Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-04-24

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GRAPHIC Accouxr OF WHIPPING CoSGREss-
mAx.--Mr. Hinton Roman Helper the author Of
the Impending Crisis of the South, and the hero
of the fight with Burton Craige, N. G. from
North Carolina, gives the n. Y. Tribune an ac-
count of his operation on Craige, which is very
entertaining. He felt called upon to state the
facts, as Craiges friends had Iiedanout the fight
excessively. He mentions that Craige Stands
fully six feet two inches in his boots which isa
fact Helper knew Craige of old, and:
Up to about the period Of my "Tmpending
Crisis" "Craige and myself had always beenon
good terms; but since then he has by underhand
practiscs been doing everything in his power
against me-manulactuTing all sorts OF vile
personalities, and then cowardly like, prevailing
on some one else to give publicity to his dirty
work.
The account of the fight is so admirably Civ
en- that we copy the whole in full:
On Monday last, about the middle of the day,
lust after Congress had adjourned to afford the
members an opportunity to attend the funeral
of Col Benton, walked up to Craige's desk,
and found him writing. Accusing him in
very decided manner, | inquired whether he
had not furnished the data on which Asa Riggs,
few days before, had made a most wilfuily
mean and malignant attack upon me in the
ing done so, but afterward admitted, in sub
Stnnce, that he was the guilty wretch; and then
it was That / said to him the course he aud
other Pro-Slavery dcmagogues were pursuing
toward me was very contemplate ana very
cowardly-which was, and is, simply the truth.
As finished my remark, Craige, who had been
on his feet, facing me, from the time | first ad-
dressed him. made grab at my throat with his
left hand and making n fist OF his right hand,
drew it back as if he intended to strike me; but
if-aS is very certain-Such was his design,
gave him no time to carry it out; for, according
to the testimony Ofone of his own witnesses, Ia
the tenth part Of second after he made the first
demonstration of violence, struck him such
severe blow in the face, that it caused him to
stngger backward, and think he would have
fallen to the floor, had it not been for the pro-
lection his desk afforded him. ] then jerked
hi'n away from his own desk, and, knocking
him in the face with my fist, backed him near
the Speakers, where, just at a time when | was
giving him such beating as he deserved, we
were both seized by several members, and sepa-
rated. had already battered Craiges face so
severely that it was bleeding, and he fit con-
strained to cry out for a knife, which. however,
he did not get; and il is doubtless well for hin
that he didn't, for had weapons, and would not
have been slow to use them if ne had drawn
either knife or pistol. or all the blows aim
ed mt the, not one of them took effect. Indeed,
though generally regarded great bully, he
is very incompetent, awkward, easily handled
pugiist
tons and half way charges, will now briefly
state a few plain ftctS: 1t is not true that made
the assault on Craig; craig himself was the as
Sailant. 1t Is not true that l sat down behind
Craig, or that [ was behind him in any attitude
whatever; stood up before him, and had,
think, occupied at least fTe minutes i'll telling
him how mean he was ere single blow was
struck. At no time did sit down in the hall.
[ was alone when / went TO the Capitol; was
neither accompanied, preceded nor followed
there by either friend or acquaintance. l IN
dulged in no threat whatever, not having Spo-
ken from the time LETT the hotel until accos-
ted Craig except to ask an unknown gentleman
ut the door of the hail. if that part of the House,
Mt that particular time. WAS open to strangers
and he said, ayes, certainly; walk ill.," Except
Craig saw in the House no one with whom
personally acquainted. at the moment
Craig graSped at my throat, had my umbrella
in one hand and my gloves in the other, but,
instnntaneously dropping them both, struck
him stunning blow on the right cheek, and
thus, on that occasion, completely frustrated his
garroting propensity.
Thrce.quarters of an hour after the fight,
Keitt, young man from South Carolina, who
has recently Qroao-n into public notice, aud who
made himself ridiculously busy in Craige's be-
half said it should be known whether had
weapons or not, and so the magistrate, having
heard the law laid down, up and asked NE
| if was armed. Yes" replied; and, ut his
request, l handed him "Colt" aud Bowie"
which, however, he gave up to my order next
morning.
| Senator Hale and Judge Blair, two of natures
nOblemen, neither OF whom had ever the hon
or to meet before, voluntarily stepped forward
and kindly acted as my friends throughout the
whole affair; and but for their valuable services,
| for which beg to tender them my unfegned
md I fbP of
Washington would have fined me very heavily
for successfully defending myself against the ri
olence of an overgrown slave-diving Enrrnter.
Craige made the assault lost Soue lad blood
and got the whipping. l paid the inc, $40;
and so lar as this matter is concern, am per-
fectly satisfied.
TUE HARvm UNvELrD.--A MoIda,ian Coun-
tess, frequent visitor in the harcms al the late
Redschid Pasha aud other dignitariCs of Con-
stantinople, thus takes the romance cat of tho
popular idea of these Mohanedan paradises: