The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-08
Che Morfulk gust.
MONDAY, JANUARY s, 1866.
VIRGINIA.
THE AFFAIR OF THE RICHMOND EDITORS

| THE AFFAIR OF THE RICHMOND EDIToRs
We mentioned In the telegraphic col
umn on Saturday that the editors of two
ofthe leading journals of Richmond had
had pistol-shooting affair in the Ro-
| tunla of the capitol, that several shots
had been fired, and that no further in !.
jury was done than shooting away oil
part of the tassels on the cane in the
hand of the marble effigy of Washing
ton. The parties to the alteration were
Mr.. H. Rives Pollard of The Examiner,
and Messrs. Tyler and Coleman of the
Enquirer. The gentlemen were arrcs-
ted by the Sergeant-at-arms and taken
70 the bar OF the House of Delegates, by
order Of Speaker Baldwin.
Just at the conclusion of Mr.. Bald
| wins remarks, about two o'cloeI, p. M.
| the decorum of the House was disturbed
| 10y the report of pistol, fired in the To-
tunda of the Capitol. An intermis sion
| of about one second followed the sound
of the first shot, when it was succeeded
by four more shots in rapid succession.
| The scene which followed in tho House
cannot be described The Speaker, who
had vacated his seat for a few minutes
| bounded into his seat with great agility
whilst the members crowded to the
front door for the purpose of seeing the
cause of the disturbance. The Speaker
| raped with great yeliemence,and called
| upon the members to resume their seats,
but to no purpose. f
After tile lapse of some time the Spea-
ker obtained command of the House,
and the doors were closed, when the
Speaker ordered the Sergeant alarms
to arrest the offenders and bring them
t0the bar of the House to answer for this
outrageous breach Of decorum.
The Sergeant-at-arms returned, after
q brief absence, having finder arrest Mr..
II. II. Pollard, of the ExdD,iaer and
Colonel Nat. Tyler, Of the Enqnirer.
Mr.. Pollard approached to the lar Of
the House, when the Speaker informed
him that he was charged with disturb
ing the deliberations of that body, and
of breach of the decornm of the House,
and asked him what he had to say in
defence Of his conduct.
MIR. Pollard confessed that he had
been guilty of n fragrant breach of the
peace, and begged The pardon of the
House for so doing. He said Mr.. Tyler
had in his paper of Thursday, charged
him with deliberate fslsehood; that
since that time he had sought him, but
that Mr.. Tyler had hid himself, and
acted ina cowardiy manner.
There the speaker wrapped loudly
with his gavel, and reminded Mr.. Pol.
charge before the House.
l Mr. Dnllarl oooin hotruod ,,ur jo,, =. e
the House, and proceeded to say that
not finding Mr.. Tyler at the Enquirer
Office or elsewhere, he had sought and
found him in the Capitol; that Mr.. Ty-
Ter had drawn a pistol before he had at
tackled him, and that in a moinentary
| passion, he had committed breach Of
| decorum.
| Mr.. Tyler was next brought forward,
whed the Speaker demanded to know if
he had been guilty of breach of deco
rum and If so, what excuse he could Of
| fer his conduct.
| Mr.. Tyler replyed that lie had COM
mitted no breach of decorum. He had
| passed out of the doors of the Hall, as
he had a right to do. He was in no
danger, for the gentleman fired in the
air, and not near him. His pistols were
still loaded, as could be seen on exam
| ination.
| Messrs. Pollard and Tyler where then
| committed to the custody of the Ser
| geant-at arms, to be held until released
by the House.
At this juncture, Mr.. Word said that
all the parties engaged in the distur-
bance had not been arrested, and sug-
gested that Mr.. Coleman, one of the
editors of the Enquirer, also he brought
before the House, on the charge of be-
ing implicated in the disturbance.
In a very short while Mr.. Coleman
was brought in by the Sergeant-at-arms,
when approaching the Speaker, he made
the following statement:
| Mr.. Speaker-As passed from the
door of the Hall, Col Tyler was a few
ten about ten feet beyond the inner
door gentleman, whom l did not.
know, raised q stick and commenced all
attack upon Col. Tyler. l endeavored
| to pass towards the front door of the
Capitol, around the iron enclosure in
the rotunda, when the gentleman re-
ferred to fired upon me. had small
single barrel pistol in my pocket, which
| had been handed TO me but few min
| utes before. This fired at the person
| who had attacked me. / think two
| other shots were fired at me afterwards,
| when q mem Der of the House came and
| threw around me his s'protecting arms. -
and endeavored TO draw me from the
melee. have nothing to add, except
| that it was certainly not my intention
| to offer any indignity to the honorable
body, and in doing what did. endea-
| vored only to obey the imperative sense
| of defensive duty.
Mr.. Watkins moved that the subject
| be referred 10 the Committee of Privi-
| leges and Elections.
| Mr.. Clarke thought the matter ought
| at once TO be taken notice of by the
| House.
! Mr.. Woodson said that parliamentary
| law required that the House should try
the offenders for this shameful violation
| Of the peace OF the Assembly.
The Speaker said he thought from the
reading of the rules, that they required
| that the subject should be temporarily
! referred TO the Committee of Privi-
| ieges and Elections.
| Mr. pendletol moved that the House
| proceed at once TO an investigation of
the subject.
/ Mr.. Lee inquired whether the parties
implicated had not a right to be present
| at the examination, aud also wished To
know what punishment the House had
the power to inflict.
/ Mr.. Grattan here renewed the motion
TO refer to the Committee of Privileges,
| &c. ffs.
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