Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-15
DANVILLE'S COLOR LINE.
FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT THE
NEGROES FORCED 1T.

FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT THE
NEGROES FORCED 1T.
Democratic Witnesses Give the Names
of Black Men who FIOurished Re-
vOlvers and Made Threats-The News
of the Shooting Injurious to the Demo
Gratis in the State-Butler Mahone's
Absurd Game of BluR.
WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE Danville
investigation was resumed by Senator
Sherman's subcommittee this morning.
DR.. William t. Voolfolk. white, a physi-
clan OF Orange county, Va, testified
tnat the negroes had intimidated voters
IN Orange county on the dav of the
election by the proceedings of a colOred COM
pany armed with pistols. etc, which. he said,
had taken possession of the polls and prevent
Ell persons from voting the Democratic ticket.
The witness related a conversation between
himself and a cOlOred Democrat. in which the
latter said that the negroes had threatened to
drive all the cOlored Democrats out Of the
county. On cross-eXaminatiOn the witness
testified that he had seen two white persons
armed ON election day but was not armed
himself.
William +. RAY lwhite), of Washington
county, Virginia, was present at the polls all
day election day. He denied the statements
OF Fowler, previous witness of Washington
county, that any violence or intimidation had
been attempted in that county on election
day. There was no violent demonstration
there on election day. The largest vote ever
known in the county was pOlled on that dav
though IL was partly due to the DanvIlle cir
cular.
MAHONR'S CRY FOR REVENGE.
The witness had received a telegram from
the Democratic State Committee saving that
Malone had issued circular calling on the
negroes to aYenge at the ballot box the death
of their brethren in Danville at the hands of
Bourbon mob. He had spoken about the
telegram on the stump, and had accepted the
color line and advised the white men to
deathg ayenge at the. the ballot box the
at the hands of a eOlored mob. On cross
examination, he said that it was reported in !
the county that both negroes and whites had
been killed at Danville.
\. +. FulkersOu. of Washington county A
member of the 47th Congress, had seen no vi0-
lent demonstration ON either side in his
county. He thought that the Danville riot
and c0iored. than there would have been
otherwise. The Readjusters had drawn the
color line In the election and he had insisted
that 1t should be accepted by the Democrats
as, unless it was done, there would be a solid
negro vote and divided white vote This he
said would have given the State to the ne
grOes.
THE CIRCULAR WITHOUT EFFECT.
c +. Trigg (whte), a canvasser for the
Democrats in Russell and adjoining counties,
testified that the Danvile riot had little or no
effect in those counties. He himself had not
heard of the riot until after the election The
race issue had been drawn by the coalition
lists.
Isaac Christian (white), of Charles county, !
Va, testified that there was no ill-feeling in
his section between the Readjusters and
Democrats. There was, however, between
the Readjuster and straightOut Republicans.
The decision of the Supreme Court on the
civil rights question had tremendous effect |
on the election, but the Danville riot had
scarcely any effect. The cOlOred orators, |
after the Supreme Court decision, had told |
the negroes that the United States Govern |
ment was going back on them. The very |
best relations existed between the negroes and |
whites in his section.
NEGROES ARMED FOR THE FRAY.
r. L. Cohen (white), a transfer agent of |
Danville, was sworn. On the morning of the |
riot he saw Hense Lawson and VIM. Level |
lyn, the two cOlOred participants in the pre- |
liminary quarrel, loading their revolvers in a |
hallway TO liquor saloon. The witness |
named several negroes who had pistols on the |
day of the riot. Conway Robinson said to the |
witness that he had apstol and it was loaded |
for good use. Another cOlOred man named |
Lawson during the riot gave an order to rally, |
fired his revolver at the white crowd, and then |
ran. Jeh Hubbard, colOred man, exhibited |
pistol to c0iOred Democrat, and said to |
him: "If you vote the Democratic ticket, |
that's my game"
''How many pistols do you think you saw |
in the hands of colored men on the day of the |
riot?" was asked.
81 think that l saw dozen or more. There |
was number that did not know. / think |
they came into town. In fact. / know one |
whom | saw get of a train from North Caro- |
lima"
The witness was on the police force at one
time, and knew Hense Lawson. He was a |
notorious character, and always in trouble |
with some one, white or black. Some time |
before the riot he saw Lawson chasing a
mulatto boy with pisotl.
