Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-01
THE DANvILLE INVESTIGATION
Further Evidence Taken Before the
Committee


according to previous witnesses, was
said to have killed two colored men dur
ing the riot.
The witness said that he was with johnson
during the riot, and that johnson did not fire
at all. He said that on the morning of the
riot six eolored men stood in front of his place
of business, and he asked them,not to obstruct
the way All moved of but one. The wit
ness started for this one, when he moved away
short distance and then asked what the
witness had intended to do. The witness re-
Piled that he was going to push him
away. The negro said witha an oath that the
pushing days were over.
4. J. Thompson. Of Danville, white watch
maker, was called. lie saw the riot from an
upper window opposite and described it, but
added nothing of Importance. He thought bv
the upward aim of the pistols that they were
shooting at him. He saw pistols in the hands
of cOlored men, and they were about as many
as in the hands of the whites, but he could
not name any one who had pistols.
A. NEGRO WHO ADVOCATED THE TORCH.
r. L. Osborne, a Danvile ice dealer, saw
the riot. He heard one colored man say when
the officers were trying to disperse them, 1--WE
mean fight" He saw colOred men with pis-
tolls, but could not give their names. He saw
colored men fire over their shoulders as they
ran. The witness was on guard the next day
with orders not to allow three men of either
race to stand together on the street. Trying
to disperse party of three coloFed men one
of them said that he was not gong away. He
was mot satisfied with this thing,n and
should not be till he saw Danville burned
down.
THE RIOT NOT PREMEDITATED.
Charles H. Conrad, tobacco manufacturer
of Danyille, was standing behind Capt. Graves
with his eye Op Capt. Graves pistol at the
time he was said to have shot George Adams.
The witness stated positively that Graves did
not fire the shot which wounded Adams. He
was Chairman of the Democratic Ward Club,
and IN position to know that there was no
premedltation to bring on the riot. On cross
examination Senator Sherman asked if the
witness fred his pistol. The witness declined
to answer. In the further course Of the cross
examination the witness asserted, with much
earnestness, that it was mistake to suppose
that there was prejudice against negroes.
NORTHERN wHITEwAsH.
The prejudice was against slow down
whites, the slum Of the earth that came down
to them from the North; the men who got the
negroes into trouble and then deserted them"
The witness had negroes at work for him who
would sacrifice their lives for him if he was
in danger. He had twenty negro workmen,
three of whom were Democrats. His father
m-laW employed between two and three hun
dred negroes and twenty-five of them were
Democrats.
Senator sherman ask ed if the negroes under
any circumstances stood any chance of get
ting their right TO elect officers there, being in
the majority.
Yes, sir, if they vote with me-"
THAT'S 1t, If they vote with you"
WHITE MEN NOT TO BE RUN BY NEGROES.
You will never see it as long as you live
nor as long as live, either, that set of men
who own property and are trying to build up
the town and husband all their resources and
accumulate wealth, that will ever allow the
negroes 10 come in and control that town.
You may Just set that down as a sure thing.p
Then it is the deliberate purpose of pro-
perty holders to prevent that2"
Il say it emphatically, but only by fair
means.''
But you have already told us that a ma
Jorlty Of those who owned property will not
allow that government to pass from their
hands into the negroes hands, and, worse
still. into the hands of this poor white scum. -
"Wel, we despise those worse than the ne
grOes-wOrse than the d.
The witness said that the Democrats felt
sure of carrying the election in spite of the
colonization of negroes from North Carolina,
having registered Democratic majority in
the county, though not in the city of DAN
vile.
FIRING ON BOTH SIDES.
j. F. Perkinson, of Danville, white Demo-
crat, described what he saw of the riot
There was firing ON both sides. Five or six
shots were fired by colOre1 people, He could
not name any one on either side who fired.
}. Z. Taylor, white, described what he saw
of the riot, but didn't see it all. He saw some
colored boys, but no cOlored women in the
crowd. The only woman he saw was an
Italian peasant musician.
senator Lapham-"Wa she playing?"
Not when was there"
''She did not fiddle while Rome was burn
''No, sir, they did not have a fiddle. 1t was
an organ
NEGRO STOPPED FROM FIRING.
George E. Coleman, white, of Danvile, de-
scribed the riot. He saw one colored man in
a doorway trying to fire pistol. 1t snapped
twice. when the witness rushed on him and
ordered him to put it away. The colored
man put up his weapon and ran away. The
witness did not know the man.
Walter Holland, a white man. who was shot
during the riot, was examined. He could not
tell what shot him, and declined to say whe-
ther he fired his own weapon.
ID. II. Richardson, white, was called He
saw the riot, and saw one colored man
shoot twice, but did not recognize him.
THE NIGHT-wAToH.
George NJ. Hubbard, white, was called. He
was patrolling during the night with Others
Shots were fired at the party and returned.
The witness was wounded in the leg His
horse was wounded by the same shot.
Green Williams, white, Chief of Police
OF DanYllle, was examined. He saw
the riot from a short distance, and saw shoot
ing from both directions. Before the election
he heard Squire TOlliver, colored, make a
speech in which he advised his auditors to 90
to the polls with loaded arms. The people
did not go hunting squirrels with empty arms.
The audience cheered. The witness described
threats which had been made by the cOIored
men against their fellows who should vote the
to whom these threats were made and from
whom he received information.
DANvILLE's REGISTRATION BOOKS.
The witness was familiar with the registra-
tiOn books in Danville. The Coalitionists had
about l,300, and the Democrats from 1000 to
] 100. The witness went about to find out
about the legality of the registration. He
knew that more than 90 registered Coalition
lists had gone to Mississippi to work on a rail-
road, yet their names remained on the
books. The witness found number of reg
istered voters living in North Carolina. Some
left when they found that the witness was
making an examination. The witness was
confident that the Democrats would have
carried the election if every negro Coalition
ist had voted
James Woods, City Sergeant Of DanvIlle. a
Republican, was examined. He described his
efforts to restore and preserve the peace.
A SUDDEN EBULLITIoN.
He was satisfied that the riot was a sudden
ebullition, and not premeditated affair. On
cross examination, the witness said that it
would not have been safe to call out the col
ored militia. He thought that it would pre-
vent violence to put the Democratic party in
control. He thought that it would aggravate
the feeling to put colored men in the peace
guard. The Danville circular had no effect
in Danville. There were some exaggerations
in that circular, but mainly 1t was founded on
fact
"Do you say that the description given of
the market was truthfulY"
II don't remember the description"
Mr.. Lapham-"Ill read it to you"
Mr.. Lapham then read the description given
IN the circular to the effect that it was filthy
and loathesome.
The witness replied that the description was
exaggerated, but the place was not nice
market.
The committee then adjourned.