The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-15
INVESTIGATION RESUMED.
sAERMANs coMMI7TEE AGAIN
oN'"s into the Danviiie Riot-Ex.Con.
e'"an fnikerson, ConnnIIy r. Triga,
ESQ., Judge Christian, OF Charles City, and
Others Give Their Testimanx
IBy Telegraph 10 the DIspatch. /

ing. '''''''' '"'' i''i u
Dr. William L. Woliolk (white), a phy
STEFAN, OF Orange county. Va, testified
Snat the negroes had inundated voters n
!, orange county on the day OF election. II,
narrated the proceedings OF a coIoret
company, armed with pistols, clubs, etc.
which he said had taken possession of The
polls and prevented eoiored persons from
Young the Democratic ticket. Witness re
: iated conversation between himself anC
coloTed Democrat, in which the latter
saiu the negroes had threatened 10 drive
all the colored Democrats out Of the county
oh cToSs-eXsminatiOD witness testified inc
lad seen two white persons armed on cleo.
. lion day, but was not armed himself.
William r. Ray (white), OF Washington
county, Va, was present at the POLLS all
day electiOn-day. He denied the state
ments OF Fowler (previous witness OF
Washington county, that any violence or
intimidation had been attempted IN that
county on election-day. There was no yio-
lent demonstration there on election.day.
The largest vote ever known in the county
was polled that day. Thought it was partlg
due TO the Danville circular. Witness had re-
ceiyed ate,egTam from the Democratic state
Committee saying that Malone had issued
Il circular calling on the negroes to ayenge nc
the ballot-boX the death of their brethren
in Danville at the hands OF the Bourbon
mob. lie had spoken about the telegram
or the stump, and bad accepted the color
/ line and advised the white men TO avenga
at the ballOt-hoX the death OF their white
brethren q, the hands OF the colored mob.
/ On cr0ss-eEamination he said it was re-
! ported in the county that both negroes and
whites had been killed at DlnvIle.
| y. i. FulkerSOD, OF Washington coun-
~, Va. n member OF the Forty-scyenth
I Congress. had seen no violent dcmonstra-
, ton on either side in his county. Thought
the Danyille riot bad brought out larger
vote, both white aud colored. than there
would have been otherwise. The Reid
iusters had drawn the color line in the
election, and he had insisted that il should
be adopted 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
negroes.
c. +. Trigg (white), canvasser for the
Democrats in Russell and adjoining cOun-
ties. testified that the Danville riot had lit
tie or no effect in those counties. He HIM
self had not heard OF the riot until after
the election. The race issue had been
drawn by the COilitionists.
Isaac Christian (whitel OF Charles City
county, Va, testified that there was no i'll
feeling in his section between the Read
justerS and Democrats. There was. how
ever. between the Rtadiusters and Straight
ont Republicans. The decision of the SUI
preme Court on the ciyil-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 Government was going back
on them. The very best relations existed
between the negroes and the whites in his
section.
K. L. Cohen (white). "transier agent"
of Danville, was sworn. On the morning
Of the riot he saw Hense Lawson and Will
liam L. Lewellyn, two colored participants
in the preliminary quarrel, loading their
reyolvers in the hallway to a liquor sa-
loon. Witness named several negroes who
had pistols on the day OF the riot. Conway
Robinson said to witness that he had pis-
toll and 1t was loaded for good use. An
other cOlored man, named Lawson, during
the riot gave the order to rally, fired his
revolver at the white crowd and then ran.
JEFF. Hubbard, a colored man, exhibited
pistol TO a colored Democrat and said to
him 'If you vote the Democratic ticket.
that's my game"
GLOW many pistols do you think you
saw in the hands of colOred men on the
day OF the riot?" was asked.
4 think saw dozen or more. There
were number that | did not know.
think they came into town; in fact, / know
one, whom | saw get off the train from
North Carolina" Witness was on the po-
lice force at one time, and knew Hense
Lawson; he was a notorious character,
always in trouble with some one, white or
black. Some time before the riot saw
Lawson chasing muattO boy with q pis-
tol. Witness knew Squire Taliaferro ;
heard him, in conversation with JEFF. Hub !
bard before the riot, say, "Things is work
ing all right, jeff. Just stick to me. and |
will make it hot as hell for all Of them"
Saw Taliaferro addressing a crowd OF col |
ored people on the day OF the riot.
Judge Lapham, on REORGANIZATION. !
asked the witness to repeat the names OF
the colored men whom he saw with arms
on the day OF the riot. He named Will |
liam Llewellyn, Hense Lawson, Mat. Law |
had pistols. Witness could not give the |
names of any white men who bad arms
Witness did not see the quarrel between !
Lawson and Noel, but saw the riot. The |
first pistol fired was by Mat. Lawson, !
colored man. Witness was armed.
In reply to Senator Vance witness said |
his back was to the whites during the riot,
and he could not, therefore, see their pis- |
tolls.
w. p. Averett (white), OF Danville,
shoe-deaer, was recalled. He saw Hense |
Lawson one week before the riot with two !
pistols. Lawson wished to pawn the pistol
TO witness for a pair Of shoes. Witness |
let him have a pair OF shoes. taking one OF
the pistols rs security. Witness had the |
pistol vet. The riot had q tendency to !
drive men from the support OF the Straight |
out ticket to the support of the Malone |
ticket. Democrats, instead OF circulating |
news OF the riot, sought to suppress it,
fearing IFS effect upon the Straightout |
ticket. Witness attributed the success Of |
the Democrats to the fact that the debt |
question had ceased to be an issue and |
large number OF Democrats who had acted |
with the Readiusters returned to their !
allegiance. The Lynchburg Democratic |
Convention had by ITS proceedings pre-
pared the way for the return OF these men.
The color line was first drawn by Coalition |
speakers. and the Democrats in retaliation
sought to consolidate the white vote.
During the cross-eXamination Senator
Sherman handed witness a paper, which |
witness identified as a copy OF the Rich
mond Dispatch OF October both. four days |
before the Danville riot. Witness, at Sena-
tor Sherman's request, read marked |
paragraph as follows: every day Main |
street idlers put out report that there has
been a riot at Danville. II eXcites great |
many people and does no good" This