The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-16
DANvILLEs MASSACRE.
Continuation Of the Congregational In

Confirmation of the Congregational En-
quiry.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15.-The investigation
OF the Danville election riots was resumed
this morning. The first witness was Edward
M. Hatcher, a white man, who, according to
the testimony of Jack Redd yesterday, assault
ed the latter and wished to shoot him. The
witness asserted he had no fire arms en- that
day and had never carried any other weapon
than pocket knife for twenty years. He was
not in the vi3inity of the market, where the
alleged assault on Redd occurred, on that day,
The witness saw marks of bullets on several
buildings 10 the roar of the white people, which
bullets must have come from the crowd of
eolored people.
]. G. Reagard, white man, testified that he
arrived at the scene of the riot after the first
fight had terminated. He was armed with a
pistol. Senator Sherman put the question,
did you fire on that occasion?" The wit
ness said, II decline to answer that question" !"
he also declined to answer as to whether he
struck Redd but asserted he did not shoot at
Redd. The witness refused to say how many
times he shot into the crowd on that day. In
reply to Senator Vance the witness said that
there were not more than half dozen white
men IL. the crowd when he first arrived. There
were 30 or 100 colored men all angry. The
witness thought 1t necessary for the crowd of
white people to fire.
R. W. Glass, a negro. was called. He said
he didn't feel safe in telling what he knew
about the riot.
Senator Lapham asked "why not?"
The witness replied 81 live in Danville and
have got to g1 back there The witness had
heard it said that any negro who testified was
TO be in danger.
Senator Vance said, "Ohl we don't want
that, Mr.. Chairman.
Senator Laph am replied: II have a right to
know the grounds of his fears"
The witness, being reassured, told his story.
He beard pistol fired and rushed to the scene
IS coiored men are accustomed to do. He
found there some rs colored men and 25 white
men. The white men and policemen were
telling tho negroes to leave. The negroes re-
piled, I'VE are not doing anything, why
should we leave9" The witness heard Hatch
er says, This is white mans town and I'm
get killed if you don't leave" Then the
white men drew pistols. The witness uamed
Hatcher, Lee, Covington and Oliver whom he
saw have pistols. Lee gave the order to fire.
Then the negroes began TO leave. The whites
Game out OF the opera house.
How many" was asked?
1t looked like three or four hundred of
them. They, the white men, ran into the
hardware store and got pistols" The witness
saw pistols, % or 80 of them and bag OF
took refnge and white people came in and sup
piled themselves. When all the negroes had
leit, the witness heard the whites going about
the streets 'Hurrrh for we Democratsl''
lLaughter) The witness saw Holland shot
DE thinks one OF these four first men shot him.
Geo. A. Lee (white) said that he was one of
the doorkeepers at the Opera House meeting.
his orders were to keep the niggers out. After
description Of The riot the witness said that
negroes rushed up and demanded to see the
lace OF that id white men who did the
shooting whereupon witness went out and
showed his face. In reply to Senator Sher-
man whether he fred his own pistol witness
declined to answer. Witness saw several
pistols in the hands of colored people. There
were not more than Is white men at the place
during the riot.
Senator Sherman-Why did you carry arms:
did you think pistol would be useful?
W1tness-No Sir; eight or ten colored men
rushed up and complimented me on the way
mad seen fair play between Noel and Lawson.
Good negroes were allowed 10 escape through
the store. Witness stated as a reason why he
carried the pistol that he had heard Squire
1allver, "a leading brindle tailed Reaoj1st
hepnbhcau," say that few North Carolina
cltlzenS had come to Danville and he would
nave 1t understood that North Carolina could
not rule. Witness and his brother were
among those singlsd out as being in danger
and were advised to carry arms. Witness be-
lieved that the first volley was fred into the
crowd OF negroes, but after the latter began TO
run great many shots were fred in the air.
some eight or ten pistols among the colored
lnen were pointed at Taylor and himself. If
tne whites had not used pistols we would
nave been shot into smithereens, and not only
mat out our wives and sisters would have been
murdered in their houses. The direct cause of
the excitement was the Sims speech. The
original cause was the cold blooded murder of
one OF our best citizens by our readiuster
brindJe tailed mayor There was no fesling
against the colored men as unequal in pein
OF law. The objection to the vote of the
negroes was on account of their Ignorance.
Ihe town government was run by United
States oricias in the custom house there.