The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-11-14
SERVED HIM RIGHT.
An Impudent Negro RaeeiyFs u Well
Merited tPpnisbmeDt.


we'll In the ladies' parlor of his hotel,
amusing himself by playing on the
plano. Mr.. Smith, feeling justly in
dlgnant at this outrage, ordered the
negro out of the hotel, and command
ed him never to enter his house again.
Yesterday morning Mr.. Smith was in
formed that one OF his bell boys
was lodging ut the house of
Cromwell, and remembering the In
dignity that the fellow had put upon
him, he ordered the boy to change his
boarding place, telling him he would
have no one in his employ that would
have anything to do with such rascal
When the boy went for his trunk, he
told Cromwell what Mr.. Smith had
said, aud gave this as his reason for
quitting him. Cromwell became high
ly indignant, and Immediately pro-
ceeded to the LeGrand for the pur-
pose of interviewing Mr.. Smith,
and, as the sequel showed, of demand
ing an opology. He entered the office
of the hotel In bold and defiant man
ner, and Immediately commenced
conversation with Mr.. Smith on the
subject, using offensive and impudent
language. Mr.. Smith finally lost pa
thence, and, selling spittoon, struck
the negro on the head, which, how
ever, failed to stagger him. They then
clinched, and llvelier fight we never
witnessed. They fit and they fit, hut
Col. Tom stuck to him like thorough
bred, and finally succeeded in forcing
him against the front door, when he
got the negro foul, which compelled
him to give utterance to repeated cries
Of "nutt." The gentleman who wit
messed the affair would not interfere,
and Cromwell would have IN all prob
ability, been severely punished, had
not Mrs. Smith rushed down stairs
and made Mr. Rice, the clerk of the
hotel, separate the combatants. This
however, was no easy job, as Col. Tom
held on with death grip, and 1t was
only with the assistance of several gen.
tlemen that they were separated, and
the negro delivered from his uncom-
Portable position.
Cromwell Immediately made tracks
for Judge Burford's Office, where he
swore out warrant for the arrest of
Mr.. Smith, OH the charge of assault
and battery. The warrant was Issued,
and the trial will come Off tomorrow
morning at ten o'clock. This Crom-
well is the same sable individual who
had Mr.. A. ii. Shepperd, an old and
highly respectable citizen, arrested
last April, charging him with commit
ting an aggravated assault upon him.
Cromwell rented house from Mr..
Shepherd fol- the ostensible pur-
pose of keeping barber shop,
but re.rented II to another party and it
was changed, and more nearly resem-
bled n bawdy house than anything
else. Being informed of this fact, Mr..
Shepherd demonstrated with Cromwell
against the use to which the house
was being put, and informed him he
must make change or quit the prem
ises. Cromwell gave an insulting an
swer to this remonstrance, and Mr.
Shepperd hit him on the head with a
bottle. The trial came of before
Judge Hare, OF the District
Criminal Court, and after lengthy
argument from learned counsel EN-
ployed on both sides, the jury rendered
a verdict of not guilty of the charge.
Cromwell, who has resided In this city
for about three years, aud has figured
prominently at elections, suddenly,
when struck by Mr.. Shepherd for his in
suit, concludes he Is q citizen of Louisi
ana, and has brought suit In the Federal
Court at Tyler against Mr.. Shepherd
for damage In the sum of ten thousand
dollars, claiming that he Is non
resident of this State This man
Cromwell Is said to have been
a member Of the Louisiana Legislature
at the time when that State was COM
pletely under negro rule. He bears
the reputation Of being bold and inn
pndent negro, and we have been in
formed Of several acts of outrageous
impertinence which he has been guilty
of, and for which he should have re-
ceived just such "a chastisement as was
inflicted upon him by Mr. Smith yes
terday morning, The colored people
Of Dallasare, rs n general thing, quiet,
orderly and respectable portion of the
community, and liked and esteemed
by the white element, and
we regret to see them dsgraced
and brought into disfavor by such per-
son as this Cromwell.
THE PRESENTATION LAST NIGHT.
Presentation OF ~ Set OF Ermine by