Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 March 1884 — THE DANVILLE BUTCHERY. [ARTICLE]

THE DANVILLE BUTCHERY.

Guns and Revolvers Were Being; Prepared for I’m at the Proper Moment—By Fool or Fair Mean* They Were tm Carry the Elections. Stephen Lang testified before the Danville Investigating Committee, at Washington, that he was in a hardware store the day before the fight and saw two white men loading about 125 double-barreled grins. He went to another hardware store and there found a white man loading double-barreled guns. \ Rufus Hatch (colored) hclfd a white roan say at-the Postolbce: “White folks are going to rutf* this town if we have to kill all the niggers." John Holderness (colored) described the riot and the events whicn preceded it. He was a driver for B* sil Graves' grocery store. He went to the back dcor of the store in the course of his business and toundit locked, but a c erk let him in. He a-,kod why the door was locked, and the clerk said “there was h— l to pay. and-in a short time he would see more dead niggers than he had ever -seed' before.” 1 hare were 200 pistols loaded lying on the counter. Just after the firing eight or ten colored men rushed into the store. Burch and another white man came Into the place with empty pistole and exchanged them for loaded ones. Burch grot behind the>eM> ored men and ordered ttbem oat. He said they (the negroes) bad raised this thing, and they must not find harbor these. _ Warricb Bead (mulatto) was called. He keeps a private boarding bouse in Danville. He was asked with respect to She proceedings Of the Democrat o committee of fifteen or sixteen men, which be had overheard. He asked the committee to excuso him from answering. He said he was a resident of Danville, and most go back there. His bread depended upon his patronage in Danville, and to testify would be to risk his living. He represented considerable real property, and bis interests were considerable. Finally be related what be overt card. It was to tbd efiect that the election must be carried by fair means or fiouL Adjourned.