Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-12-28
A DIsORDERLY CHRISTMAS.
Disgraceful and Shameful Con-
duct on the Streets.
InnurnerabIe Fights, Some With
Serious Results.

InnumerabIe Fights, Some With
Serious Results.
As far az the weather was concerned,
Saturday was the most disagreesble
Christmas ever experienced here, per-
haps. A cold, DRILLING rain, attended
with a gloomy, murky atmosphere,
prevailed the entire day. The streets
were in perfect loblolly, and it was
almost impossible to get around.
This contributed its full share to
render 1t the most disgraceful and dis
orderly Christmas ever witnessed in
Knoxville. Itappeared to be just such
a day as to provoke everybody who
had the slightest inclination in that
direction to getting drunk. and it was
almost the universal remark that there
was never before seen so much drunk
enness, fighting and disgraceful con-
duct on our streets. The drunkenness
was specially noticeable among the
colored population, though by no
means confined to them, and there
was, perhaps, no greater proportion OF
it among them than the whites. All
races and conditions in life contrib
uted their share.
It was to be seen at all points, and
at some places there were congrega-
tions almost the entire day and up till
lats at night, and drinking, cursing
and fighting were going constantly on.
In front of the colored bar
room of Clay & McNutt, on
| Union street, was one OF
these places of congregation, and a
shooting scrape, attended with serious
results, occurred there just before
noon. Charley McNutt, one of the
bar-tenders, and yellow fellow, call
| ing himself Robert Sambleton, and
claiming to hail from Atlanta, Ga,
both under the influence of liquor, be-
came gagged in a difficulty in front
of the bar, and Sambleton drew small
Colts pistol and fired at McNutt, the
shot taking effect near the left nipple,
and, it was thought, penetrated the
lung. Sambleton took to his heels
through the alley, and was pursued by
officer Lewis Rucker, who was joined
by officer Jnd Reeder, and they cap,
tured him just at Justice Allison's Of
fee. He waived examination and
was committed 10 Jail to await hear
ing before the criminal court. Nc
( Mutt was taken to his home, and med
ical assistance rendered. 1t was at
first thought his injury was fatal. The
ball could not be found. Yesterday,
however, he was resting easier and
there were more hopes.
In the afternoon Frank Pegg was
pretty badly beaten up by Dick Allen,
both white, in the rear of Hugh Har-
per's saloon. The injuries, though
painful, were not serious. Allen was
sent to jail, and yesterday morning he
was taken out, arraigned and fined $11
for assault and battery.
Another serious difficulty occurred
In Harper's saloon Saturday night.
There was q crowd there drink-
ing freely, and it appears that
Dennis Foley and John Moran
became engaged in fight, when Har-
per and his bartender interfered to
stop it. Harper called on Cal. Morris,
who was standing by, to assist. He
took hold of and undertook to put Fo-
ley out of the house, when Foley
stabbed him in the left breast with g
pocket-knife. Morris was taken
home, assistance summoned, and
he was found to be seriously
hurt. Though his wound is not
considered necessarily dangerous. Yes
terdsy Foley was arraigned before
Justice King, who, after preliminary
examination, bound him over to Grim.
inal court in bond of ST. 900.
This, so far as we are able to gather
completes the list of serious casualties
1t would be too great a task to emu
merate the minor fights and diff
ficulties. We certainly hope never to
experience such another Christmas.
1t seems to have been about the
same kind of a Christmas at mos,
places. Chattanooga and Nashville
papers tell about the same tale, and
other points we hear of suffered sim
ilarly. Fine opportunity for temper
ance lecturing and works.
The seasons entertainments have
been notably free from annoyance by
coughing. DR.. Bulls Cough Syrur
| does this. Price 25 cents q nnttle.