Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-09-27
From the New York Tribune-
The Bowie Knife at the St. Nicholas

| recommended 10 the attention OF our mode
Police. and the taxpayers who are groanins
under levy Of five millions of dollars PEI
annum for the support of that shameless
swindlo known as "City Government"
MURDER AT THE ST. NICHOLAS.
HOTEL. A1'
The st. Nicholas Hotel was on Saturday
evening the scene of another frightful en-
counter, similar to that enacted about year
ago when Col. Loring of Mississippi lost his
life.
--slt appears that shortly before 8 o'clock on
the evening named, two of the boarders,
Capt. j. j. Wright and Mr.. r. S. Dean, were
seen talking together in an excited manner in
the bar-room. Suddenly Capt. Wright drew
from his pocket a cowhide, with which he
struck Mr.. Dean in the face Instantly the
latter drew from sheath which he carried
under his vest large bowie knife, the blade
of which he plunged almost to the hilti the
side of his antagonist.
The wounded maA immediately dropped
che -eosshsls and,ss3S S.pssd % get s,sss,,, but
was followed by his antagonist, who again
wounded him in the abdomen.
Lieut. Stage Of the Eighth Ward police
in the act Of making another thrust with the
knife at his adversary, caught him by the
collar and prevented the further infliction of
violence.
Capt Wright soon fell, exhausted from loss
of blood, to the floor, and was conveyed to his
room where he was attended by several ply
sicians, all of whom pronounced his wounds
to be mortal
Mr.. Dean in making the third thrust with
the knife cut himself severely in the thigh,
and was also conveyed to room In the hotel
where the wound was dressed by surgeon.
lie, as well as a friend of his named Mont
gomery, who witnessed the affray, are under
arrest and will be kept in custody until an
examination shall take place
The whole sffray occupied but few mo-
ments and was conducted so quietly that
many who were in the bar-room at the sine
were unaware of its occurrence until it was
over. The news, however, spread rapidly,
and soon the halls and the rum-room were
crowded by the excited inmates.
The quarrel, it is said, grew out of some
thing Dean had said and circulated rejecting
upon the honor and character of Capt. w.
They had had frequent and bitter alterations
in regard to the Objectionable language. and
on Saturday night met by previous appoint
ment in the rum-room of the st. Nicholas.
Dean, fearing violence on the part of Capt.
W., had armed himself, and when the Cap
tain struck him with the cowhide used his
weapon.
The knife with which Capt. w. was stab
bed was seven inches in length, and entered
the abdomen almost up to the hilt The
physicians in attendance were yesterday of
the opinion that the blade had glanced, and
not divided the intestines, and if such be the
case, the wound, though frightful, may not
prove mortal. Yesterday morning he ap-
peared to suffer less pain, and informed our
reporter that the reason of his hostility to
Mr.. Dean, was that the latter had made q
statement that he Capt. W) had misaplro-
priated some plate which was on board the
steamer Jewess, which was lost at Sandy
Hook in October last, and which was owned
by him and Mr. Dean. He first heard of the
slander while he was in Boston last week,
and Immediately came on to have it retract-
ed. He had several interviews with Mr.
Dean, who i,r,s=hirn Off from time to time,
and on their meeting at the st. Nicholas, he
being again refused, drew cowhide, but was
Immediately held by Mr. Montgomery, 9
friend of Mr.. Deans, and had it not been thai
he was so held, Mr.. ID. would not have sue.
ceedcd in stabbing him so severely.
I'VE add some portions of the account of this afra,
from yesterdays Hsrald which prin! throws halo Q
and heroism about the principals that remind
! one OF the Bravo Of Nenieel
From the Sunday Herald.
About 81 o'clock in the evening two men
boarlers in the house, named respectively Capt
j j. j. Wright and Mr. X. s. Dean, were seen con
versing in an earnest and excited manner in The
bar-room Some words were said when botl
suddenly sprang from their seats, and Wrigh
/ was seen to strike at Dean with cow hide
Dean stepped on side, and drawing n Ions
pointed dirk knife from sash around his
waist, stabbed his assaiant in the left side, be
tween the ribs and hip, infiicting a wound o
over an inch in depth. Wright dropped tn,
cowhide, and attempted to get away, but befor,
1 he could do so Dean inflicted another wounC
by stabbing him in the abdomen, just below tn,
breast-bone.
By this time the attention of the bystanderi
was attracted, for what we have related hap
pened SO quietly and SO rapidly that it wa
scarcely noticed, and several persons rushed il
to drag the two now fearfully excited men apart
Lieutenant Stage, Of the Eighth Ward police
of the occurrence, arrested Dean and frieno
who was with him, named Montgomery.
The news spread rapidly through the bar
room and corridors, which at that time of nigh
are densely crowded, and no little excitement
ensued Capt. Wright was seen to walk round
the room, the blood gushing from his side anC
abdomen, aud trickling in pools along the floor
Dean was also wounded in the right thigh
though not severely, he having cut himself Will,
withdrawing his hand to make a second lung,
at Wright.
Assistance was soon procured, and Wright
was taken to his room, and Drs. Fallin, Ran
dolf, and Woodruff called, who Immediately
dressed his wounds, which were found to be Sc
severe that the physicians did not think h'
would live through the night. The wounded
man. however, insisted that he knew his owl
constitution best, and expressed himself conf
dent of living through to- day. Dean was alsC
4 taken to his room, where he was placed under
arrest and kept all night, to be brought up be
fore a magistrate this morning for commitment
A number of stories were afioat as to the
origin of the difficulty, but the facts appear Il
be somewhat as follows:
Capt Wright, who is originally from Texas
is the inventor of a patent paddle wheel fol
STEAMBOATS,, which has had some newspaper no
toriety. Sometime since he, in conjunction will
4 Mr.. X. S. Dean, (who is from Baltimore, } bought
the steamer Jewess, with the intent of using
her in the coasting trade. and at the same time
trying his new paddle wheel. The vessel wa:
afterward lost, and since then, it is said bite
feeling has sprung up between the parties
Dean charging Wright with having acted un
fairly In his business transactions with him.
There had been several alterations between tn,
parties of late, and Dean, fearing a collision
armed himself last night, when Wright me
Dean by appointment. He insisted on knowing
the author of a certain calumny on him, in rela
tion TO certain silver plate said to be missed
from on board the Jewess. Dean declined
stating who had said so, whereupon Wright de
manded an instant retraction, under the penalty
of castigation. Dean still refusing to give tn
satisfaction required, Wright struck him, ac
cordiDg TO his own acknowledgement with a COW
hide, when the fatal scene ensued We have al
ready described.
, Capt Wright is a tall, handsome, powerful
+ man, with finely cut features, and large, Jet
black whiskers. Dean is much smaller and
/ weaker man. Both men talk of the occurrence
with great composure, and Wright, when ou
reporter saw him last night, talked quite freel
Of his nachinor end and rnapifastad crao