The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-11-25
THE EDITORIAL FIGHT At KAsHYILLg.

~,
Alien a. Hall, of the Netrs, has been men toned
fhe tragedy seems to have been the result Of
one of those editorial quarrels which are not
unfrequent. The Nashville Banner gives the
following history of the fatal affair
The Union and American has recentlv nro.
aueed In its columns some extracts from the
| NASHVILLE Republican of 1884, OF which Dap
MT dail was then editor--a paragraph. pnb
nshed durinAMr Halls absence in Washing
ton city, which seemed to favor the idea of ir1
| cooperating in the State Constitution. a Con
fehtion 10 revise which was about to meet a
] provision for the gradual emancipation OF
siaveIy. The object OF the reproduction of this
| paragraph was understood TO be to make the
| impression that Mr.. Hall entertained such sem
| timents now, and was, therefore. in a posi- ton
10 unite with the Black Republicans Mr.. Hall
| IspeIied TINS, and charged the conductors of
the Union with being "unserupulous. and
guilty OF "disreputable'' praet in their dis
cussIons. This brought out from Mr. Poindex-
ter the following paragraph, which appeared
| day morning:
The charges and insinnations against this
| paper, contained in the leading editorial arti.
| Gle IN the Nashville News of yesterday. are
| utterly destitute of truth. We cannot consent
70 carry on newspaper controversy with an
| editor Who utters calumBies against con-
temporary, trusting to the supposed privi-
| ieges OF age to shield him from the responsi.
| bility.
Mr.. John Fl. Hall. SON of the editor of the
| News. accosted MIR. Poindexter on Thursday
morning, in front of the ST. Cloud Hotel, and
| demanded to know if he was the au thor of the
/ above paragraph. Mr.. p. replied that he was
| Whereupon MIR. Hail denounced him IN the
| seyerest terms, which denunciation Mr. p re-
| sented by attempting to strike Mr.. Hail.
| Inc two cllnehed, but were Immediately sepa-
| rated, Mr.. p. Temaking in substance that the
| affair could be settled in more appropriate
| place.
| During the morning Mr. Hall received note
| from MI. folndexter. and correspondence
| foiloWed, OF the merits of which we are suffi-
| GENTLY apprlsed to be able TO state it's sub
| stance The difficulty, however, was still
pending and unsettled, as we understan on
Ihursday morning, when the following card
| appeared IN the News of yesterday morning ::
| A CARD.-Yesterday morning there appeared in
| the Union ana American the following paragraphs:
| The charges and nsInuaiiols against this pa
per- Contained IN the leading editorial article in
| the Nashviie News of yeste rday, are utterly des-
tltute OF truth. We cannot consent to carry on q
| caumnies against a contemporary. trusting to the
supposed privileges OF age to shield him from
| The charges | made against the Union and
american In the article of the News above re-
| terred To- established by undeniabe facts then
| and there adduced. | made no insinuations.'
The assert on that trust to the privileges OF age
! ments make, is false and caluInniOus He who
aae the assertion trusts to his pistol to shield from
the journal with which he is connected That is
the PLAIN English OF the matter. The shield he has
|
| shall go on, as have begun, with a thorough ex-
| posnre OF all misstatements, msrepresentat
ana iaisehoods which NAV appear in the Union ana
| Amerlcan, and which ma. deem worthy Of no
| tice-luily able and prepared to protect my person
against assault, and to punish the assallant;,
| ALLEN A HALL.
Early yesterday morning Mr. Poindexter
! called, III company with two friends at the
| counting-room of the News, and asked for M =.
| Hall. he was informed that that gentleman
| had not yet come down. The call was repea ted.
| and Mr.. Hall hal not yet arrived Soon after
the second call Mr.. Hall came in, and was i'm
| mediately apprised of the fact that Mr. p. was
seeking him. A few moments after, he was
| farther apprised that Mr. L. was advancing
| towards his office from the corner of Deade-
1 rick street. Mr.. Hall Immediately took 20.
| sition in front Of his door, and as Mr. P ad
vanced, he commanded him twice to stop, in a
| loud voice Mr.. p rather quckened his pace,
| and at the second command made movement
| as If to draw weapon. Thereupon Mr.. Hall
| ieEeied double -barreled shot gun, charged
| heavily with buckshot. and fired. Mr.. p. ieli
| upon the pavement about fifty feet from MI
| HAIL. and died in a few moments without ar
| uculatlng word His pistol tell by his side.
| His body received five buckshot Ell ther one OF
| which, in the opinion of Il physician who ex-
| amined the wounds, would have proved fatal.
| In addition, his lett arm, in which he sup
| ported an umbrella, was badly broken. The
| umbrella shaft was also broken. Mr.. p. was
| Immediately carried into the office of Nj
| Childress. He gasped as he was laid upon a
| Settee, and expired.
| Mr.. Hall Immediately sent for an officer and
delivered himself into his custody.
| The Louisville Courier thus describes the
parties to the encounter:
| 'Mr. Pondexter was a grandson of the fa-
| nous and eloquent old Mississippi Senator
| He was quite young man, but had already
| distinguished himself in the edi itcrial profes.
| sion. Thoroughly educated he conducted his
paper with an elevation of sentiment rarely
| observable in the press He was generous
| high-minded, and honorable man, and in his
| early death the profession has cause to mourn
| one who would have shed great lustre upon
| the literature of the South. Mr.. Hall is al
| old editor, who has recently introduced him
| self into the political world Under Genera
| Taylor he was Register in the Treasury De
| partment, and afterward editor of the Wash
| ington Republic. He is by no means an amia
| BILE man, though he has strong points in hi:
| character, and is possessed of great will ant
| daring"
| Col. J. LUCIUs DAvIs.-The subject of Col