Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-09-08
From the Old North State
The Salisbury Imbroct.a
Hon. LEVI, HANEs-

The Salisbury Imbrost,o
Hon. LEVI, HANEs- --
| Tear Sir &: A perverted and unt,n.t.
account of the personal conflict ~ u az
depot IN Salisbury has found it's gav ;n.e
several of the newspapers of the STAT
| This statement does me such gross in;r.
| tice personally, and is go well calculateSs .
impair public confidence in, and das,r.o
my usefulness as a judicial officer tbaty
feel imperatively called upon to correct =
by publishing true statement of the fsc,s
so far as they affect myself.
On Sunday morning, the Doth of An
gust, about 9 O'Clock, left the Bovdaa
House for the depot. The omnibus uas
standing at the door, but told the driver
L would walk as far as the Postofice. if no
would stop there for me. left the hotel
IN company with Mr.. Starbuck, who walk.
ed with me, and in a very few minutes AZ
ter we reached the POstofice the Omnibus
was there with four persons in it. These
were Mr.. Larklns and Mr.. Mitchell whom
knew, ana Wilson and Beard whom did
not know. 1 then entered the omnihns
with Mr.. Starbuck. l was entirely ipno.
rant ofany difficulty or bad feeling hetw,ar
| any OF the parties, nor had 7 ar
reason to suspect anything of the kind
Neither had Mr.. Larkins, as he a-snroa
me. L do not remember a word spoken
by any of the company until within a few
yards of the platform at the depot, when
my attention was attracted by words adj.
dressed by Wilson to some one in rather q
low tone of voice. Looking around r
found they were addressed to Starbuck
and Immediately the tone aud language of
Wilson We're changed. He charged Star
buck with having promised to render him
satisfaction, or give him a certificate about
some matter which was not explained. By
this time the omnibus had reached. aud !
think, backed up to the platform. Wilson.
with profane language, charged Starbuck
with having treated him badly and told
him falsehood, continuing to denounce
him with further uss of proiaDe language.
otarbuck retOrted with severity, calling
Wilson liar or a rascal, 1 do not Temem.
Der which. Wilson then moved towards
Starbuck and made an fort to strike him.
They were In the endsof the omnibus
farrhest from me, and the other
persons were between us, SO that
did not see the result of Wilson'S
effort To strike. / arose and asked.
''What does this mean ?" aud added
"Gentlemen help to part these men. "Up-
on this Beard instantly seized me by tho
neck and collar and, with great strength
pressed mo down on the Seattle sane
1 think, that L had upied-deciarine
with an oath that L should not interf. re-
with has friend. Mr.. Larklns, who, NJ to
that time had done nothing, entrta ted
Beard to desist. He d d not heed Mr..
Larkinb' entreaties, but continued to press
me down violently. Mr.. Larki14s then
seized Beard, and with the aid of Mr..
Wiley, whom then first saw, succeeded
in releasing me from the grasp of Beard.
B. ard, still in the omnibus, in family
turned with great fury and seemingly with
intenser passion, upon Mr.. La. kine, hurl-
r., l. v~,,l,ww
bus that be tell to the ground. Beard at
the same instant followed him, and COM
menced kicking aud STAN ping him, and
dealing him heavy blows on h head and
side Mr.. Wiley and myself seized Beard
and with much eXertiOn succee led in re.
lievipg Mr.. Larkins for the moment Mr.
Larkins was so stunned 10y thu blows he
had received that he recovered from the
ground with some difficulty, aud moved
towards the platform. Beard tore violent
ly from Mr.. Wiley and myself-Wiey's
hold on him being last released-aud fol-
lowed Mr.. Larkins, again telling him to
the ground with single blow. He then
Jumped on him, stamping him and dealing
him heavy blows with his fit. I do not
remember ever to have seen any huma IN
being SO Infatuated with anger as he SEEM
ed to be. Up TO this time | had not struck
or attempted 20 strike, notwithstanding
subiec { d. really believed, and now think
L nAd good reason to believe, that Beard
would have killed Mr.. Larkins unless pre-
Vented immediately. 1T that moment
there was no one SO near as myself that l
observed. had just been made conscious
of Boards superior strength, and knew
L could not tear him from the victim of
his rage without resort to violent means
1t was then, and under these circumstan-
ces, that dealt him two blows with my
cane with all the power and skill pos
sessed. My only intent was the relief of
Mr.. Larkins, known to me to be high
toned christian gentleman. who had so
nobly come to my relief when collared
and choked by Beard ; and who by this
very act of generosity, as it appeared to
me, had excited the deadly resentment of
my assailant and provoked the attack upon
himself
When did strike could not have done
more; if had done less l should ever
hereafter have to reproac1 myself with the
basest iDgratitude towards friend who
seemed TO have hazsrded 80 much for me.
This is the part took in. and all / saw
or know of, the transaction which has
been so strangely and ehamelessly perver.
ted in some of the newspapers. of the State.
Yours truly,