Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-07-28
COL. DANIEL DECHERT.

Weekiy express, pupllsheu at Daufiiio'
Va, was horsewhipped by man named
Whitfield. The following statement of
the cowardly assault is from Mr.. d.
himself, written to the Richmond Dis
patch. This man Whitfield is guilty Of
one of the most cowardly assaults upon
record, in addition to the murderous at
tempt he committed. Mr.. Dechert did
nothing more than his duty in exposing
the rascally proceedings OF Whitfeld's
brother,in ''lifting" letters from the Post
Office and abstracting money theretrom,
and had he failed to do so he would
have been negligent of his duty as
public journalist. II rascality and crime
is to pass unnoticed, both the Pulpit
and the Press should be suppressed, and
let Bedlam reign supreme all over the
land at once. We state again that the
cowardly and murderous assault upon
Mr.. D., for doing nothing but his duty
he owed to the community, in which he
lived, is one of the most rascally upon
record, and the man Whitfield who
committed thl eowardly assault should
be looked upon as dangerous charac-
ter. A man who will commit COW
ardly and murderons assault as he did,
will do worse if he has the opportunity,
and the sooner the citizens of that city
can get rid of such a character the bet
ter for the community. We are glad
to observe that the leading papers OF
the country are defending Mr.. Dechert
in the strongest terms, among which are
the Baltimore Sun and .9msrican.
The magistrates who passed judg-
ment upon Whitfield, for the cowardly
assault, should also be deeply cersured.
The mere paltry sum of SIS, as fine
upon Whitfield, for murderous attack,
should meet the condemnation of every
honest and law-abiiing citizen. They
are placed in office as conservatives of
the peace, and if they refuse to do their
duty in imposing fines upon parties who
commit unlawful outrages, according to
the extent of the crime committed, they
are not worthy of their office, and
should be removed at once,-they are
setting dangerous example, and citi-
zens are not safe under such dispensa-
tions of the law. But here is Mr.. Dech-
ert's account Of the attack -
Nor HoRsEwuPPED, BUT BILLED
Editors Richmond Dispatch. your
issue of Saturday last you published a
special telegram from Danville which
does me great injustice in stating that l
was publicly horsewhipped on our
streets by MIR. A. p. Whitfield, DC.
This assertion, gentlemen, is wiltul,
deliberate, misstatement, gotten up by
maliciously disposed person, and
known to be incorrect by every man in
our city. l would not have intruded
upon your space in any event but sim
ply, since you have been the means of
spreading so widely the absurd features
Of the dispatch in question, to have you
correct them.
My paper, the Border ErpreSS, was
issued early Friday morning. 1t con
tanned an article giving the facts of the
arrest, bail, and flight of man named
N. q. Whitfield, who was accused and
bailed on the charge of obtaining let
ters from our post office ard abstracting
money therefrom, the facts having been
furnished us, on our applying for the
same, by A. NJ. Wheeler, Esq, our
postmaster, who was instrumental in
causing the arrest. The article men
toned the fact that Whitfield was a
member of the firm of A. =. Whitfield
& Co., and in this respect alone it was
incorrect. For making this statement
it was alleged that sufficient cause had
been given to make deadly and cow
ardly attack upon me. But then in
mitigation Of the error l have learned
since, from the very best authority
I the books Of the revenue otiice-that
a. =. Whitfield is partner of the firm
of y. G. Whitfield 81 Co., SO that the
two were still connected in a business
point. Be this as it may. however, |
had no idea of injuring the firm of A.
Z. Whitfield 81 Co., or any of its men,
bers individually. Instead of assailing
me and jeopardizing my life on this
trivial pretext, had Dir. A. p. Whitfield
came in the spirit that his partner Mr..
Frank Gamewell, did, in quiet, peace
able, gentlemanly way good under
standing would have been had and the
inaccuracy corrected. But l feel salts
fed that this was mere pretext, and
feel positive in asserting that the attack
upon me was deliberately planned by
conspirators armed to the teeth, who
sought me with murderous intent.
But to the facts ofthe horsewhipping,
as it has been stigmatizsd: About 10
o'clock ON Friday morning was sitting
in the grocery store of Mr.. John +.
Rison, with my back toward the door,
-ronversing with friend when l was
assailed by A. 2. Whitfield without Civ
ing me any notice of his intention,
struck me a violent blow on the eye,
with a heavy horsewbip which had
been cut of and used as billy. The
blow stunned and bewildered me, but
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