The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-17
LOCAL MATTERS.
A APersonal Encounter

A Personal Encounter
BETWEEN MEssRs. SULLIVAN AND LADY,
STATEMENT FROM BOTH SIDES.
A difficulty occurred last evening in
the Exchange Hotel between MessrS. c. W.
Sullivan and j. L. Lady, growing out OF a
card which was published yesterday morn
| in. by Mr.. a. .. Sullivan, late an officer in
| the House OF Delegates, denouncing and
denying certain language used in o letter
written by c. NJ. Webber to his paper. Sew
eral blows passed between the parties. A
representive OF this paper called upon
Messrs. Sullivan and Wobber IN order to
get their version Of the affair. @
Mr.. A. O. Sullivan, who was In company
with his brother, Mr.. e.. w. Sullivan, and
Captain J. II. II. Figgatt, say they. were
| passing from the bilIiard-room 10 the ro-
tunda In the Exchange Hotel about bali
| past 6 O'Clock. He states that some gentle
man touched bis brother, G.. w. Sullivan,
| who was on his "a. o. Suiiyan's) left. lie
| looked back and saw Mr. Lady with his
brother. knowing the intimacy between
Mr.. Webber and Mr.. Lady, he at
once took in the situation, and walk
ing back to where Mr.. Lady and his
brother were standing, saw my brother
opening u letter. glanced at the sigma
ture and saw that it was signed &C. NJ.
Weber, took my right hand and struck
the letter from my brothers. hand and spit
upon it aud trampIed it under my foot, and
said that no communication could be re-
ceived from the man that we had denounced
on the evening OF the 18th as lying sccun-
drel Thereupon my brother took Mr..
Lady by the collar and said: "Must spit
| in your face for bringing communication
| from dirty cur:"
MIR. Lady said (my brother still holding
him by the col!ar), You must not do it,"
| Then my brother said, damn you, Pll
strike you in the face" and did it several
times. During the scufIle and excitement
struck Mr.. Lady over the head with my
crutcb, which regret. After struck Mr..
LADY, my brother pushed me aside and told
me it would not do. Then the difficulty
was continued until an officer interfered
Judge Christian, Of Charles City,, who
commanded the peace.
Mr.. G.. w. Sullivan states that Mr.. Lady
Joined HIM in the passage leading to the
| biiliard-room. and said, 81 have not met
| you since the unveiling OF the jackson
siatue.' Walking along 10 the billiard.
room door he handed me letter, remark.
| ing, 81 have letter for you" Mr.. Sulli-
van took out the letter from the unsealed
envelope. and as he unfolded it, his bro.
ther, coming up, glanced at the letter, saw
the signature, and struck 1t from my hand.
| have no idea what was in the letter. and
had not read q word when my brother
struck it from my hand.
| Mr.. Webber and j are warm personal
friends, and board at the same house with
him. I know Arthur Sullivan we'll, and
know of his brother William. They were
| in the Fourth regiment, Stonewall brigade,
| and Wcbbcr and | were in the Twenty
seventh regiment OF The same brigade. Mr..
| Webbcr came to my room yesterday evening
and showed me letter addressed to MI.
William Sullivan, asking him il he herd
himself responsible for the card OF his bro
I'thcr which appeared in the Dispatch.
Mr.. Webbcr asked me il | would de-
liver the letter 10 William Sullivan. l
told him / would. | took it, and went
TO the Exchange. l was standing IN
the rotunda, in conversation with some
Richmond gentlemen, when l saw the
Messrs. Sullivan and several friends come
out OF the biliard-room. l walked up to
William Sullivan and told him wanted TO
see him aside. Speaking in very irlendly
manner. remarked to him that it was the
first time | had seen him since the unveil-
ing Of the Jackson statue. We by that
time had walked back to the billiard
room door. ] handed him the letter,
and he commenced reading it. While
he was so engaged, his brother Arthur
came up in very violent manner and told
him: " 1t is from Webber. Don't read 1t !!
Spit on it! Stamp it under your feet -
His brother still seeming disposed TO read
it, Arthur Sullivan Knocked it out OF his
hand, and said: " Yes; and spit on bin
(Ladyl tool" His brother then turned TO
me, and said: Shall spit on you?" l
replied: sDon't you undertake it. l have
no difficulty with you, nor any upkind feel
ing. am here in the interest OF peace and
moi for difficulty" William Sullivan then
made an aggressive movement-Secondedb by
his brother-and struck at me several times.
Then we commenced fighting with our
fists, and I got start OF him, when DIS
brother TArthurl commenced hammering
me from behind with his crutch. can't
say how often he struck me win tue
crutch, aS / was facing and lighting VIII
liam. William said 10 Arthur, "stop
that !" " Stop that !" aud the blows Win
the crutch ceased. Then William sullivan
and continued TO fight until we were sepa-
rated. after the separation Arthur SUM-
van came up to me and denounced ootn
Webber and me. He drew pistol ana lev
elled if at nv breast while was held by
some OF the crowd that had collected.
| had no friends present so far as | am
aware Of, and was uuarmed. l had my
heavy oyercoat On, buttoned to the bottom,
and was surprised at the attack, as the note
was simply an inquiry. and l was there to
avoid O difficulty between my friend ana
Sullivan il possible. l consider the attack
without proyocation and cowardly.
COUNTY JUDGES NOMINATED.-Ihefo folloW-
ing county judges were nominated by the
ReaGjus,ers last night;
Accomac: II. G. Parromore, present IN
cumbent.
Alheuarle. Passed by.