchburg the night before tn
| election and made notes Of two speeches de
| livered at a public meeting there by MI
Whitehead, editor Of the Lynchburg AduGnc
| and Mr.. Marie. lawyer Of Bynchburg. Tn
witness read his notes. The speaker said i
substance that they (the DenEocrats) lntende
| to carry the election by blood
necessary, and that ALI arrange
| ments had been made to that end
| Sentiments of approval for the action of tn
whites at Danville and denumciatiors o
"Iraltor" Malone were uttered. He de
serlbed the circulars which were put out b,
the Democrat. One of them grossly misrep
resented the statement made by Gov. Cam
eron In a public speech. On crosstexami.
nation by Senator Vance the witness de.
scribed the feature of the meeting, which, ht
sald, had not occurred to him before. A col.
ored brass band approached the meeting fol
lowed by a crowd and some one in the meet.
ing said, Here they come to break Us IIp
Protect yourse tves.h
RALLYING FOR FRAY.
The whites formed in line, and great many
pistols were drawn. The approaching crowd
bore banner inscribed, 'We Are With You. ;;
ana the whites were reassured. The witness
sad that good many OF the Democrats dis
approved the sentiments uttered in the
speeches of Messrs. Whitehead and Marie.
lie ana not understand ths speakers to threat
en- violence IN order TO secure votes but to
protect the polls from violence,
Eustace Gibson, Congressman from West
virginia, was examined. He was at Culpep-
per, Va, on election day, and several davs
before, assisting his brother, who was a can
dldate for the State Legislature. The wit
ness made speeches in tine county, and had
frequent consultations with both the Demo-
crauc anq kepubncan leaders. Up to the
time of the riot the Democrats had
confident hopes of carrying the county, The
colored people became very much excited by
the news OF the riot and would thereafter
hold no intercourse with the Democratic
leaders. The news solidIfed the colored vote
On the morning OF election day he went
very early to a polling place where he ex-
pected to meet two cOlored Democrats. The
voters came early, and about l30 colored men
formed line on the side of the road and shook
their tickets, saying: 'These are colored
mems tickets"
This was done with the intention of intimi-
dating Two eoored Democratic workers. The
hrst coiored man who voted the Democratic
ticket secured pledge that the witness would
not make known the fact. After voting the
man broke and ran. The color line at that
polling place was entirely drawn by cOlOred
men. The news of the riot was very damag-
ing to the Democrats.
GEORGE D. WISE ON THE STAND.
Congressman George ID. Wise, OF Virginia,
took the witness chair and was examined by
ROhoAOA AuGCs luIutuldbbly dILeF the Qls-
cusslon with Colonel Sims he made journey
with that gentleman on train, and in con-
VersatiOn Colonel Sims stated his confidence
that ne would carry the election in Danville,
ana described his organization of the negroes.
Colonel Sims agreed with the witness that he
could not nope to carry the county, but did
expect TO reduce the Democratic vote Re
ferrlng to the testimony Of John S. Wise the
witness quoted the remark, ~ consider my
case stronger now thau when we started. He
massey mas not proved anything and 1 have
proved some 200 perjuries and fOrgeries for
The witness said that he was acquainted
with the men thus assailed, and they were
men who stood as high as any men in Vir-
ginia and no man had ever questioned their
word. Nhat were called perjuries and for
gerIes were delinquent tax papers,
where men had not been assessed
by the proper officers. They went to the
Commissioner and received a certificate from
him that they had been overlooked. Upon
this paper the Treasurer received their capi-
tatlOn tax in oreer that they might vote. No
oath was required. 1t was a common prac-
tlee all over the State by whites and blacks.
CoALITIONIsT COLLECTOR.
There was, the witness said, in the CITY OF
Richmond regularly qualified collector of
delinquent taxes. The COalitionists, how
ever, selected second man for this duty.
who opened his Office in the United
and placed guards at the door
None were allowed to pass in who were unac-
companied by guards. Streams of colored
men were guided IN there by these attendants.
The witness was warned by a prominent and
honorable Republican that things were going
on there that if known would shock the pub
lie. The witness employed a man and gave
HIM money to go and pay delinquent taxes as
he had legal right TO do. The man went and
as threatened with death.
