Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-24
The ROsser.AckIen Sensation.

Inc eHutS oi Ine reporters TO get at the
true inwardness of this affair, in the absence
of the principals, results in confusing vari-
ely of contradictory statements. The friends
tf Congressman Acklen, of Louisiana, have
now prepared a statement with reference 10
tie matter in The following card:
An affair which occurred one evening last
week, Involving the name and reputation of
Hon. j. X. Achen, OF Louisiana, and lady
OF prominence in the society of New York
! city and Washington, has been SO distorted
and mSrePreSented by reports circulated
! from mouth to mouth and finally published in
| the leading Journals of the country, that the
! friends OF the parties most directly concerned
| deem ii proper to make the following state
! ment of facts: Without going into the details
! OF llme, place and circumstance touching the
| analr Itself, It sufceS TO say that there was
! nothing in the conduct of Mr.. Acklen TO war
| rant the inferenceS which have been drawn
| py the public and cOuntenancsd by the press,
| or TO afford sufficient foundation for the YER
! bal reports originally spread ibroad upon the
| authority OF the person who claimed To have
! been the hero of the intrusion and discovery
! SO-caled Beyond this is TO be stated that
| The conduct OF Mr. Acklen was not such as 10
| withdraw from him either the confidence or
! esteem OF the ladv in the case, whose SubSe-
| quent behavior towards him, as may be yer
! lied upon the most respectable authority was
! not that which would be natural To a victim
| OF lndignity toward the author of the wrong
I'm short, the whole story as bruited and as
printed Is OF The emoSt-lnqualiiedly sensational
and unWaTrauted character. There has been
and now is, but one issue in the premises and
Ol
acter between Mr.. Acklen and Gen. RoSser
who have both left the city for iheir respective
| homes to arrange their affairs for such de
| termination of the issue between them as their
! views of the responsibility of men to one an
| Other-Whlch do not neeI deScriptiOn-wouId
seem TO dictate. Under these circumstances
ana especially in view of the factthat Mr. Ack-
len Is fully sustained and his version of the
affair entirely cOrToborated by the lady who is
the alleged victim of the reported lndignity. il
Would seem entirely proper for the public and
rln lshl.
ranted Judgment which has been passed upon
| the strength Of untepable inferenceS ana to
! leave the conclusion OF the matter where II
properly belongs TO wit: between Mr.. Acklen
who undertakes To defend both the honor OF
his companion ard of himself, and Gen. RnS-
ser, who figured first as the intruder and sec
Ond as the aSSallant.
1T is hot necessary to specify the methods
by which the one party proposes to defend
himself and his companion, nor is it requisite
To state the exact manner in which the other
party became an intruder and aSSaildnt. IL
sutfceS 10 say that the charge of violence and
indignity upon the part of Mr.. Acklen cannot
be sustained, nor can The inference OF suffer
ing and wrong endured upon the part of the
lady be maintained. The scandal of distorted
and exaggerated publicity has had the effect
OF Fastening, perhaps, an event which would
have taken place under any circumstances
! and which should not be permitted 10 be
clOUded with diShOnOr 10y the maIevolence of
enemies or the frlVOllty of thOugntleSS gOSSipS.
1t is to be hoped that this explanation. which
is as pointed and plain as the delicacy of the
subject-matter will admit of, will remove the
lmputatlonS and refute the differences that
have been formed so hastily and upon such
slender foundation. AT all events il should
have that effect, for it is authoritative and
covers the wishes OF both The parties principal
to the original affair"
The correspondent of the New York World
sends the following in regard TO the matter:
The publicity given by some of your CON
tempOrarIeS to the scandal, which is now the
tax OF Washington, makes 1t proper to say
that the Whole story, SO far as Yet appears,
rests upon the statement Ot a friend of one of
the most gallant of eXconfederate officers
General RosSer This statement is to the fol
lowing effect: On Tuesday evening about
ser went to Well-knOWn restaurant here
where he was about 10 order refreshments for
the family OF a Senator who were to join them
in a few moments. He left the lady in a room
and went to give his orders at the Office While
he was gone his companion heard appeals from
an adjoining room IN female voice for help.
with cries, For Gods sake let me OUT"
Take me QUIT" "Oh, dontI' which SO fright
ened her that she was in tremOr when Gen
eral RoSSer returned and begged him to leave
with her at once. He naturally asked what
the matter was and She told him TO listen
The cries were repeated and there seemed to
be the sound of a Scut1le, but General Russer
lntlmated that it was some party who had
been indulglng too freely and that they would
go to another room if the disturbance con.
tinued. He had hardly made this remark
WREN the cries for help were repeated and
the room. The cry of "Hefp! help.' was the
Immediate answer, and General ROSSer whois
large and powerful man, burst the door open
with blow, when to his horror he saw
Congressman AckIen, of Louisiana i'm a disor-
derly and disheyelled condition, painting for
breath and evidently under the influence of
den entrance of RosSer. The general seized
him with an exclamation: my God. Acklen,
what are you dOing?" and thrust him violently
against the wall. The lady tainted, but some
a M
her, and she plteOuSly begged to be taken
home at once. She refused to give her name
and would not even give the hickman her ad-
dress, but drove rapidly of. General RosSer
put Ackien out OF the restaurant and then his
parry also left the restaurant, and the next day
he told the story as his friend says, Just as il
Is told here. The handsome sister in-laW of a
New York Congressman who has been ncOn-
Siderately mentioned in connection with this
deplorable affair was at the Capitol that same
evening during the night session till after IL D.
m, and she, therefore, could not possibly have
been the person concerned. Besides. this
same lady pade Mr.. Acklen ''good-by" when
ing and knew absolutely nothing of the sean
dal till to-day. Several other ladies have been
as recklessly pointed at, but without the least
excuse or justification. Until General Rosser
Is heard from no authentic and exact facts
can he obtained
Mr. Acklen, the member OF Congress impli-
Gated in this unpleasant affair, is the member
from Louisiana who was recently seated in
place of Mr.. Darrall. He is the son of a law
yer Of Huntsville, Ala, Mr.. Joseph Acklen,
who died in the early part of the war, by his |
wife, a Northern lady, who was the widow |
when he married her of Mr. Isaac Franklin of |
Nashville Tenlt., and possessed Mr.. Franklin's |
fortune. Mrs. Acken recovered a large cot
ton claim from the government after the war |
and not long afterwards was married for a |
third time to DR.. Cheetham, of Nashville. |
Her son, Mr.. Joseph Acklen, jr., is quite a |
young man, rather good looking and fond of |
society.
DEATH OF MAYOR KANE, OF BALTIMORE |
Col. Geo. Proctor Kane, mayor of the city of |