The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-16
WAR AND RUMORS OF WAR.

4oOAoVSSS t
Dimculties and Affairs Of ,Honor''-
Zachary Chandler Claiming Belligercnt
Rights-The Grave and Reverend sena-
tor Yelling for Blood-Ficrce Attack ON
Newspaper Row.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IL, 1873.
The atmosphere Of washington has been de-
cldedly warlike for more than week. You could
smell blood all along Pennsylvania avenue. On
Friday Mr.. A. R. Sheppard, now and then called the
Hon. A. R. Sheppard, and particular friend of q. g.
Grant, sent an ugly epistle to Judge Fisher, in
which he demanded ian explanation, retraction
or satisfaction" There was an Odor OF the good
old chivalric times in the ''Or satisfaction" But
AZ Fisher In his little affair with one Bradley few
years age had displayed decided unwillingness to
face pistol at twenty PAGES the heroic Alexander
felt himself perfectly safe in demanding 'satisfac-
tion.n 1t seems that the aforesaid Fisher had said
some very severe things in Court Of Alexander;
aud it was for this language, spoken
in Court, remember, that the irate Alex
ander suggested Bladensburg and pistols
at twenty PAGES, ten minutes after sun
rise. The judge as he Is called here, was not
sure Of his salvation; could not fight friend and
would not kill o foe for the world; and what was
more he was District Attorney, appointed by
he had in behalf of peace and humanity. He con-
suited his friend. showed him shephard's letter,
and requested that he Join him In prayer. The
prayer was what did the whole thing. Fisher,
moved by prayer and piety, and admonished by
Grant, went to see Sheppard, and in the kindness
OF his heart explained to him that the remarks
made in Court were not intended as rejecting on
the personal character OF his dear and long be-
loved friend misunderstanding OF the Sort This
was decided improvement over the old method
OF calling in friend and selecting surgeons and
weapons. Alexander was satisned-more than
that, he embraced his old and dearly beloved
friend Fisher. And to emo the matter, instead Of
shooting at each other at twenty PAGES and caus-
ing great sorrow in the city, there was a supper
and plenty Of champagne at the washington Club.
On Saturday night we had high old aristOcratic
cowhiding affair Il never could see where the cow
came in) between brace Of young bl0ods known
by name as Hill and McBlair. Hill Is very high
young duck, dresses unexceptionably, wears dia-
monds, and cultvates mustache that is the admi-
ration of all the young ladies about Washington.
In word, Hill ia very nice and very aristOcratc.
Hill Is a clerk In the very aristOcratlc banking
house Of George W. Riggs Co. Hill is a nephew
OF that high old aristocrat whose father was SHOE
maker, W. w. COrcOran. You will see that Hill
Is none Of your common young men, but stands on
q solidly built aristOcratic foundation. McBlar is
q youth of twenty-five, good looking q heavy
weight, and the son Of his father, MAJOR McBlair,
recently paymaster in the army. Society is very
much agitated over this little affair." Society says
young McBlair will fight but then the McBlairs are
pot nice enough. McBlair wanted to gain mem
bership to dancing club Of the very highest stand
ng, to speak aristocraticay. The gallant II i'll
would not listen to such thing, and
squelched McBlatr's pretentlons with black
Mear. was nas and Sens Sr a
said, the scene was enacted on Saturday night, at
the hour Of ten-one black eye tMcBlair) one cut
nose and an ugly cut on the hand tHil). A duel is
talked of and seriously urged by friends on both
sides. But the public need not give itself the
slightest uneasiness. Game blood Is very scarce
just now, even among very old families; and as
this began as a dunghill fight 80 1t will end.
The worst war OF them all was that which did
riah Chandler, Senator, and George Alfred Town
send, q correspondent. 1t makes all the difference
in the world with Zack whether the whiskey Is IN.
there is sure to be war; Somehow or other the
whiskey has been getting inside for week
on the warpath. Last Sunday night at the hour Of
seven and as very large number or piousy dis
&on' ZachsTiah, armed with bic pistoi and ns
bigger bludgeon charged down upon Newspaper
row." and, indeed, caused quite stampede in
that classic locality. lack iOurished his bludge0n
and declared he would not go home until he had at
least bucket full OF George Alfred Townsend's
newspaper
except the HERALD correspondents, stirred the
correspondents up very generally, looked for him
under tables and felt for him under piles OF paper,
and all in vain. He would give 500 and recon-
mendation to office to any man who would point
him to the place where he could find Townsend.
began to look as II there was to be tragedy and
comedy combined; for just as the irate Senator
got into one of his most furious moods an
manNirsm Kentucky, at least six feet
four in his boots, ana otherwise well
r row. Colonel Murden suggested to the Senator
that as the figure advancing was about the size Of
Mr.. Townsend 1t might be him. The Senator eyed
the advancing figure curi0usly. He had evidently
not expected to find an adversary OF such proper
TONS Nevertheless, he put his battery in position
voice informed him that that was not the man he
was looking for Friends now tried to get the irae
senator home and put him quietly In his little bed
fred Townsend's scalp. Leaving Newspaper row.
he proceeded to the hotels, went through them,
show him where Townsend was to be found And
just to think what might have been the result II the
irate lack had found him All this war and signs
consequence or Townsend not making a proper
distinction between water and molasses. Mr..
Townsend had introduced into one Of his articles
in the Chicago Tribune the story of a misunder-
standing--in other words little hght-Zack and
Dan voorhees, had at the National Hotel almost
ten wears ago. In doing this he very irreverently
introduced q pitcher Of moasses instead OF a
pitcher Of water as the weapon used Townsend
That was cruel-the distinction, mean. lack
said water was bad enough, but to make 1t mo-
with. He added, also, that when man set out to
write history. He should be careful OF his facts
You will here see what very important dlstnc-
ton there In In the eyes OF this very sensitive
Senator between water and m0lasses and the
amount OF bloodshed 1t might have caused on san
day night last, had any friend been kind enough just
to show the well-armed Senator where he would
have found Townsend.
ponmo~.c