Senator LaPham objected to this on the
eround that the witness was stating what
was not within his personal know edge
Senator Vance insisted on having the state
ment.
The man. Mr.. Wise continued. reported
that he could not remain there He was ac-
cused of being a spy for the witness, and was
threatened with violence. The witness then
employed friendly cOlored man to go and
watch the course of affairs, and this man,
too, was elected The law required that the
collector should execute a bond, and it was
discovered on the day OF election that the
second coliector-had given no bond.
now DOLLAR WENT THE ROUNDS.
The reason for this was that one dollar had
been made to serve the purpose Of paying the
tax for 400 cel0red men. When a coloTed man
entered the dollar was handed him, When it
Wss palc to the officer It was carried back to
the doorkeeper to be handed to the next
cOored man. The Judge OF the court ordered
thai none OF the tax receipts issued by John
h. SnellnRs, the second collector, be recog-
nized, because of the discovery that he " as
BOT under bonds. Acting under this order,
some Of SnellinRs' certificates were refused
at certain white precincts, and thereupon
the COalltlonlsts arrested the election officials
and kept the polls closed during a portion of
the day when many Democrats wished to vote.
The witness took the names of between zoe
and 300 Democratic voters at two precincts
alone who were thus prevented from voting
The United States Marshal, Whe arrested a
challenger at one OF the colOred precincts, was
met by John s. Wise and ordered to release
the man. The Marshal was told that he did
not understand his duty
HOW THE NEGROES WE'RE STIRRED UP.
The witness submitted in evidence a circu-
lar appealing to the colored men to vote solid
ly for the Coalitionists, to avenge the murder
OF their follows, five at DanVille, and Robert
Robinson, III another place. The witness said
that Robinson was murdered by "a cOlored
thief Readjuster, and the Richmond BAfg ad-
mitted as much, Notwithstanding which this
circular was put out. The witness described
meeting OF Democrats near which a Coal
negro speaker mounted the Democratic
stand, upon which the ether meeting
broke up and came over. One of the COali-
tonlsts assailed the negro speaker with op-
probrious epithets. and finally mounted tne
stand and threatened violence, which was,
however, prevented by the witness When
ever the opportunity offered the Coalitionists
tried to break up Democratic meetings John
). Wise had said that he knew Of no instance
where eOlCred man had been misused by his
race for voting the Democratic ticket. The
witness was surprised, for in Richmond it was
notorious that the house of Abraham Hawley
had to be guarded to prevent its destruction
and the murder of its owner for his Democ-
racy. C0lOred men were instruct by their
ministers from whom to take their tickets. and
were threatened with election from the church
If they .ailed to obey.
Az INSTANCE OF THE TERRORISM.
A man now in this building (the capital
had come to his room. He would not give his
name. 10 would not be safe for the man. lie
came to the witness. room, not to his
Kitchen; and said that he wished to vote for
the witness, but could not because Of threats
to which he had been subjected. The witness
described the Coalition speeches. The Coali-
lonists asserted that the Democrats were
advocates of the whipping post, and wished
10 dc troy the colored schoOlhOuses. John
Wise h;d stated that he was prevented
froH speaking in Manchester, Va, by threats
against his life. Manchester was opposite
Richmond, and there was not a more orderly
community any where. John Wise went
there whenever he pleased. The witness
cross-examnation was postponed for the
present.
q. p. Armlestead, OF williamsburg, James
City county, Va, was called.
STRANGE SCENE AT THE POLLS.
came in to vote. A white maR named
Bryant offered them some straighout tickets.
DR.. K. A. Wise, the Coalition candidate,
walked up and told the men thar the tickets
were nothing more than Democratic tickets.
You are not going to vote the Democratic
ticket after they have murdered your brethren
in Danville2" DR.. Wise urged them to vote
the Coalition ticket, and avenge the murder
of their fellows. The witness stepped up and
told DIR. Wise that he knew the statement was
false ana it should not 90 uncontradicted.
The witness thereupOn OGered the negroes the
Democratic ticket. The men went on aud got
their tickets elsewhere. The witness dcs-
rrfhnd AZ Vfntannn rryhf Hn had