National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-02-19

bank, and were addressed by n whitchaired
gentleman who counseled moderation and
urged the crowd to disporse. The crowd
choerCd tho speaker, but didn't dispersc. The
witness could not recognize Col. tHpeil, VINO
was in the committee room, as the speaker
on that occasion. lie explained that no had
Ii, ed in Danyillo but three months when the
riot occurred Several white men came into
the hardware store where he took his son,
inCuirng for arms and ammunition. lie
saw no white man urging the crowd OF col
ored men TO dispcrse.
Tic witness said that he did not believe IL
neces airy for the whites TO shoot in self
defense. He thought tho presence of the
armed force of white men drawn up In line
was sufficient TO keep back the crowd of
blacks. The witness drew map of the place
where the riot occurred, indicating his own
position and that of tho white and black
men.
Sophia Powell, the next witness, q young
colorcd woman of North Danville, went to
the ,Cenc Of the riot, expecting that her hus-
band was with the crowd and desiring to take
him away. The firing began before sho got
there, and she turned hack to n place Of
safety. The colored people ran away. She
saw Mr.. Blount, the photographer, follow
them and shoot several times, "lle shot
this way and this" Lillustratingl. "He
shot manfully, as IL he would kill every
body" She saw no colored people with pistols.
There was shooting around North Danville
that night, and the neighborhood was al
stirred up. 81 was afraid, she said. II
didn't think the white people had that much
apninst tho Colored people TO shoot 'em down
as saw en-" Hor husband had registered,
but didn't vote because no was afraid. She
and her husband went to n neighbours house
aud stayed the night after the riot because
they did not dare to stay alone in their own
house without any arms. On cioB.eXamiuG-
ton Senator Vance asked if Bluunt wu1 not
sh 90 II in tho air Just to scare the blacks.
The witness again illustrated how he shot by
dropping her ext, nded arm TO a horizontal
position and pointing In different directions
ms Blount did when ho shot at tho flying
negroes. Then tho senator attempted by
long series of questions to make her admit
that the blacks were out of her sight when
Blount fired, but sho swore directly that
both Blount and the negroes were before her
eyes at the time.
Violet Keeling. another young colored
woman, OF North Danville, gave the same
account Of the affair rs the previous witness,
with some additional particulars. Sho heard
somebody ask who did the shooting, and
George Lea stepped out and said, George
Lea" She heard the command Fire" and
tho general discharge Of pistols that iinme-
diately followed it. She saw Blount shoot at
the running negroes and he acted like man
who wanted to take life" Colored people
began to run as soon as the white people said
fire" She heard man call something
through the open windows of the opera house
and tho audience inside Immediately began
to pour out. She heard one white man say
that he didn't think the white men could "do
much at what they were at" because the
ColOred people ran so. She saw no
Colored people with weapons. There were no
white women OH the street that afternoon.
The witness husband had registered, but
did not vote. II didn't feel safe" said She
Ito trust him to 60 and vote, for his life was
worth more than his vote" She thought
every colored man around there was q re-
publican, and wanted to vote, but they were
afraid to. Most of them staid at homo on
election day through fear, and they have not
gotten over that fear yet.
"Are any Of the colored people in your
county democrats 2" asked Senator Vance.
"I don't hunt that sort up" replied the
witness. "If hear Of a colored man voting
the democratic ticket / keep just as far away
from him as i can. don't let him come in
my house."
In reply to Senator Vances questions on
this lead, the witness said that she didn't like
to SEQ a colored man sell himself
"What do you think Of white man who
votes with the colored peopleW asked Sen
ator Vance.
m "I'll tell you what think Of him. think
he's got judgment of his own head"
''What If your husband should vote the
democratic ticket%
"Ill tell you what I'd do. I'd take my
things, and If had father and mother I'd
60 and live with them, and If hadn't I'd
work for 90 cents a day to earn q living"
Don't most of the colored people feel Just
the same as you do" asked the senator, in
sinuatingly.
II don't speak for nobody but myself.
don't think there's anybody around there so
big fool as / am. Pm fool most of the
time. won't have anything to do with any
body whose face is any whiter than mine"
The witness had quito black face, but she
was no fool She answered the senator's
questions promptly and without confusion,
and the little encounter between, them caused
much merriment in the committee room,
The senator asked if Blount was not shooting
above the heads of the negroes who were
running.
~ can't tell exactly" said the witness,
'but he was shooting the same way they was
gwine, and about the height Of man."
How could you tell where the bullets
went? You couldn't see them, could you p
YES could, and you could seen them II
you would go down there" Then she ex-
planned where the bullet holes were in the
walls Of different stores on the street.
In answer to Senator Sherman's question
the witness said that she thought the colored
people could get no privileges unless they
voted together, and the abuse OF the demo.
Gratis had caused her hostility toward them
She thought white and colored people ought
not TO mix, and the democrats despised the
whole colored race because they could buy
some of them for $40 or Sl5
James S. Miller, a middle aged white man,
manufacturer and dealer in fertilizers in
Danville, was tho next witness. He saw the
fight between Noel and Lawson from his
store, which was Oh the opposite side OF the
street. Ho saw three white men with drawn
postols standing there before that fight wa,
over. A Colored man sprang from the crowd
and seized one of the white men who held q
pistol, and they both fell to the ground
Presently the colored man got up and raj
away, and just then pistol was fired
Mt him, but by whom the witnos!
did not know. He saw white man soor
after in the midst Of the colored people, urg
ing them to dispersc, which they did mo-
seem inclined to do. The crowds of black!
and whites increased and before the witness
could get his store doors closed the firms
hogan, but hs could not tell who began it
The cOlored people broke and ran away a.
soon as the firing began. The witness saw
no colored men with arms. The shootinl
continued after the colored men started tt
run. Two of the three white men whom h,
saw with drawn pistols were Lea and Taylor
The witness was not near enough TO hea
what they said.
In response to Senator Vance's question:
the witness said he thought that there was
reasonable apprehension that these armed
men, already ro-enforced by armed men frou
tho opera house, would be overwhelmed b,
the crowd of unarmed COlored people. HI
also thought that both white and colore(
people in Danvilie were in q great state o