Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-02-10
Vac 81, oofii,g OF GEN. Slough.

Judge Brocchus to the jury in the case Of
Rynerson, for killing Gen. John z. Slough, in
.NewsMexico, givesthe particulars of this affair:
We find that John z. Slough, on the l4thl
day of December last, entered the billiard room
Of the Exchange Hotel, while the petitioner
was playing at billiards, and said, in CONVEX
sation with anotherein Individual, and within the
hearing OF, other persons, "There is strange
combination, but one which you frequently see
in this world Z gentleman assocatlng With
id thi.t | alludc to that ID seven
foot son of playing billiards with Col.
Knzie.. Heis q damned lying thief anu COW
ard he stole while h. was IN the army, he
has Stolen since he got out OF It, and he has
stolen his present, position, his seat in the Leg,
islature. [ have denounced him as damaed
son of IT, a thief, and coward, and the
scoundrel hasn' the courage to take 1t up :.
It appears that these words were spoken With
in the hearing of several witnesses, who have
testified accordingly. One OF the witnesses,
who seems, from the testimony, to have been
nearest.to, Slough whea the words were uttered,
tcstiies that they were spoken in an unlentone,
and ina eontemptuous manner, and that the
petitioner Was, at,the time, about twenty ieet
distant engaged in game OF billiards, and, In
the opinion of the witness, did not hear the
words 1t appears probable that the petitioner
did not hear them, as no was at the time en-
gagged in game, and there were number OF
persons in the room, who are TO be presumed
as having been at play or doing their part in
keeping UP the degree OF social noise common
TO- such places and occasions. ltappears, how
ever, that the petitioner, in the course OF that
evening, became apprised of such expressions
having been. used towards him by the deceased.
This opening scene in the drama took place on
Saturday evening, the l4th of December, about
supper time. The homicide occurred on the
day next succeeding. Or that day, Sunday,
the parties met at the Exchange Hotel, where
the petitioner boarded, regularly, and where
the deceased sometimes took meals The de-
ceased appears to have been there contrary to
his usual custom, which was to attend divine
service with his family on Sabbath morning,
and seems, from the. testimony OF one witness,
at least, to have been drinking moro than usual
on that occasion. gE5z 4 IL !
The meeting of the parties took place about
the dinner hour, and in the bar-room OF the
hotel through which the petitioner, and the
boarders generally, passed in going to their
meals u 1t appears that the petitioner demand
ed retraction Of the offensive language used
towards him by the deceased, and: that the de-
ceased declined to retract. Different witnesses
put the form Of demand and refusal in different
Shapes, but they all coincide as to the sub
stance, except the lad mentioned in an earlier
part of this review. One of the witnesses Tor
the prosecution puts it into this form: capt
Rynerson said, want you to take it back
Judge Slough said, what did say? Rynerson
REPLIED, you called me son OF a - and a
thief. Slough answered, II won't take it back,
or don't take it back. : IS
Another witness on the same side putS.lt ~
this form: Il heard Rynerson say to Judge
Slough, you have called rae a lying son of a
=. - and thief and,I want you to take it
back. Slough ''said, if [ have said so, don't
propose to take it back. Another witness for
the prosecution states it in this form !: Saw
Rynerson with pistol in his hand, and heard
him say, wi you take it back? Judge did
not make a direct answer, but advanced one
step towards Rynerson, with his right hand in
his pocket, and raised his left, saying, take
care, take care, don't shoot. Mr. Rynerson
said again, take it back. Slough turned little
and said, | don't propose to take anything
back At that moment Rynerson fired. - a The
lad to whom allusion has been made as having
testified on this point in conflct with the other
witnesses, says: "Ryncrson said, take back
words you have said slough said, [ will not
take back words [ have not sale" But this
testimony is palpably in antagonlSm to the
whole current Of the testimony OF the other
witnesses, who were OF maturer age, and there
fore to be viewed as being more selfpossessed
and observant on the occasion. The c0nc'u-
sion is irresistible that the deceased positively
and palpaby refused to retract or explain the
offensive words, when called on by the petit
toner to retract them. And it appears from
the testimony Of one Of the witnesses examined
for the defence, that the refusal was in coz
temptuous and defiant manner lie says
"Captain Ryncrson then made the remark,
THE language you used about me last evening
you must retract, or want you to rctract.
Slough was standing with both hands in his
pantaloons. pockets, and kept them there for
some little time. passed around by the post
in front Of the fireplace to the door that leads
remember correctly, moving slowly towards
Rynerson, and replied, You d. eh you do,
Ell ! This movement was half-fronting Ryner-
son. stepped into the billiard room, but i'm
mediately turned round and faced the bar room
There were several persons in the door, and
stepped back into the bar-room, SO that [ could
see both parties Just as had sight Of both
parties [ saw Rynerson raise pistol on Slough,
saying, you must or shall take it back. Just as
the pistol was presented, Slough, whose hands
had been, up to that time, in his pockets,
jcrked them out, and, with his left hand
raised, said, Hold, hold In his right hand
was small pistol then the shot was tircd."-
It appears from the testimony Of one Of the
witnesses for the defence that the deceased
came into the bar-room Of the Exchange Hotel
the same evening on which it is alleged that
he used the offensive language towards the petit
toner the evening Immediately preceding the
day Of the homicidc-and said, "That ID
rascal, Rynerson-I have been trying to pick a
quarrel with him, but he would pay no atten-
ton to me; and [ had that man Hill rubbing
against him, but he could not succeed"
1t is manifest, beyond all reasonable doubt
that the deceased was aiming, from the even
ing OF the 18th until the next day, when &C.
CURED the lamentable meeting which resulted