The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-04-05

NORFOLK, March 81, 1884
Particulars of the Assassination of GaYdnr-Arrest
OF Confederation.
Mr.. J. G. BENNETT
DEAR SIR =
AS you seem not to have a regular correspond en-.
in this place, propose to give you the details of
horrid ARRAY which occurred in this borough yes
terday The origin of this fatal rencontre is as fol-
lows =
AT meeting of the locofoco party, in Ports
mouth, few weeks since, Bernard O'Neil was no.
minated and elected delegate to a Convention to
be held IN Suffolk for the purpose of nominating a
suitable candidate to represent the party in the next
Congress. 1t seems that some remarks made by
O'Neil did not accord with the views of portion
OF the party, and another meeting was called and
his name was stricken from the list of delegates.
but as he is a man of some influence over certain
portion OF the community In which he lives, the
ing, and again elected him as a delegate. At that
meeting Mordecai Cooke, Jr made a speech In his
favor and in of his remarks made, illusions
to Mr. M Gardner, editor OF one of their papers in
of the attack and replied through his paper At this
Mr. G. took offence, and armed himself with pistol
and cowhde tor the purpose Of chastising him when
he should meet with him. He sought him both in
Norfolk and Portsmouth, but did not succeed in
finding him until yesterday, when they met acct
centally on the ferry wharf Mr.. G.. accosted Mr.
G.. and demanded an apology or retraction of what
he had said, which he positively refused to do Mr.
G. then raised his cane to knock him down. and Mr.
c. drew pistol. scuffle ensued and in it Cooke OBJ
tanned of the pistol and deliberately shot
Mr. G. through the heari-he lived about three
minutes and then expired. Cook Immediately went
10 our worthy Mayor Miles King, and delivered
himself up, stating the circumstances, upon which
he ordered the pistol to be safely lodged u the bo-
rough Jail, and told Cook to 20 home, that when he
wanted him he would let him know it. However
another Justice of the Peace issued a warrant for
his arrest, and he safely lodged in Jail until this
morning, when he was brought before Magistrate,
and after much and eloquent peadngs of John
Miller and T. Taylor Esquires, he was fully dis
charged
Mr.. Cook is young man of high wealthy and in
hueDtlal connexions, and Mr.. Gardneri is perfect
stranger not having been here but six months, and
a very poor mamie has lett wife and three help
less children, dependent on the community. Ii is
rumored here this evening that his wife is dead, and
# so it Is double murder The citizens of Ports
mouth subscribed this day and paid $500 for tie
benefit of the widow and orphans, which is very
creditabe to them, inasmuch as they are, as before
stated, strangers in this community
Here then we see the difference between the poor
and the rich. am satisfied in my own mind, had it
been Just opposite, that the poor man would now be
in prison in spite of all the counsel he could obtain
have never seen so great an excitement in this
place in my life.
The reason that write yon is that the papers here
have not independence enough TO state the facts as
they TRANSFERRED. a. b. G.
AeAN.--Adams ~ Co. was again far ahead Of the