New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-01-24
HORRIBLE AFFRAY ~ A NEIYORLkAS W.
. HOTEL.
MURDER By A MEMBER OF THE STATE Leg
ISlATURE.
Teona f'lf ~. D. Del,a. ilA inft.

throWD
teday, by rencoupter which took place there about
ore o'clock or shortly before that hour, between mr
Charles N. Harrir, Of Carroll Parsh, and Col w: Il
Peck of Madison Pariss, member e'ett OF tne sac
Legels,ure. The resnlt OF the difficulty wac the ku-
ing Of Harris by Col Peck, who Inflicted upon as per.
con seven wonpdp, three ehot wounds and tours'tb
wounds; two Of which necessarily fatal as VIII
be- seen by the result Of the examination made, ana
which appears below.
Ina order 10 give the whole facts Of the oIse, We
wou'd state that about year ago difficulty Occurred
Ne ween the psrties in the Parish OF Madison, in THIS
State, which led TO some correspondence bet@een the
gentlensn the exact result of which We are ignorant
OIL HoH ever, il appears that Mr.. Harris came down
to Ne@.Orlesns short tine ago. and Col. PecK ar
we'd IN the city also the steamer Vicksbure ON her
lat trip down.. Day before yesterday Col Peck aud
n friend, with whom he down 70 the ety. came
out from the gentlemsp's ordinary, where they had
been dnDg aud proceeded to make their way through
rather large crowd into the center o. The 70 unda
While gong through the crowd Mr.. Harris, VINO vas
upkDovn 80 the friend of Col Peck turned ron ID and
asked if thew intended TO insult him by pushing against
him. Col. Peck's friend thinking irom darr,ss ap-
pesrapce that be drunk, replied politely that no
one intended TO insult HIM. H4rris, while asking tbs
question, looked at COL Peck, who at once recognized
him. Barris after the answer gwen ny Col Pecks
TREND Bpd looking directly at Peck said, az he placed
b baud IN his pocket latter DD You, Won did
in' end TO insut me-" Harris, the moment he fushsd
speasirg drew pistol anc frei ut Peck who was In
the act Of placing his hand IN his side pocket for his
pistd.
ran through the crowd, and Peck seeing, doubtless,
that he XIII innocent perscn' II ne hred, aesls'ea
short gbile after this ARRAY Harris was arrested
al he request of Mr.. Hidreth, for disturbing the
peace of the St. Charles Hotel by firing pistol IN the
ro,unoa and locked up in the frst District Station
House, where no remained until Yesterday morhlag
Wien he wss arrested he had IN his room revolver
DerYinger pistol and bowie-kne, which were also
tab en- to the Statiop-House. Yesterday ne was az
raigned before Recorder Summers and hned $sV,
L., Qn1a1
70 hun. When about taking them away HE attorney
advised him Dot to put them in his pocket but to wrap
them mp in a piece of paper and carry them In his
hand which be did He Intended leaving Inc S..y ass
of The s. Charles paying his bill when the dlmeuits
recommended .
Col Peck it is said thought tia. he had left the city
lat evening but standing in tue rotunda OF the
hotel when the baggage master OF the hotel, VINO
knew him, said TO him, Colonel, there is the man
who shot at yon yester6a Po.g ann
bin, added itDon't modest him. for am not positive
Il az be is The man.. The baggagern then passed
up the stars on the right hand side as you enter the
rotanda. ,
Col Peck il appears, upon having his attention d.
rected toward Harris walked from the stairs to-
ward Harris, who as we before stated, was paying his
bill the window, and halted few PAGES from him
witt, his hands resting upon his hps
A: Ibis uncture Harris turned his head come what
and raw hin, and the statements OF what occurred
during the next few moments somewhat conflict
| ing. The clerk, Mr.. Mayne, who he'd Just handed
Harra ten dollar bill in change say that Peck looked
for abont quarter of minute at HarI1s then few
| words passed, which be did not heat and both drew
about the same moment and fired bur he thinks that
Col Peck shot first Others state that as Col PECK
advanced toward HAMS, the latter asksd him II ne
intended taking advantage of him; that Peek replied;
and suppose Won are" That both then drew-some
say tina. Peck shot little in advance some say That
Harris shot nrs and others that the reports were sim
ultaneoue Another version of the affair is, that Peek
asbe Harris il he was armed, and be, avoiding the
queson, replied; " am not prepared 70 have din
Guilty with you here, and wish you would leave me-
and that both drew at once. However, the testimony
which will be taken before the Coroner to-day will
doubtless clear up. mis- portion OF the difficulty.
The firing having commenced Harris re.reated, and
finally lodged into the door OF the Sun bar and cigar
room, and shielding himself partly behind the glass
door looked Ont and fired from time 10 time. Two OF
lis balls can Re seen where they entsred-one in a
pillar in a line with PecB, and another in the wall on
The opposite side of the room, both high up. Peek,
willie HaIris retreated stepped out from the office,
nearer TO the dinDg-roon, and fired several shots-
three of which tooa effect upon the person OF Harris
and IN that position wnen ne was hred 81 from tue
room. . ..
Exhaustinq his pistol, Peck drew his bowie knife
and advanced deliberately toward the door OF the
cigar shop, from behind which Harris had shot, and
seemed 70 hesitate moment whether TO enter. The
next moment Harris, doubtless seeing his shadow upon
the glass cred at the open door way the ball Of HE
p.sto enterisg the aide or j9mb OF the door.
After firing this last shot, Harris back just as
of the bar and got into corner among the bottles
Peck following spraDg over after hun, and graspng
hold OF him. inflicted upon his person fonr stab wounds
with the bowie-knife.
Thus ended this terrible recounter. Harris was
picked up and placed on the floor for few mo
nents and then carried 10 bis by, expiring
almos the moment he was placed upon his bed. The
account Of the affair given by Us, has been gathered
from various persons who were present, though from
the great excitemnt which prevailed, there may have
been things which were overlooked. The excitement,
as we have before stated very intense, and most
of the crowd got out Of the way at the first hiring.
Some got behind pillars, others into the passages
leading to the dining room and ladies' paror and not
few thinking it too late to fly made shields OF the
chairs group of gentlemen were standing convers-
ing Immediately in line with the shot from Harris, |
which lodged in the wall few feet above their heads.
The accused was arrested short time after The killing,
by LIEUT.; DRYDEN Of the First District Police Station
Col Peck is large powerful.looking man, about six
feet in hight. The deceased was man Of ordinary |
stature and rather slight build.
The post-moTtem examination was held by DR.. Ber- |
thelot which showed the following wounds: One shot
wound in the right shoulder; two stab wounds in the
left shoulder; one stab wound in the left ARM one
stab wound in the left side between the fifth and sixth
ribs. penetrating the lungs; one shot wound in the
right side between the seventh and eighth ribs pene
tratiDg the liver. The two wounds last above-men.
toned were the immediate cause of death. One shot
wound in the breast, between the first and second
ribs.
The inquest was postponed until this morning. at 81
o'clock.