The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-02-16
thought It was necessary for the crowd Of
white people 10 fire.
4 ESPECIAL roLIcEnAs.o

House.
In reply 10 Senator Vance. witness said
that the white and c0lcred men were stand
ing very near each other. The whites dis
played their pistols, notwithstanding which
the colored people continued TO GROVE
them.
WHAT BUSINESSMAN SAW.
s. +. Terry (white) was called, and II
reply TO inquiries by Senator Lapham de
scribed the riot. Being asked II he saw
any arms In the hands OF colored men, III
said he saw one colored man with knife
he saw one white man with double-bar
relied shotgun; witness saw several pts
tolls in the hands OF white men, but could
not tell who had them; witness was no
armed.
In reply To Senator Vance witness sale
he was in his place OF business, opposite
the scene OF the riot. and saw white mar
with his arm raised In the air, his hand
grasping pistol, and colored man trying
to wrest the weapon from him. In the
mtIee the weapon was discharged. II
seemed to witness that the discharge was
accidental.
CoLoRED WITNESS AFRAID TO TELL HIS
STORY BECAUSE HE HAD TO GO BACK TIC
DANvnLE.
r. w. Glass (colored) was called. lie
said he did not feel safe In telling what he
knew about the riot.
| Senator Lapham: Why notf
Witness: live in Danvile. and have
got to go back there.
Witness had heard ii said that any negro
who testified
Senator Vance: Oh, we don't want that,
Mr.. Chairman.
Senator Lapham: have right to know
the grounds of his fear.
Witness. being reassured, told his story.
He heard a pistol fired; rushed to the
scene, as colored men are accustomed to
do. Found some seventy-fve colored men
and twenty-five white men. White men
and policemen were telling the negroes to
leave. Negroes replied: awe are not
dong anything; why should we leaveg''
Heard Mr.. Hatcher say "This is white
mans town, and Pm damned il we don't
rule. You all are going to get killed ii
you don't leave.'
THEN TIE WHITE MEN DREW PISTOLS.
Witness named Hatcher, Lea, Covington,
and Oliver, whom he saw have pistols. Lea
gave the order to fire, and they did fire.
Then the colored men began to leave. The
whites came out OF the Opera-House.
"How manyy'
alt looked like three or four hundred OF
them. They Qhe wbites) went into the
hardware-store and got pistols. Saw PTS
tols--twenty-five or thirty OF them and a
bag of cartridges in real estate office,
where he took refuge, and white people
came and supplied themselves. When all
the negroes had left, witness heard the
whites going about the street shouting,
.sHURRAH FOR WE DEM0CRATs!"
laughter Saw Holland shot; thinks
one OF "those four first men" shot him !;
thinks. from the relative positions, that
.sthey were compelled to shoot him." Ii
was a "bali-bushei bag" OF cartridges,
Z" not by anyways full" The pistols were
large.sized breech-loaders. He heard some
Of the whites say, skill every id mig
ger we can see." Some replied, "No,
they have rum" Heard Mr.. Corbin say,
''They have run" Thought the riot was
premeditated. The whites used to hold
meetings in the Armory. Witness heard
the speakers say, awe intend TO
carry this election by fair means or
FOUL; heard Henry Barksdale speak
to this effect. Colored people do
not generally 60 armed. White people
generally do. Witness could not name
any one who had threatened negroes who
should testify. Had heard threats made
several times. Witness did not vote, al
though he felt safe in doing so alone, but
he didn't think it would amount to any
thing to go alone, and il they went in a
crowd he feared the whites would shoot
among them. Witness only heard one
colored man say he voted.
In reply to Senator Vance, witness said
he did not go into the crowd Of colored
people, but got behind the white men.
Didn't you feel scared getting among
those desperate white meny"
Well, l see they was aiming their pis-
tolls among the niggers, and / thought
that was
THE SAFEST PLACE"
Describing the shooting OF Holland, wit
ness said the latter left the crowd OF whites
and was among the colored people, going
| TO the opposite side Of the street. Nat.
Jordan was one OF the men who went into
the real-estate Office, got a pistol, went
out, and shot.
In three or four minutes after the firing
commenced there were three or four times
as many whites as blacks. The whites
kept coming and the blacks gong. Wit
ness remained among the whites for safety
until he reached iewelry-store; some one
told him TO "run out OBJ de back do'-dey
mout kill YER" Witness ran out OF the
back door. Saw Barksdale when he said
he would carry the election by fair means
or foul. Heard him say it was to be
| ~ r,t p,>-,r nm M, r,tr,,
Witness "reckoned" there was rs white
men present when the general firing began
and $50 colored people. A great many
colored people in that vicinity have guns
about as many in proportion TO their num-
bers as OF whites. In answer to Senator
Lapbam witness said he saw Mr. Shadbolt
coming with gun; saw white men riding
up with guns; saw white men running
home after their guns; saw no colored men
with guns Of any kind; the colored men
did not work on the day OF the riot; IL
was expected that an attack would be made
on Colonel Sims.
ORDERS "T0 KEEP THE NIGGERs OUT"
George A. Lea (white) Was called. He
was one OF the doorkeepers at the Opera.
House meeting. The orders were to keep
the niggcrs out. Ii was private meeting.
Witness was one Of the companions Of
Noel, whose fight with the colored man
Lawson brought on the riot. Witness was
armed. When Lawson was met there was
crowd OF fifteen or twenty negroes with
him. Noel, when be saw the crowd, said
he didn't intend TO use arms OF any kind
lie would give him good fist-cuffiDg, and
witness and Taylor must keep the CROWD
off. Witness described the fight.
.THE NIG0ERs GOT A GENTEEL THRAsHING.'
q What was the resulty"
"The niggers got genteel thrashing
SIR" The negroes rushed up, whereupon
witness drew his weapon and told then