Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-11-05


did injustice to one of the parties engaged in it,
We herewith republish a late letter to the Phil
adelphia Press on the subject, from that gen.
teman-s member elect to the U. s. House of
Representatives from California. 1t will be
found of interest to the reader:
PHILADELPHIA. Oct. 30 1857
CoI. John w FoTAey:-SIR Immediately
after the difficulty at Chambersburg, | returned
to our farm and have not, until this morning
received the newspaper versions of the affair
1t appears that nearly all the information upon
the subject is derived from one of the parties
Implicated. and therefore to be taken with
much allowance. In regard to those state
ments gathered from parties who could have
seen but little of the affray, or most of whom
whom received 1t IN an exaggerated FORM /
propose. as far as my recollection will serve me
n statement of the whole affa r. Nv Younger
brother and myself first were aware of the pres
ence of Craig at Chambersburg about clock
IN the day. My father, apprehensive of our
return to town, imposed upon us the most pos
1tlve injunction that We should not do so until
after the departure of the cars, at 10 minutes
after ?. Owing to the fact that our mother was
coming down with some relatives at 4 o clock
we gave him the required promise L then
stated to my father, that from the statements of
Craig made to many parties, (that be expected
to night whenever we met, L believed that he
had come himself, instead of sending his son.
IN order to irritate and provoke me, and while
would comply with my promise, yet if Craig
stayed an hour after the departure of the cars
he did 80 at his own peril; that would not and
could not suffer the degradation of his presence
around homo that he had made desofate
When we supposed the cars had started. NV
brother and myself, promising to await the ar
rival of my mother and her friends, started to
town When within a short distance of the de-
pot. Robert remarked the cars had not started.
N L..
10 concert of any kind. We walked up, pass
ing the first car, and thence to the second; nv
brother remarked There he is" | looked in
the window, discovered Craig on the opposite
side, and about four or FIVE feet from me
should have shot him there, but it has always
been my determination to open the fight face to
face, should we come in collision.
told Robert to remain quiet and walked
back some ten or fifteen PAGES, TO the front of
the car. l entered the front door, advanced,
think, about three or four PAGES when the
sound Of a shot believe, from Robert brought
my pistol up L do not now know who fred
first. Craig myself, but nv impression is
that II was almost simultaneous. / was stand
Ing during the Lrst three of my own shots.
erect IN the centre ni the cars, exposed to a
fire so rapid, that could not take aim lest. in
time OF cooking and aiming he should take "A
deliberate shot, as he was armed with self
cocking revolyers, able to fire several shots to nv
ono. During this time he was almost entirely
protected by the seats, shooting in a STOPPING
posture From where [ stood to the back end
OF ths car, there was but one person beside
Craig and myself. 1 may have passed others
IN entering the car if so, and / understand
that 1t Is the case, excitement and irritation,
not WantOnness. made me forget that was
perilling other lives. After the above Craig
and myself both retreated towards the doors
be to the back one, / To the front this is the
pursuit mentiOned.) / believe we EXCHANGED
af he Il - "a
said my last shot was fired outside the car
stood upon the platform of the car. supposing
had expended my last shot, and the only use
could make o: my pistol ard the use | did
make was to intimidate When Craig after
leaving the back end Of the ear Jumped upon
the platform, he and Robert exchanged shots
three or fOur-each OF them partially protected
by the cOluIABs Of the porch.
Craig fred two shots along the car while
was watching his proceeding, but which did
no damage, as took my head out of the way
he then jumped on his end of the car and
down on the other side, which was the last
saw of him. Thinking he had run around the
depot, we went around so as to meet him and
prevent him getting at US unawares 1t was
there saw Mr.. James Riley, whose name Is
used to substaniiate the reports in the Harris
burg papers, land who does not endorse their
statementsl [ mistook him, from size and
dress. and pointed my pistol at him, but in y
second discovered my error Nv brother and
myself walked up town TO reload, not thinking
CraiS was hurt, or that he would be able to get
on on the cars We heard at the gunsInith's
that Craig was wounded, and we were not ar
rested, but voluntarily gave ourselves up.
The above, in all essentials, is q correct state
ment.
L now propose TO review the statements Of
the Harrisburg papers, and the version they
doubtless believed TO be true. First the Her
aid, from which / extract the following:
thara h., - L
along the platform of the depot, alongside
which the cars stand, until they espied the OBJ
lect Of their search, when Joseph Immediately
Jumped up to the door of the car, and Robert
ran TO the opposite end, and each fired in at
Craig. The car was full Of passengers. and il
may well be supposed that the disturbance inn
mediately created the widest alarm amongst
them. Some threw themselves down ON the
moor, others lodged behind the seats others
jumped out Of the windows, and general scene
OF excitement occurred The firing was con-
tinued by the brothers in this way for several
rounds but both seemed 10 be under 40 much
excitement that they were unable TO take di-
rect am and Craig remained unwounded As
soon az he could do so, he extracted a revolver
from the place where il was confined. and fired
II several times, each time taking aim at Jo-
ssph. lie has since said that he did NOT desire
TO injure Robert, whom he might have shot
with the greatest ease. There were some
twelve or thirteen shots fired in ell in the car
Finding that he could do nothing in the car,
Crais made Tor closer action With Joseph, when
the latter started 10 run, and was followed by
Craig. with the other brother in the rear.
During this race Craig fired several shots at
Joseph, one taking effect in the arm, and in
juring him slightly. Robert also fired several
shots Mt Craig, one of which entered his back.
During the melee Craig was also pierced in the
grain by ball, but we cannot say with oceu-
TAcy from whose pistol. The parties were sep
arated after having chased one another around
the depot building for some time, aud endan-
gering the lives Of great many persons who
were in the vicinity. All the partie. were arm
Ell with two pistols apiece. 3" ...
Mr. Craig had his weapons in his hand before
a shot was fred; drawing them the moment
moved from the place / first saw him, some
seconds before / reached the spot where we
commenced firing. IL was this fact which in