Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-02-27

PERSONAL ENCOUNTER IN TBrr CAPITOL,
Last evening an enco--n,er took place near
the vice PRESIDE .nes room at the Capitol In
tne Sehac the bill in relation to the Rancho
Ia-oche claim, In which Mr.. William Nc.
objection being ,s made Il went over over Shortly
after Mr.. McGarrahan met Col. Dom Piatt, OF
the Sunday Capital, near the Vice Presidents
and striking him after wards. SO many dif1er-
ent versions OF the affair have been given tnat
THE STAR to-day sought information at nrst
hands. reporter OF THE STAR called on COL
Piatt this morning. The Colonel was In bed
Quite number Of gentlemen were In the room
talking over the affair OF last night, joking with
them were Senator Stanley Matthews General
Banning, and the Hon. VIM. Loughridge
There was also in the room the unmistakable
door Of arnica and opodeldoc, which follow all
encounters like that OF last night. Col. Piatt
told the reporter he was glad to see him, at the
same time bathing his right eye, which is
which is somewhat swollen and red. The left
side has the same hue, but only in one spot
His injuries were evidently not very serious.
allow do you feel?" asked the reporter
ID. P.:-"My sensation j take to be exactly the
same as that experienced by man after being
kicked by a mule or a good-sized jackass, as the
Star:-"Are the accounts given of the affair
Correct?"
d. PINOT by any means. will tell you
exactly now 1t occurred. After the defeat OF
TO the assault, went into the Senate reception
room upon the invitation of Senator Bayard
The assault took place In that room; not in the
lobby. After my conversation with Mr. Bay
ard sent my card in to Senator Booth AS
did so McGarrahan came up and suddenly
struck me blow In the face with his fist The
with his assault the officials about the Senate
interfered and took him OFF. was then taken
home In my carriage"
Gar:-"McGarrahan did not then as stated,
head
calmly on?'
D; He Fl. did not. AS ! before stated, he
dately after knocking me down.
Sar:-"Dld You threaten to strike him with a
stick, or shoot him?''
The attack was so sudden that before knew
anything about it I was knocked down.
Sar:-".Did you have pistol with yOu?'
many people object to my style Of editing a.
paper. The first impulse Of an aggreved party
IN searching for an editor is to degrade him
with acowhide or a horsewhp. / carry re
volyer for that sort; but will never complain OF
q man who resorts TO his fists"
star" You do not, then, intend to have Nc
Garrahan arrested"
Il. p" No: l would not subject any man
who uses his fists on me TO the Inconvenience of
an arrest. Fighting OF that Kind Is healthy and
eXhiarating." replied Col. Piatt, as he passed
handkerchief saturated with arnica over the
right side of his face.
Siar:-'' What words preceded the attack"
ID. P.:-"There were no words, and no stick,
and no attempt TO use q revolver. The crowd
that put Mct1arrahan up to the assault were
around. aud the exaggerated statements that
appear III the morning papers evidently came
from them. 1t was my own fault. anyway. |
should not have gone alone in the McGarrahan
crowd: or, going alone, should have been on my
guard
Sfar:-" Had McGarrahan ever made any
threats towards YOU"
d. p" Never. l have met him. guess.
Thousand times in the last six or seven years,
tile demonstration he has ever made against
me. He did attack HE last night. with forty
jack-ass power, though" Col. Patt added, as he
poll ted TO his right eye
McGarrahan gives the following version of
the rencOntTe:- i was standing In the Senate
lobby, on the democratic side, engaged in con-
Ve1sat1on with eX-CODgTeSSman Eldfidge. The
bill in which was Interested TO send the New
ldIia claim to the Court OF Claims had been
defeated by Senator Davis, OF Illinois. Senator
Garland came out and told NE that Davis did
not understand that the bill was only to refer
the case to court, and had he SO understood
he would not have objected to its consider
alton. Meanwhile Piatt had sent in his card
10 senator Bayard. and was lobbying with
him. Senator Il. had left him, and Plat was
In the act of sending his card in to another
Senator, when i approached him and said,
1t may become necessary for me at some
future day to cIastiSe YOU for the dirty man
ner in which you have yillifiei myself and
my friends in your contemplate newspaper"
~ tnIS MctfdiEdLdH say 5 fldJt mace no ans Ner,
nut presented rather defiant front. 'D-n,
IT said McGarrahan, ''I'll do it now don't
Know when may have better opportunity"
IheTeupOn Piatt made pass at McGaTrahan,
the latter says. and Knocked off his hat. Nc
Garrahan continues his story: ~ struck him
and damned him up against the wall He
Wilted then. Then struck him a second time
and knocked him down. While ne was on his
knees gave 1t to him good, and il it hadnt been
for the fear that the melee would have
disturbed the Senate, / would have dragged
him down the steps. and when got through
with him he wouldn't have been worth two
cents. Then some or the employees OF the senate
begged me TO let him alone, which did |
never In all my life received such attention
When the affair was over page boys and mes
seDgerS got NE towels and water, picked IN my
hat and cane and showed me every courtesy
i then passed over 10 the cake stand. in one of
the Senate Corridors and was told that Secre-
tary Gorham was endeavOring 10 have me ar
rested by the police officers OF the Capitol so |
walked down Penn. avenue to my home" Nc
GarTahan was at the Capitol 60 day, and held
qure 1eyee. A large bouquet was sent him
from some unknown source, and was presented
TO him by his attorney, MIR. c. p. Shaw