The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-27
Ex-TREASUREH NEW EXCITED
He Meets Colonel BiSsell, of HART
ford, ut the Fifth Avenue Hotel
and Hits Out,

/ New York Worldl
i Colonel George P. Bissell, at one time
agent for the Connecticut State Loan and
a somewhat prominent Republican of
Hartford, is proprietor of bank in that
city and has invested its funds largely in
Indianapolis and other Indiana towns.
Many hotels, theaters and business blocks
in that State are understood to have been
erected with money furnished by Colonel
, Bissell and to have been heavily mort
gagged to his bank to secure it. Mr.. John
, c. New, Ex-Treasurer of the United
States, is an officer of one of the National
Banks of indianapolis and has always
borne an enviable reputation In the buSi-
ness and social circles Of that city.
Last evening about $50 Mr.. New, who
is in this city for few days, met Mr.
Blssell in the lobby of the Fifth Avenue
Hotel, and after short alteration struck
him two blows in the face, accompanying
the assault with vehement language
Friends separated the two men, Mr. New
+ retiring to The reading-room to the left of
, the lobby and Mr.. Bissell to the wash
room. The encounter created some ex-
8 citement for the moment but was over
t very quickly. Mr.. New explained the
+ circumstances which led to it as follows:
About four years ago Mr.. Bissell, acting
, for some Eastern capitalists, made loan
T of 100000 on the Denisol House at In
G dianapolis.
! The interest was not paid and the
, mortgage was foreclosed, and a short
9 time after the house was sold under this
. foreclosure. Mr.. Bissell bought the prop
erty for the mortgagors and held it for
!. some time. About eleven months ago |
: went to Hartford and agreed to buy the
1 hotel for $4,000, provided the title was
+ clear. l returned to Indianapolis and
=, instructed my lawyer to examine into
+ the title. This he did, and after very
:, careful examination he reported to me
:. that the heirs intended to institute pro-
r ceedings against Mr.. Bissell fora share OF
q the proceeds of the sale in which he was
: the purchaser | imme lately wrote to
Mr.. Bissell and informed him of this and
told him that Just as soon as he could
give me clear title l would pay the
money.
Mr.. Bissell, after nearly q years litiga-
Il tion settled the matter and he removed
u the cloud from the title. | then paid
i + the $50 900 agreed upon and became the
" owner of the hotel. There was some dis
J satisfaction among the gentlemen for
whom Mr. BissoIl had hoated the loan,
and it became matter of general con-
y versation that he had made bad loan
: out West In order to excuse himself
. Mr.. Bisscll, in an alleged interview with
= the reporter Of some New England paper,
. said that it was and MT he who was
Il re>ponsible for the small amount realized
u at the sale, and m de several other ale
: cations about my personalhonor. Iwrotc-
u a letter to Bi>sell and requested him to
y retract what he had said.
u This he never replied to and deter
v, mined to have an answer from him the
q first time | met him. This WIS the first
l. opportunity have had, and seeing him
!, in the corridor | went up to him and
Il said: Mr.. Bisaell, that statement pub
L lshed as if coming from you regarding
i my personal honor is a lie, and wish to
y know whether or not you are the author
u Of it, Mr.. Bi.sell said he was not, and
81 asked me to take seat and talk the mat
:, ter over. This l refused to do, and told
il him the answer must be either in the
l. negative or affirmative. If it WAS not so
Is all that | asked of him was to write me
~ a note to that effect. The conversation
n got warm and struck him, as | would
Ii Strike any man who would say anything
le rejecting on my personal honor"
IL HAS there been anything further OF
II the matter?' 49,
Ie Nothing, and I don't think there will
m be. But whenever MIR. Blssell is ready,
= am"
Ie Mr.. Bi.sell came in from the opera
II after midnight and said: "About yeal
y. ago Mr.. New came to me in Hartford
TO and purchased the hotel property anc
II. shortly after wrote letter t. me yine
81 he would not buy. This put me in :
d. very awkward position, as had informed
er the bondhollers of the sale. asket
'h him to reopen the engagements, SAYING
r., I would give him a clear title. Elg teel
ID months after, some B lt,more gentlm"e1
I'd bought the hotel, and l saw Mr.. New
is name on the deeds. This was the frs
at time I knew Mr.. New in the matter o
n the second sale"
lg "What of the encounter
u Il was sitting talking to gentleman
ks from Hartford and Mr.. New c.ime to m
OF and said: Your name is Bi'sellY and
de then said, and yours is New? Iwant t
W, speak with you,' said New, and said
is. did not care to go, but | went, and wen
ITS over and sat down. Mr.. New then bega
IT, to abuse me and ! said, Let us sit dow
n and talk it over Instead of sittin
" down he struck me in the face before
as could recover, and as he was held b
OF friends did not trike him"
lis "Did you publish anything in tn
his newspapers about Mr.. New?
ar "Not line. Ihave never written an.
is thing about Mr.. New except circult
to the bondholders. A bondholder puI
shed very abusive letter about ta
matter some months ago in Hartfol