Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-17


An EXCITING AND BLOODY RRHcOUuTRR
At LITTLE ROCK lETWKEN MAI JN0 d.
ADAMS, or THE GAZETTE, AND COL. J. ~,
sATrHRH, on THR DEM0CRAT.
The Rose City Globe ExtFa, Of the Bth
gives the following Interesting report OF en-
exciting street Eight IN that city on last
sunday morning between the parties nam
ed.
A personal Newspaper controversy has
been progressing between Major John D.
Adams, OF the Gazette, and Col, J, N.
smithee, State Land COmmlsai0ner and
editor Of the Democrat, for the past few
days. In his reply, Saturday, Col.
smlthee used the follow Ing language;
There 10 no alternative but Tor me 10
pronounce John D. Adams q liar In whom
there 10 no truth, q corrupter Of men, 90 be
. notorious debancher Of women, . SLAM
derer who 10 purse.proud enough TO sup
pose that bic money can shield him from
the consequences OF bic calumnies, e thing
In human shape In whom there are elOs
ments which. when necessity requires Il
will develop him into either q petty, or 4
i~Fst-class, thief according TO the slEe Of
the pile In his reach.
To the above Major John Adams made
q lengthy reply In the Gazette OF this
morning, winding up 90 follows:
Summing. up the facts In the case, the
following points are made: ~ smIlhee
puTlOlned the document referred 70, ct the
solo tatlon OF Haney. (2) He allowed an
innocent boy to be accused Of the O~Nenso,
and ~ him driven 10 disgrace from the
Gazette ONCE on account OF an Infamous
act Of which he, Smlthee, was guilty. (9)
He seeks BY vile eplthets aud Q general
denial TO defend himself. ~ After pub
fishing all the vile language which he
could command, like O coward that he 10,
he hides himself.
At about 10 O'Clock this morning Major
Adams, walking alone, and In front OF the
stairway entrance 10 the StOddaFd Bank
building, came almost face TO face with
Col ]. N. smlthee, who, In company with
Capt. James Cook, was just mounting the
pavement at the corner. Quite q number
Of persons were on either corner, antlclpat.
Ing such q meeting, and 90 the two prlncl-
pals discovered each other, each drew his
pistol. Mayor Fletcher, who was present,
ordered the parties TO desist. Major
Adams, who under the circumstances, ,ap-
peaFed 70 DO unusually cool, as be drew
hIs pistol with HE right hand waved his
left, requesting the crowd 70 clear the way.
Col, smlthee, pro badly under the excite.
ment and Importance Of the occasion, APP
peared 70 be somewhat nervOuS, but was
on time with his pistol, and although opin.
ions are divided on the subject, 10 10 gen.
orally asserted that he got in the fret shot,
followed with Tapidlty By one from Major
Adams. The distance between the parties
could not have exceeded twelve feet, AT
ter firing HE fret shot Col. smithee step.
ped or jumped behind the upright tFiangu.
lar board sign Oft. b. Mile, at the same
time continuing his shooting at MsjOr
Adams, who Immediately advanced on
him, firing at him as be came around the
sign on one tide, and then meeting and
ireing on him as he came around on the
other. The distance IL the last instance
was not over two or three feet between the
parties, and as Col. Smithee fred four
shots In all, Major Adams three, the wOn-
der 10 that both these determined and
brave gentlemen were not killed. After
his fourth shot Col. Smithee threw his
pistol At Major Adams, and, 1t 10 asserted,
did draw, or attempt to draw, o second
pistol at the same time staggering or run.
ming In q siding manner until about two
thirds OF 1.-THE way across Markham street,
when he fell, and while lying In q recllning
position, was approached by Major Adams,
pistol In hand. Aner gazing down on his
PROSTATE foe q moment, the Msj0r remark.
ed. "Ynu id dog, ] could hill you,
but will spare your llfep' Friends ap,
preached, Col. Smilhoe was lifted from
the ground, and carried into drug store
At the same time q cluple OF gentlemen
grasped Mpjor Adams shoulders In
friendly but the same time such q irn
manner as 10 render him utterly pOWerless
An Oficlous policeman, seeing the pistol
still In the Majors hands, and not ap.
preclatlng the TACT that the Major was
helpless, and had spared HE enemy when
he had him at his mercy, struck the pis.
toll from the Majors hand with his club.
This was an unwarranted act OF brutality,
Major Adams was arrested by ChIeI
Counts, and gave bonds for his appearance
before ''quire Morrison, In the sum OF
5000, with Jas. Mitchell, Jas. e. Isbell,
W. d. BlOcher and j.. d. ReardOn as
bOndsmen. Major Adams received no
Wounds, but the brlm Of his hat was rid.
died by q ball. Col. smIthee was shot
through the right arm below the elbow
and as his arm was bent, the
ball stFuch II again, and lodged
Just below the shoulder, from whence
1t was extracted. He also receiV.
ed q flesh wound In the left bullock.
From the fact that be was abe to walk 10
q carriage after coming from the hands OF
the surgeons, we In fer that he 10 not seri.
ously injured.
The above report lie made, mainly, from
our W personal observation OF the
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