The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-11-13
From the chicago Times nh.
A SPOILED SENSATION.
The Palmer House not yet the
Scene of a War of Races.
A Negro coachman Dies Of Heart Dis
ease After a Scufhe About Poll
tics.
And the Bloody Shutters are
Anxious to Magnify the
Event Into a Political
Murder,
The Real Facts About the Case.

The Real Facts About the Case.
The sudden and somewhat mysterious |
death of a colored man who was found |
dead in barn in the rear of the Palmer |
house on yesterday morning, added, |
through the efforts of newspaper outrage
factories, and bloody-shir Republicans, to |
the throes of political excitement under |
which the city is just now laboring. There |
were few circumstances connected with |
the case, to be sure, which, when accepted
without investigation, gave it some pohti- |
cal significance, Stories of the most alb |
surd and preposterous character, which |
were magnifed in proportion to their cir |
culation grew out of il, and were greedily |
swallowed by disappointed and sour-tem |
pered Republicans, who, in their present |
heat and bitterness of mind, allow nothing |
to pass with which they may, with pain |
full disorting of the truth, stigmatize the |
Democratic party.
IT WAS GLoATED OVER
with great satisfaction by such persons,
and characterized as political murder, as
another Democratic outrage" north
ern example of the alleged atrocities per-
petrated upon the colored men in the
south, fresh proof of Democratic hate
and barbarity, a blood-curdling indication
of the hostility Of the Democracy to the
black man. an Inauguration of "the Miss
issippi plan" etc. At Republican head
quarters, where the Tildenish look of the
returns had drawn down the corners of
Republican mouths and wrinkled Republi-
can brows with frowns of disappointment
and chagTin, il was discussed with great
relish, and to hear some of the comments
Of those able bodied bloody-shirt-swingers
one might have suggested that war of
races had begun in this city, and that a
season of heart-rending Kn-Klux outrages
had commenced.
AN INVESTIGATION
of the affair which was made on yesterday
afternoon by reporter of the Times dis
PEELED not only the slim foundation neces-
sary for such idiotic rumors, but also the
belief that any murder at all had been
committed. The name of the man who
was found dead in his bed at the place
above indicated, was Sandy Richardson.
He was a Republican of the deepest hue,
and was subject to violent bursts Of excite
ment whenever the subject of politics was
preached under circumstances in which he
could take part in the discussion. 1t APP
pears that he had been passing Thursday
evening at the Grand Pacific hotel, listen
ing with great comfort and satisfaction to
the bogus returns read at that place to
keep up
THE FLAGGING SPIRITS
of the Republican voters. He was en-
ployed by Mr., Milton Palmer as a coach
man, and after having assured himself that
Hayes was undoubtedly elected, he re-
turned to the Palmer House intending to
60 to bed in the barn in the rear Of that
hotel, Instead of going directly to bed,
however, he paused in the baggage-room
Of the Palmer House, where were congre-
gated several Of the watchmen and porters,
among whom was Michael Seaman, the
alleged murderer.
Richardson at once opened the subject
of politics by stating that he had been to
the Grand Pacific, had there heard the
latest returns, and that Hayes was elected
without doubt. Seaman, who is
A YOUNG FRESHMAN,
and q Democrat, was sprawled out upon a
pile of trunks, and, it is alleged, was not
disposed to take notice of the negro's re-
marks. But the latter went up to him,
nudged him, and rallied him upon the de-
feat OF his candidate, and discussion be.
gan. Seaman was disposed to doubt
Hayes s election, and the men, or at least
Richardson, became quite infamed as the
conversation was pursued. Richardson
then, so the witnesses say, struck Seaman
and scuffle ensued, in which both men
clnched and went down upon the floor
and struggled until separated by George
Morgan, one Of the porters of the hotel
and John Bursen, a night Waterman.
The interference of these men brought
the difficulty to an end for the time being.
Seaman went back to his corner, and again
stretched himself out upon a pile of trunks
and Richardson sat moody down. He
was not disposed, however, to let the dis
cussiOn drop. After few moments it was
resumed. To some remarks made by
Richardson Seaman replied that
HE WAS A LIAR.
The negro, reioining that he didn't allow
any Irish Democrat to call him liar,
picked up one of the ice water pitchers
from among a number in the room, and
struck Seaman oyer the head with it.
Seaman then also seized a pitcher and
struck Richardson, and then grappled
with him and threw him to the floor,
Richardson fell heavily upon the tile floor
ing, striking on the back of his head anC
shoulders. He got up directly, however
and did not appear to have been much
hurt, The other men in the room ther
fell to chatting him upon Scanlan's beinl
the better man, to which he replied that
Seaman would not have got the better Of
him had not his foot slipped upon the til
ing.
Mr.. Thomas Harper, one of the EN-
plOyes of the house, hearing that dis
turbance was going forward there, entered
the baggage-room and cautioned the meI
to cease their quarrel. and advised Rich
ardson TO take himself off to bed. Instead
of the latter's doing so he
FINGERED IN THE ROOM
half an hour or more, talking amicably
enough, and nothing more was thought O
the affair, which, alter ALL was looked
upon us u mild sort of scrimmage in which
no one had been much hurt.
At about | clock Richardson went ou
at the rear door, crossed the court, anC
entering the barn at the rear of the hotel
undressed himself, put out Lis lamp, ant
put himself to bed in bunk in the rea
stall, as regularly and properly as at any
time before.
John Robinson, Mr.. Potter Palmer
coachman, at about 7 clock on yesterda'
morning got uD and began cleaning Mr.