The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-07 00:00:00

LIFE IN NEW ORLEANS.

The New Orleans Delta relates a horrible story:
Colonel Peck, a member of the State Legislature,
and a Mr. C. N. Harris had had a quarrel about a
year ago. They both accidcntally happened to be
staying at the St. Charles Hotel, New Orleans, on
the 12th of January. Colonel Peck and a friend
were pushing their way through a crowd after
dinner, when Mr. Harris, who was unknown to the
friend of Colonel Peck, turned round and asked if
I hey intended to insult him by pushing against him.
Colonel Peck's friend replied politely that no one
intended to insult him. }Janis, while asking the
question, looked at Colonel Peck, who at once re-
cognised him. Harris, after the answer given by
Colonel Peck's friend, and looking directly at Peck,
said, as he placed his hand in his pocket, to the
latter. " D—n you, you did intend to insult me."
Harris, the moment he finished speaking, drew a
pistol and fired at Peck, who was in the act of
placing his hand in his side pocket for his pistol.
After firing and missing his aim, Ilarrii turned and
ran through the crowd. A short while after this
affray Harris was arrested for disturbing the peace
of the St. Charles Hotel by firing a pistol in the
Rotunda, and locked up. When he was arrested he
had in his room a revolver, a Derringer pistol, and
a bowie-knife, which were also taken to the station-
house. He was arraigned before Recorder Summers,
and fined 20 doll., upon paying which his weapons
mr.
were handed back to him. Next day Peck con-
fronted Harris
:Bayne,as
iohad j
paying
just
thie a
ndhoteled mbilalr.riTshae
clerk, 111 r.
ten-dollar bill in change, rays that Peek looked for
about a quarter of a minute at Harris, then a few
words passed which he did not hear, and both drew
about the same moment, and fired, but he thinks Col.
Peck shot first. Others state that as Colonel Peck
advanced towards Harris the latter asked him if
he intended taking advantage of him; that Peck
replied, " You took advantage of me yesterday. I
am armed, and I suppose you are ;" that both
then drew, some say that Peck shot a little in
advance, some say that Harris shot first, and
others that the reports were simult aeons. Another
version of the affair is that Peck asked Harris if he
was armed, and he, avoiding the question, replied,
" I am not prepared to have a difficulty with you
here, and I wish you would leave me ;" and that
both drew at once. The firing having commenced,
Harris retreated, and finally dodged into the door
of the small bar and cigar-room, and shielding him-
self partly behind the glass door, looked out and
fired from time to time. Peck, while Harris re-
treated, stepped out from the office, and fired seve-
ral shots—three of which took effect upon the per-
son of Harris—and was in that position when he
was fired at from the room. Exhausting his pistol,
Peck drew his bowie-knife and advanced delibe-
rately toward the door of the cigar-shop, from be-
hind which Harris had shot and seethed to hesitate
a moment whether to enter. The next moment Har-
ris fired at the open doorway, the ball of his pistol
entering the side or jamb of the door. After firing
the last shot, Harris ran back just as Peek entered
the door and got over the marble counter of the
bar, and into a corner among the bottles. Peek fol-
lowing, sprang over after him, and grasping
hold of him, inflicted upon his person four stab
wounds with the bowie-knife. Harris was
picked up and placed on the floor for
a few moments, and then carried to his
room near by, expiring almost the moment he VMS
placed upon his bed. The excitement was very in-
tense, and most of the crowd got out of the way at
the first firing. Some got behind pillars, others ran
into the passages leading to the dining-room and
ladies' parlour, and not a few, thiz.king it too late
to fly, made shields of the chairs. A group of gen-
tlemen were standing conversing immediately in a
line with the shot from Harris, which lodged in the
wall a few feet above their heads. Harris received
the following wounds :—One shot wound in the
right shoulder, two stab wounds in the left shoulder,
one stab wound in the left arm, one stab wound in
the left side, between the fifth and sixth ribs, pene-
trating the lungs; one shot wound in the right
side, between the seventh and eighth ribs, pene-
trating the liver. The two wounds last above men-
tioned were the immediate cause of death. One shot
wound in the breast, between the first and second
ribs, Peck was arrested immediately after the
murder.