SQUIRE TALIAFERROs BOASTS.
The witness knew Squire TaliafeTro He |
heard him, in conversation with Jen Hubbard |
before the riot, say: Things is working all
right, JEFF; just stick to me and will make it
as hot as - for all of them" He saw Talia- |
ferro addressing crowd of cOlOred people on |
the day of the riot.
Judge Lapham, On cross examination, asked |
the witness to report the names of the cO,Ored |
men whom he saw with arms on the day of |
the riot. He named VIM. Llewelyn, Hense |
Lawson. Mat Lawson and Howard Robinson, |
all of whom had pistols. The witness could |
not give the names of any white IOen who |
had arms. The witness did not see the quar-
rel between Lawson and Noel. but saw the /
riot The first pistol fred was by Mat Law |
son, coOred man. The witness was armed. |
In reply to Senator Vance the witness said /
that his back was to the whites during the |
riot, and he could not therefore see their |
pistols.
W. p. Everett (white), of DanyiIle, shoe |
dealer, was recalled. He saw Hense Lawson |
one week before the riot with two pistols. |
Lawson wished to pawn the pistol to the wit |
ness for a pair of Shoes The witness let him 1
have a pair Of shoes, taking one OF the pistols |
as security. The witness had the pistol yet. |
THE CIRCULARS EFFECTS RETOLD.
Chas. T. O'Farrel, the contestant for a seat |
in Congress from Virginia, was examined. He |
lives in HarFisOnburg, Va. He was State can |
vas3er for the Democratic party last fall. The |
news of the DanVllle riot was damaging TO the /
Democratic party. There was in Rockingham /
county where the witness was during the |
election a 'right formidable little straightOut |
organization" The reports from Danville /
had a tendency to drive men from the sup /
port of the straightout ticket TO the support |
of the Malone ticket. The Democrats in |
stead of circulating the news of the riot |
IN itc Of 0rnqf
the stra ghtOut ticket. The witness attributed /
the success of the Democrats to the fact that |
the debt question had ceased to be an issue and |
a Urge number OF Democrats who had acted /
with the Readjusters returned to their al i
legiance. The Lyuchburg Democratic /
Convention had, by its proceedings. |
these men. The color line was first /
drawn by Coalition speakers, and the Demo-
Gratis in retaliation sought TO consolidate the |
white vote. During the cross examination,
Mr.. Sherman handed the witness a paper /
which the witness Identified as a copy of the |
Richmond Dispdtch of October 80, four days
before the Danville riot. The witness. at |
Senator SheTman's request, read a marked /
paragraph as follows: Ever. day Main street
idlers put out report that there has been a
riot at Danville. IteXcltes great many people |
and does no good" This was put in evidence
j. Il. Patterson, of PETERSBURG Va was
sworn and examined. He knew OF no efforts
on the part of the Democrats to draw the
color line.
William Long. of Petersburg, farmer. was
called. He was present at the polls when the
Butler Malone pistol episode took place. A |
cOlOred letter carrier tried to persuade a
cOlUred Democrat to vote the coalition ticket.
High words were used by the bystanders.
BUTLER MAHONE's LITTLE BLUFF.
Gen. Malone and his son Butler Malone
drove up. Gen. Malone said, ''Let there be
free vote and fair count" Butler Malone /
drew his pistol and said. 'If any man insults
my father, / will shoot him on the spot"
Thereupon his pistol was taken away from
him.
g. A. Jackson, of Petersburg, described the |
same episode. Gen. Malone was considerably |
hustled and at one time was lifted off his feet.
Young Malone attempted to draw his pistol,
when bystander "smacked it out OF his
hand" The pistol fell upon the ground. and, |
after lively scuffle, was captured by a white
Democrat.
Geo. NJ. Meenely (whte),. a cOalitionist,
living at Tappahannock, go miles northeast Of
Richmond, was examined. On the ID of No
vember he was at Paulis cross roads, and
was told that report had been put IN circu-
lation that the negroes were about to rise IN
Lynchburg, DanYille, and other places. and |
the people were sending to Richmond for |
arms and ammunition. The witness wrote to
the Richmond Wig that night (N0vember p
asking that the report he denied, as it would |
tend to reduce the coalition vote. lie pro-