Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-04
HEAVY sKIRMIsHING.
Ihe White Mans Rally at Broad and
Market Streets Last Night.
A DOuble-Barreled Shotgun Episode
and What Came Of 1t.
Dertch's Grave Charges Against His
Competitor.
Intense Excitement, But no Collision.
speakIng at DINER PoInts. By Both Sides

: A report having been extensively circu-
laied on the streets yesterday that MAJ. +.
DOuch, candidate for Circuit Court Clerk,
Intended TO denOunce bis competitor, Mai.
Albert AkeTs, at the Conservative speaking
last night, corner Of Market and Broad, a
very 'arge crowd gathered at that point
When the hour for speaking arrived. There
were, perhaps, four hundred present, con-
siSting mainly, though not exclusively, of
supporters of the Democratic and
Conservative ticket. Many of our
best citizens and host Of
substantial yOuEg men were out. Messrs.
Ed. and Pete Akers, brothers of Mai.
Akers-one, we understand, resident Of
East Tennessee, and the other OF Texas,
drove upon the grounds in hack, and
WeTe accompanied by perhaps a dozen
friends. At the opening and during the
inst speeches the meeting was very orderly
| and attentive.
Hugh Heverin was the first TO speak, re-
spending to a hearty call. He made brief
and sensible talk, advocating the election of
| the whole ticket. rs-.
Jas. Patterson, candidate for Revenue
Collector, was called out when Heverin
concluded, and made short speech, which
was heard with marks of great interest.
He ridiouled the idea Of a candidate for
Office protesting independence. All candi-
dates WIRE dependent upon the votes Of the
| people. He was, and he hoped to get the
support Of the people. He said that the
convention which nominated him was
called 10 beat the Civil Rights party. He
considered it an hOhOr to be nominated
by seventy odd Of our best and
most respectable citizens-ceItainlv
1 10 ha
nominee of an executive committee COM
posed Of ten negroes and FIVE white men.
sam DOnelsOn was the third speaker, re-
spending to an enthusiastic call. He an
nOunced himself as the nominee for Circuit
| COu:t Clerk, selected by a convention,
whose ultimate object was to ensure the
defeat Ofthe Civil Rights party of Tennes-
see. He said that vital issues had been
sprung, snd that such constituted the pri-
mary cause of the convention. The SUI
premacy Of the white eTace was in a meas
ure at stake, and God forbid that be should
be found siding against his own race. But
when the independent candidates chose
the course they were pursuing, he parted
| with them more in sOrrOw than anger. He
had nc inclination TO deny any man his
rights, but when disgrace was threatened,
however remotely, to his own race, he with
hosts of others would throw himself be
tween and ward off the degradation. He
spoke in the highest terms of the conyen-
tion Of June q, and expressed abiding con-
fdence that its ticket would win.
When Capt. DOnelSOn left the stand
loud and eager calls were made for
DOrtch, and the crowd commenced
to stir. Mr.. DOrtch mounted the stand
and was greeted by a storm of applause.
When the noise subsided to some extent.
he said "Gentlemen, understand that
there are shOt-guns here to shut my mouth.
l will speak the truth, and all the arms
that can be brought here shall not intimi-
date me- Here Peter Akers, having made
his way through the crowd, took 4 seat
upon the box which served as the speakers
stand, and Mr.. DOrtch seeing him ex-
claimed, acct away Akers, don't want
You here,'
Great. confusion arose, with cries Of
ssTake him out r take him ont - large
Numbers pressed towards the stand, and
Akers went back to his party in the
street northeast Of the stand. In the
midst of the uprOariOus excitement, Hev-
erin took the stand by the side Of Dortch.
and the two, after considerable exertio1s,
succeeded in quieting the crowd sufficient
" for DOTtch TO proceed. He said he did not
care for Mai. AkeTs, Orthe Akers family any
more than for a straw driven By the winds.
Mai. Akers had gone all over the comfy |
branding him with the name of coward and |
charging him with deSertiOn from the |
Confederate army. He said the charges |
were infamous falsehOOds. His wife was
now living i'll at home and knew that he |
was determined to denounce the author of |
the reports circulated AGAINST him and be |
stood ready 10 be launched into eternity, if |
necessary, in declaring the truth.
Here the crowd again became intensely |
excited and the speaker was prevented from |
going on by shouts Of "Tell us about those /
books" ''tell us about those books
Mr.. VIM. McCrae took the stand and /
said he thought it best that Mr.. Dortch /
should omit 10 tell about the books. Men /
had shot guns and pistols out there in the
buggy TO shoot DOrtch if he should allude /
to that matter 1t was a disgrace to the
police of Nashville, knowing that those
men were armed for the purpose of shooting
DOrtch, not TO arrest them.
Officers CuTan and Reid being present
occupied the space between the Akers party
and the crowd ready TO act when an Occa-
sion offered and seeing that blOOdshed was
imminent demanded that the Asers party
should drive away. This they did and
order was at last restored.
DOrtch being loudly called upon, re-
sumed. He said his friends had been
going about saying he was the weak man
of the ticket, and that Akers was strong.
This had injured him, and those who had
done it had weakened him and the ticket,
and fallen short of their duty. He de-
clared that he was strong (applauSe) and
said he hoped his friends would be pru-
dent for the future.
In response to repeated demands to tell
about the books, DOrtch said that W. e.
Collier had in his possession a written
to the effect that Maj. Akers had
sold to him number of law books, which
Judge East, or some friend of his, acciden-
tally recognized one day in Golfers store
and claimed; that Mr.. Collier had told
Judge East, or the other party, if those
were Judge East's books, to take them out |
Of the store; that this was done, and
that Collier afterward recolleeted
from Mai. Akers the money he had paid for
The books, obtaining a receipt, and that
Mai. Akers told Collier lie procured those
books from VIM. Matt Brown.
DOrteh tLen read certificate from ex-
Mayor Brown to the effect that TO the best [
Of his knowledge and belief he had never [
let Akers have book Of any kind.
Dortch proceeded by stating that those 4
present might draw their own inference
rom the facts as furnished. He proceeded :
% make several other points of less impor-
ance against his competitor and finally left
he stand amid cries to $50 on"
Prolonged calls were made for James I. {
Bell, but as he was not present at the time,
Slr. J. c. Davidson accepted an invitation
% make an address and did so, heartily {
the convention and the 7
ticket which had been put forward. I
While Mr.. Davidson was speak
ng Mr.. Bell arrived, and at the conclusion I
If the formers remarks, Mr.. Bell took the I
'iand in obedience 10 a stormy invitation I
md made a brief but telling speech.
There were one or two other short talks |
made, and the meeting adjourned at 10 9
,'elock. I
THE NINTH WARD WHITE MANS MEET
ING.
1t having been announced that meeting
# the Democratic citizens of the NiHth c
ward was to be held last night, by O'Clock :
considerable crowd had assembled on the !
Orner of Monroe and Summer streets. I
Mai TOa II Wade u-aS the first sneaker | /