VACANCIES, APPOINTMENTS, AND
.PROMOTICAS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.

(From the Civil Service Gazette.)

Foreign Department.----Mr. Wm. Acland Cockerell
has been appointed to a clerkship, and passed his
examination. Mr. Edward Braxton Newman has
been appointed to an extra clerkship, and passed
his examination.

War-office.—The office of director-general of thb
army medical department has become vacant by
the death of Dr. Thomas Alexander, C.B. Mr.
William Shackle has been appointed to a clerkship
at Woolwich, and passed his examination. Mr.
William Ogle Grey Younghusband has been ap-
pointed to a clerkship at Woolwich, and passed his
examination.

Colonial Department. —Mr. Augustus William
Lawson Hemming has been appointed to a clerk-
ship, and passed his examination.
The Board of Trade—Mr. Launcelot Spence,
junior clerk, has been promoted to be a third class
clerk.

General Post-office—Mr. George Steele Lyall has
been appointed a clerk at Glasgow, and passed his
examination. Mr. Thomas Pollock Muirhead has
been appointed a clerk at Glasgow, and passed his
examination. Mr. Peter Cobban has been appointed
a clerk at Aberdeen. Mr. William Ward has been ,
appointed a clerk at Leicester. Mr. Joseph An-
thony Vincent has been appointed a clerk at Man-
chester.

Customs—The collectorship at Whitehaven has
become vacant by the death of Mr. John Carlisle.
Mr. Frederick W. Swatman, collector at Falmouth
has been removed to Ramsgate. Mr. John Hughes,
collector at Dartmouth, has been appointed col-
lector at Falmouth. Air. Thomas 0. Barnicoat,
collector at Carlisle, has been appointed collector at
Dartmouth. Mr. Francis Waring, collector at
Ramsgate, has been appointed collector at Carlisle.
Inland Revenue Department—Mr. Thomas N.
Crafer has been appointed a clerk in the secretary's
office, and passed his examination. Stamps and
Taxes Branch—Mr. Walter Williams has been ap-
pointed a junior clerk in the Legacy Duty Depart-
ment, and passed his examination. Mr. W. Geom.
Lennox Hunt has been appointed a junior clerk is
the Legacy Duty Department, and passed his exa-
mination. Excise Branch—Mr. Daniel Broughton,
supervisor, Chin district, Wales middle collection,
has been appointed supervisor Hadleigh district,
Essex collection. Mr. Wm. Lavender, examiner,
has been appointed supervisor, Clun district, Wales
middle collection. Mr. Win. Henry Rositer, Wex-
ford first division, Wexford collection, has been ap-
pointed to Cork fifth division, Cork collection, Mr.
Jeremiah Dolan, Cork fifth division, Cork collec-
tion, has been appointed to Wexford first division,
Wexford collection. Mr. Richard Sewell, Bury
first division, Bolton collection has been appointed.
to Queensferry first division, Linlithgow collection.
Mr. Wm. Cuthbert, Newcastle first division, Staf-
ford collection, has been appointed to Bury first
division, Bolton collection. Mr. Wm. M. Frazer,
Perth first division, Perth collection, has been ap-
pointed to Newcastle first division, Stafford collec-
tion.

Ceylon—Mr. T. Steele has been appointed assis-
tant at Gallo to the Government agent for the
southern provinces. Mr. 11. C. Caulfield has been
appointed a wriier on the civil establishment.
Cape of Good Hope—Mr. Wm. Wallace Simpkins
has been appointed justice of the peace for Bathurst.
Dr. James E. Coward has been appointed district
surgeon of Middelburg, vice Dr. Nebbe, resigned.
Dr. Pappe has been appointed a member of the
Botanic Gardens Board of Commissioners. Mr.
Oloff John Horak has been appointed a justice of
the peace for the Cape district. Dr. Andrew Thsom
has been appointed a member of the Immigration
Board of Alexandria.—Civil Service Gazette.