Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-07-29
a statpm, nj of Facts.

In the PrCSS ana Heruid OF yPster-
day, a report Of meeting held at
Thorn Grove in the sixteenth civil dis
trict of this county, closed with the
following paragraph:
"The Knoxville postmaster and'edi-
tor the CHRoN1CLE further declared
that there was ring and buasted that
he was at the head of it and that he
and others intended to rule the county
of Knox; let the people take notice
aud govern themselves accordingly
In the forenoon, Of yesterday, the
editor of the CHRONICLE, referred to
in this false paragraph, Mr. Rule,
CHANGED To- meet with VIM. J. Ram
age, one of the proprielOrs of the Press
and Herald, on Gay street, and in n
friendl, way asked him who gave him
the Information upon which the state
ment was based Mr. Ramage answer
ed that it was Mr.. Ledgerwood. The
paragraph wa denounced 10y Mr.. Rule
as false, without any foundation or
shadow of truth Mr. Ramage went
on further TO state that LedgerwoOd
was cautioned about making such n
statement. That if il was untrue, it
should not be 20 published. He in
sisted that il WAS true, aud therefore
Z
allowed its publication.
Mr.. Rule thpn started for the
CHRoNICLE Office, aud met Mr.. Bittle,
of HeiSkell's Station, at the office of
). Z. Angel, on Union street. While
conversng with Mr.. Bittle, Washing
ton Lafayette Ledgerwuod came along,
when he WAS hailed, aud informed
what Mr. RHmape had stated in refer
tn hA tf "a
above. He blush, d, looked confused,
and stammer, out that he did. His
hesitation will be understood when it
is known, that only "a few minutes
before, he had denied to Mr.. Gossett
that he did give the information, and
said that he did not get to town until
| 3 O'clock in the morning.
Upon admitting that he furnished
the false information, which is so
ridiculous on its face as to carry its
own contradiction, he was told in about
| the same language that had been used
| to Mr.. Ramage, that the whole thing
was false, that nothing had been said
which could be construed into such a
meaning rs he had reported. Ledger
! wood said that was the way he under
stood it. Mr.. Rule repeated that the
whole thing was an infamous false
! hood. Ledgerwood said, You are a
Cd d-m liar, and dare you to at
tack me,o whereupon Mr.. Rule
truck him blow in the face.
This he followed up 10y clinching
Ledgerwood, as the latter was armed
with heavy cane. He succeeded in
warding off any blows from the cane
until Constable Sullivan aud other
by.standers interferred and separated
the parties, simultaneous with which
separation Ledgerwood struck his an
tagonst heavy blow with the cane,
cutting a cash in the back of his head.
Parties interferred, and the fight end
ed. Mr.. Rule was very slightly hurt,
aud went ON about his accustomed
business in half an hour afterward
AS he struck Ledgerwood only with
his hand, he of course, was not seri-
ously injured He was entirely un.
armed, and in fact the meeting Mr.
Ramage and Ledgerwood on the street
was purely accidental, and conse
quently the difficulty unexpected.
In proof of the utter falsity Of the
paragraph referred to, we have the
Certificate of several parties who were
present to the fact that the report Ii
false. We are willing to leave the matter
to any respectable gentleman who was
present at the meeting at Thorn
Grove and heard what was said.
1t is hardly to be supposed that any
editor, or any man of any sense, would
make such ridiculous expression.
The following certificate explains
itself:
We, the undersigned, were presen
at the speaking in the 10th civil dis
trict on Friday, 9th inst, and hearl
/. Mr.. Rules few remarks. We hav,
read the report of those remarks a
gave in the Press and Herald on Sat.
urday, the 25th, and pronounce it falls,
and entirely incorrect.
CHAs. MORROW.
V. F. GossETT.
n. A. II. NELSON.
c. +. MAsKALL.
Knoxville, Tenn, July Goth, 1874.