New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-05-24
THE MATHEWS AND DAVENPORT
AFFAIR.

much regret to be obliged 10 refer in any Way 10
tie disgrsceful std Unnecessary attack msie upoa
ire yesterday in B,osdwsy by Mr.. Davenport and lis
irends but carrot allow groes misrepreeent stors to
20 forth without contra6icting them; and, though
am told that Mr. Davenports mere denial was hardy
needed to convince all who knew him that there ws
rot particle Of truth 10 my statement trust that
ell who know me will believe me incapable Of utter
ing a falsehood
It's asserted in The Nerc- York Herald and in The
TRIBUNE thst Mr.. Davenport desired mutual friend
10 ndte 10 me- asking me TO deny ths. nsd ever
made the offensive assertion s,cribed to me- or at once
retIsct it, that this message delivered 70 me on
ednesdsy last, and that, up to yesterday mornng,
reply had been returned rotce taken OF 1t IN any
manner; and that at the instance et Mr.. Davenport,
the same mutual friend yestersy wrote second note,
which given me Immediately, and to which
returned q reply tina. would zee TO il Tomorrow
would - attend to il in day or two" or some
similar message, the intent Of which seemed to be TO
make delay, that might avoid 81 explanation and
have an opportunity to depart
In answer to this I can only say that never re-
ceved any letter from Mr. Davenport or his friend Q
Wednesday. The first and only note received wa
from Mr.. Stuart of Wsscks theate,, delivered to m
late in the afternoon OF the day OF the assault. I
that note instantly replied, saying how glad l vast
receive it, but that, being occupied with my benefit
it would be impossible for me to answer it fully TIL 10
morrow today. This answer, Mr.. Stuart tells me
ne handed to Mr. Davenport on the stage Of wslsck's
theater, and head him say, That's al right-we
shall zee to morrow"
Hrow appears that Mr.. Davenport's in.erton of an
attsck upon me in the street, BY himself and his
friends was known early nine in the morning of
Yesterday before the ndting, at lis request of his
friends letter and the whole plan of operation for the
cowardly assault regularly organized.
That was struck by other persons thsn Mr.. Dayen
port is also certain more than one witness can tes-
tiiy, be beirg accompanied by his friends, while
was alone and wholly unprepared Tor the attack.
IL is not my object a. this time to go further cfo the
matter | only wish to disencumber the degrading 81
fair of unnecessary 10 stste nent. With regard
10 the assertion that made and which has given rise
to this uDiustisbe outrage hold to Il a. III M as man
car do TO any truth in which he has implicit faith.
That paid all the expenses in question IL certHn;
that paid sum of $500, which my sttOrney informed
me was an extra demand from Mr.. Davenport for his
own use. is equally certain and, lastly, that paid $3O
for Mr. Davenport coupseis tees, winch my at
torney info. med he Mr.. Davenport refused to dis
burse. Of these payments have the proofs-the
checks given to my lawyer for the morey, now In my
posses lon-and as The Herd,d observed, " some
q got the money. Mr.. Davenport Gays he didn't.
" His lawyer says he didn't. Irhe question is who
did 7"
Why did not Mr. Davenport wait till to-day for my
promised explanation Why take ire law into his
own hands and create public scandal : l am not
street bully bruser, and believe that the cause
Of truth can never be served by rufanly attack by
numbers upon an urarmed man. In my mind It looks
more like attempt to evade than to extort the truth
Mr.. Davenport course, If innocent was simple. de
should have quietly waited for my vouchers, and pro-
duced his own and then, if injustice had been done
him. and had found myself deceived, should have
been proud to have apologized to him for the wrong
had done him in conceivng him capable OF the con-
duct ascrbed to him, and which l had been taught
enormously to believe him guilty Of AS vs. ne mas
only left the matter where it was, and committed an
act of violence for which cannot but imagine he has
incurred the censure Of all right thinking people
NEw.YoRS. May T. 1853 CHAS. MATHEWS