The account is from the Confederate Veteran magazine, which was the official publication of the United Confederate Veterans, United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Sons of Confederate Veterans and is online at this link.
http://www.confederatepastpresent.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142:qconfederate-veteranq-delights-in-civil-rights-being-defied-&catid=37:the-nadir-of-race-relations&back=yes
The Confederate "heritage" is about defending violence against African Americans. In reading the article you can see how thrilled Confederate "heritage" activists about violently suppressing Civil Rights.
An extract from the article:
The story concludes gleefully how Wagner escaped justice and his threats of violence against
On March 11, 1875, Wagner’s Minstrels appeared in Montgomery. The negroes, backed up by this obnoxious bill, tried to exercise what they claimed were “their rights” by taking seats in theaters and trains alongside the whites. On this occasion they passed the word that they would buy seats in the theater with the whites, when heretofore they had always been excluded to the gallery. Wagner’s agent had instructions not to sell tickets to negroes anywhere but for the gallery, but by some chicanery they got tickets in the dress circle among Montgomery’s fairest daughters. The question then was how to remove them without frightening the ladies. When the curtain went up, the company marched in and took their seats for the overture, Wagner sitting on the end with tambourine in hand. Casting his eyes over the audience, he saw the negroes in the dress circle, and knew at once this would never do; so he put down his tambourine, advanced to the footlights, and announced that there were negroes in the dress circle and they would please vacate and go to the gallery, where they would find good seats, and the performance would commence. Well, you could have heard a pin fall; Southern men stood with bated breath ready to back Wagner. The negroes did not move. A game of bluff, but it did not count in that game. Wagner waited patiently; still the negroes made no move to vacate. Wagner left the stage and returned quickly with pistols in hand, saying to the whites: “Ladies and gentlemen, stand aside; I will clear the dress circle of those colored gents.” Pandemonium reigned; men were on their feet instantly, and the negroes went out of that dress circle, kicked and cuffed, and made a hasty retreat to the street. The performance then commenced, and much praise was given “Happy Cal.”
Next day trouble commenced for Wagner, as negroes commenced swearing out warrants for Wagner before the United States Commissioner. N. S. McAfee, of Talladega, was United States District Attorney and Capt. J. W. Dimmick was United States Commissioner. Wagner and his agent, Brown, were ably defended by Col. H. A. Herbert, Col. Tucker Sayre, Col. Virgil Murphy, judge David Clopton, all volunteering their services, and Colonel Herbert making a telling speech on the unconstitutionality of the civil rights bill. The commissioner held with the attorney, and refused to issue any more warrants. Then the negroes swore out more warrants before another commissioner, Barber by name. This threw Montgomery into a state of excitement. Men with stern faces and determination promised to back Wagner and see this thing through; the streets were crowded with both negroes and whites, expecting trouble any moment. Cal Wagner was in Col. Tucker Sayre’s office, which was over Blount Weatherly’s drug store, facing Court Square. He was surrounded by his friends, who were considering how to get him out of the city before the United States marshals could serve other warrants on him. Dr. Walter Jackson, who was in the drug store at the time, was called into the office to consult with them. His buggy and fast horse were standing in front of the drug store. When asked if he could not get Wagner out of the city quick, he replied: “Yes, I can get him away with lightning speed.” [Boldface added.]
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