Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-08-11
A Correspondent surprised-Taken
from his Hotel and whipped.

From the Union and American, August l0.l
For month or more past, cores
pendent named ]. L. Barbour, hsiling
| from Hartford, Conn.,, has been travelling
through this part of the country, and
writing to papers throughout the North.
During the late campaign be was the
com panion of General Stokes, the late
and defeated candidate for Governor,
and corresponded with the State Journal
under the nom de plume of Charter
Oak" His letters es a general thing
we're very Objectionable, aud Governor
| Senter, on ore occasion, took the gentle
man to task for what be had written, and
stated in one of his speeches that If be
did not quit slandering him be would have
him whipped. The Governor here dis
missed him and, probably, never thought
of him since. About hslf-psst ten o'clock
on Sunday night last, while this corre-
spondent was in his room at the City
Hotel, some one stepped up to the bar and
asked il bar6opr was in, saying that Mr..
Stone desired to see hin, A-wsiter was
sent up, and Barbour made his appear
ande in the countingroon, when be was
approached by several boys and asked
to take o yslk. Re looked upon this
proposition apparently WITH some degree
of suspicion and refused 70 ACCEPT the
offer. Several Of the lads, OF whom there
were some ten or fifteen present, grabbed
him and forced him to the door, and
we're proceeding up the square in the d.
reetiou of the suspension bridge, when
Barbour took bold Of lamp post and
held firmly thereto. dstsrHilpd 70 make
a stand at all hazards. Some OF Wis fol-
lowers, who were armed with small walk
ing canes, then made an onslaught upon
the pesson of the correspondent and laid
it on thick. What we're the intentions of
the lads when they first started With their
victim, or what eansed them TO assault
him, ws do not know, and the whole af-
fair 10 this respect is q mystery. When
they were engaged 10 applying the rattan
freely, several bystsnders pleaded for the
man, thus causing the youngsters to de-
sist, and Barbour broke loose and ran to
the hotel epd retired to bis room.
The affair altogether was so quietly
done as not even TO sttFsst the attention
of the clerk at the hotel, who vas the only
attache of the house up at the time. He
noticed 8 number of boys in the room,
some OF whom helpsd themselves to water,
bot be thought they we're Just returning
from abgrch, and paid no attention TO
their moye@epta.
Mr.. Barbour stated to bis friends during
the day that be was badly injured and
brnissd, and that one of the gang ct
tempted to sRt him with knife, and
showed hole 10 bic coat where an in
cision had been made With the kuife, and
also that the instruments used mgst have
been something like loaded whips, bpt an
eye witness, who vas seated at his door
nearly opposite where the affair occurred,
tells rs that nothing but small canes we're
used.
Mr.. Barbour received some money from
one Of bis friends, and left the city last
evening on the Louisville train, aud of
course will have something hard to say
abcat Nashville and her people.
We eau form no idea Of the cause Of
this ehastisement, sud, therefore, not
being appriseG Of any COED yssson for the
assault, we are constrained to condemn
such eonduot on general principles. II
the correspondent had written anything
rejecting upon tie character Of the young
gentlemen who made the assault, they
could have adopted another node 70
have satisfied their wounded honors, and
saved the city from the bad name which
be will be sure to give it.
This view OF the case is written on the
supposiiion that the assault was made by
enemies, but inssmueh as no one seems
to know who composed the party who
csllsd for him, it might be probable that
the whole thing was concocied by himself
to make a raise .G order to get out Of
town. II this be the true version of the
affair, he has succeeded admiralty.