New-York daily tribune., 1858-04-20
THE CASE or cRAl6E AID HsLfER.
r, ne Esf,, ef Th n. Y. rsibs.~


SIR: In some o. the city pspers I have MT ceI
copied from 7'fc UGJisgfos t'aioa. gro.s n.ssA.e-
ment Of the reLccunter which took place in the hal d
The House Of Representative on Monday the iab
inst. between Burton Crsige, Member of Coosr~as
nom North Csrol.ra and myself. and suppo.ibs tha
vou and your readers would have obectoe 10 be a
possession of the facts OF the oase bse coocuai 10
place them a. your dsposa. Burton Crage. vhs
stands fully sx feet two inches 10 bis boots, "a cap
ptse about forty FIVE years Of age, ami a. am serry
to say. g professional Pro Slavery politician. vita
wi ON have been weA acquainted ior the last tveve
year OF him. a. Of u.ost other ind!ysdrss, N gnt
truth be said that Ais s.ts OF omission and comma
son have beeu sufficiently gsai but, for the pfese"t
al least Wi make disclosure Of unienable fsc's-
though many there be--th.t would seriously compfo-
NIT his perso,a al character Up TO about the peroj OF
the publication Of my Impending Crisis" Ctaige saf
myself had slways beu good terms; bT, srce taea
lie Las by utderband prao,ces been dore evcrytaiaS
in lis power sgainst ne auufactuTing al sor's OF
vie peIs,usliie. ar lher Cowsrd.ike. pssvs..ng
some cue else to give publicity 70 hs dirty ~o'k.
On Monday last, about the middle Of tas day, Just
after Corsress Lad all tuinei 20 afford the membsrs On
opportunity to attend the funeral Of Col. Ben.oo.
We kod Up 20 Craige's d1sk aud found him writing.
Accos,ng lin in a very decided manner. inquired
whether lie had no, fur ptshed the data which Asa
Biggs, a few days before. had made mes. wltuly
ard malignant attack upoa IN the Uai,s<
States S,ra,e At first he dened having done %. but
siterwsrd admitted in substance that he wns ths guilty
wretch: ard then Il wss tia, said him the
he ST. other Pro.S'overy demsgogues were pursuing
toward wss very cot,,mp,ible AMI very cowNdly-
which wss sid H. simply the uu,b. A. finished my
iemslk Gage. Who had been lis feet. facing ms
.iom the tine frst addressed BIN made grab al my
throat stn his et hand an making t II his right
hsud drew Il baC ~ Il he intended o strike ms; but
i-as is very cer,ain-suCh hs &c sign, gave him
10 time to carry out for according TO the testimony
Of ore Of bis own witresses in the tenth par, OF
second AFTER lie made the frst demorstra,on Of vio
ence stuck him such severe blow in the face that
il caused him TO stseger backward and think hs
would fallen to the floor, hsd II not been for tbs
Ilotection biz desk afforded BIN. then erked him
away from bis desk. and knocking hun IN the iscs
with my fs's, backed bun near the Speakers where.
ust at a time when Was giving hun such beating ~
be deseryed we were both sezed by several Members,
and separated had already battered Craiges face
20 severely that bleeding aud he felt constrained
TO cry out for knife, which however he di no, get
and it is coubt,s well for him that he didn't foe hal
weapons aud would rot have been slow TO use them
he bad drawn either knifc or pistol. Oi al tbs
blows Crage aimed at me- nt one OF them took effect
Indeed, though generally regarded "a great bully hs
ia very incon pe,ett, awkward easy-hsniled pugust
In refu,a;icn of certain Prc-Slavery insnuaons AMI
Hallway ohargts will nov briefly state few plan
facts 1t is rot true that made the assault Case
Craige himself the aasaaut IL is not true tns
eat Gown beIiOd Crage, OF that was bsbini him ia
any attitude whatever; | stood up before bm, AMI
had think occupied at least five minutes IA telling
boy ha uxaa era a simple blow struck.
Al no tine did | sit down in the hal. wa alone
| when went to the Capitol was neither accomps-
MED preceded nor followed there by either friend
acquaintance. INDUCED in no threat whatever, cot
| having spoken fiom the time left the hotel ants
aocosted Crsige except TO ask unknown gentleman
at the door Of the hall if that part of the House a. thst
particular time, open to stransets-and hs SAID.
"Yes, certainly; walk in" Except Crage, saE IN
the IIoute LO one with whom | vas personally ac-
| queirted. At the moment Crsige grssped at my
throat had my umblells in one hand AMI my gloves
in ibe other but DsantSneousy dropping them both,
stuck him a stunniI bow the right cheek, soi
hus on that occasion, completely frustrated his gx-
otng propensity.
Three quarters ef hour after the fight Keitt,
yourg man from South Caroline, who has recently
grtic.n into public notice. and who made himself r,ec-
uou,ly busy in Crages behalf sad shOud be known
whether had weapons not andso the magistrate.
having heard the law laid down, came up aud asked
me if was AIMED "Yes," replied; ani, at hi, re-
quest, handed him "Cot' and "Bowie," whc,.
however, he gave up TO my order the next morning.
Senator Hale and Judge Blair two Of natures noble
mep, neither Of whom had ever the honor to meet
before. voluntarily stepped forward and kindly acted ~
my friends throughout the whole affair; and but for
their vausble services for which beg to tender them
my ubfegned gratitude, suppose the Border Ruilans
Of WasLf gton would have fined me very heavily foc
successfully defending myself against the violence Of
an oyergrown slave-drivirg ganoter
Craige made the assault, lost some bsd blooJ sod
got the whipping. paid the fine, $50; and. far -
this matter is concerned am perfectly Satisfied.
Yours. very respectfully,
hinton ROWAN HELPER
No. I HIaH street Ne,o. Yo,k, April II. 1883.