The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-01
THE DANYILI4E RIOTS.
Testimony of Several Witnesses Before the
Senate Investigating Committee.

WAsHNGTo2l, March 31.-J c Enright, white
testified before the Danville committee to-day.
He lett the Opera-house with Jas. L. Johnson.
who according TO previous witnesses, was said
to have killed two coloIed men during the riot
The witness said he was with johnson during
the riot, and johnson did not fire at all
j. E. Parkinson, white, said there was firing
OH both sides Five or six shots were fired by
the colored people.
T. j. Thompson saw pistols in the hands Of The
colOred men-about as many as in the hands of
the whites
r. L. Osborn heard one colored man say, when
the officers were trying to dispense them, I'VE
mean fight Saw eolored men with pistols saw
them fire over their shoulders as they ran. One
negro said he was not satisfied with this thing.
and should not he until lie saw Danville burned
down. Charles II. Conrad, tobacco manufac-
turer of Danville was standing behind Captain
Graves with his eye on Captain Graves's pistol
at the time he was said to have shot George
Adams. Witness stated positively that Graves
did not fire the shot which wounded Adams.
He chairman of the Democratic ward club
and in position to know that there was
premeditation to bring on the riot.
In the course Of the cross examination by Mr..
sherman the witness asserted with much
earnestness it was a mistake to suppose there
dice against the low down whites, scum of
the earth" that came down there from the
North, men who got the negroes in trouble and
then deserted them.
Senator Sherman asked if tie negroes, under
any circumstances, stood any chance of getting
their right to elect officers there being in the
majority.
Yes. sir if they vote with me"
THAT is if they vote with you"
You will never see it as long as you live nor
as long as live either, that a set of men who
own property and are trying to build up town
and husband their resources, and accumulate
wealth, will ever allow negroes to come i'll and
control that town. You may just set that down
as a sure thing
That is deliberate purpose of the property
holders to prevent that.
Il say it emphatically, but only by fair
means"
But you have already told US a majority of
those who owned property will not allow that
government to pass from their hands into negroes
hands, and worse still into the hands OF this poor
white scum
'Well, we despise those worse than negroes;
worse than the devil"
d. c. Richardson, white, was called He saw
one colored man shoot twice.
George VI. Hubbard, white, was patrolling
during the night, with others, and 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. chief of police of Danville
was examined. He saw the riot from short
distance and saw the shooting from both diree-
tons. Before the election heard Squire Toll
liver, colored make a speech in which
he advised his auditors to go to
the polls with loaded arms; people
didn't 90 hunting squirrels with empty arms.
The audience cheered. The witness described
the threats which had been made by colored
men against their fellows who should vote the
Democratic ticket. The witness named the men
10 whom these threats were made and from
whom he received the information.
James Woods, city sergeant of Danvilie, Re
publican, described his efforts to restore and
preserve the peace He was satisfied the riot
a sudden ebullition and not a premeditated
affair. On cross examination, the witness said
it would not have been safe to call out the
colored militia He thought it would prevent
violence to put the Democratic party in control
He thought it would aggravate the feeling to
put colored men peace juries. Adjourned.