Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-24
THE NATIONAL ARENA.
PISTOLS, KNIy rs. STICKS. FISTS AND sPrrroDss
CDSCRFSS

Tne Sparks-Weaver scrimmage In the House
the other day was not a very creditab!e affair.
| out does not by any means come 40 TO the
oeiilgerent mark OF preceding scenes OF the
KIND at the National Capital Some OF these
exciting affairs may be briefly recapitulated.
Mr. Reuben NJ. Whitney came to Washington
at tne Invitation of President jackson, to assist
| as contributor in the Globe In the work OF
destroying the Bank OF the United States He
| was summoned as witness before committee
the executive office. He refused to attend aud
was arratgned before the House for this con-
| tempt. Whitney's excuse was that he could
| not attend the committee for fear OF daoCar
| 10 his 'life from the violence OF the members.
Mr.. Peyton. OF Tennessee a member or the
committee as 1t appeared from the evidence.
| mad taken offence at an answer or Mr.. Whitney
ana DrOke out IN the committee in these words:
| "Mr, Chairman, wish you would inform this
witness that he Is not to insult me in his al
swers; II he does will take his life on 1he sDo
The witness claimed the protection OF the con
mit'ee, on which Mr.. Peyton exclaimed. 'You
shaht speak; you shan'u say one word while
| Death Henry A. Wise, chairman OF the co n.
mlitee, then added, Eyes. this 1nsolence Is IN
| toieraole'' Soon after Mr.. peyton Oh erviug
that the witness was looking at him. Grief ONT
| his eyes are OH me: he is looking at NE: he
snaht 90 IL; he shanJ look at me'' These ex
oaliatiohs were ACCOMPANIED with vioieut
| CurslbS ana swearing. Mr.. Wise admitted chat
ne was armed with deadly weapons aui said:
| II watched the motion or the right arm OF The
| witness The elbow or which could be seen hy
ne me, aud had II moved one inch he had died on
| tne spot. This was my determination"
| ouch scenes We're common then aud the hais
| OF congress acquired the name OF the Bear
| GardeIl.''
| ASSAULTS UPON JACKSON.
| On the goth OF January 1885, an attempt was
| made TO assassinate General Jackson on the
! port1co OF the Capitol, at funeral ceremony,
| Dy Richard Lawrence, a painter by trade and
| resident Of Washington. He exploded Two
! caps Oh the pistols In the attempt The pistols
! were afterwards found to be welI-lOaded, and
%ha escape was considered miraculous.
Inc Wonld- be-aSsaSsn was Knocked down and
taken into custody. General jackson always
| Delleved that this act was perpetrated at the
| ihSSalgauon OF some OF the friends OF the Bank.
frlor 10 this in 1888, General Jackson was
| assaulted While sitting down reading a news
PAPER, on the boat at Alexandria. but the
!TieIuS OF the aSSailant succeeded In getting
| MIN out OF the way in good time.
IL was In these days that Henry A. Wise made
| az ugly lace at Speaker Polk on the street and
| spat at him.
THE CILLEY- GRAVES DUEL.
In February, 1888, Mr.. Cnley, OF Maine
charged IN his speech in the House that James
watson Webb, editor OF the New York C0,u-fej.
ana EhQ,ttre,, had received bride OF f1fty-tWo
thousand dollars from the Bank OF the United
States. Graves, OF Kentucky, took up Weob's
H ~ atT and Henry A. Wise bore hfs challenge
10 C1liey. Gen. Geo. w. Jones was Cflley's SEE
ond BiadensDurg was the place and the weapons
were rifles. The rifles rang out and both missed
LIE 1me 81, enalenge Was withdrawn to give opoortu-
ulty ior reconciliation. The attempt failed and
tEe principals again took position, Wis remark-
Ing that II the matter was not Terminated hy
thls shOt ne would propose to shorten the DIS
"f"ce. Inc flhes rang again and Cilley fell dead
THE WISE STANLEY SCRIAMAGE
Henry A, Wise, the Ajax in these s,enes
struck Stanley, from North Carolina. a blow al
the race course. Stanley demanded the usual
satisfaction. The demand was withdrawn for
explanation. Wise explained that s'unier-
standlng Stanley came In collision with him
Internationally near the race course he deemed
IL 10 De his duty, as a gentleman, to say mat
the blow inflicted by him on Stanley, through
sudden impulse induced hy erroneous impress
Sons, demanded his profound regret" STAN
icy 8 friends told him he was bound to accept
the explanation, which he did.
JOSHUA R. GIDDINGS AND HIS AssAILANTs
In 1912 Joshua r. Giddings, OF Ohio, after
having been expelled from the House for an
expression OF his views ON the subject OF
slavery. was promptly returned to his seat by
his constituents. In a subsequent speech. he
said II will not speak OF the time when DaW-
son, OF Louisiana, drew a bowie knife for nv
ASSASSINATION. was afterwards speaking with
regard to certain transaction 10 which ne
groes were concerned In Georgia, when Mr..
Black of Georgia, raising his biudgeon, and
standing In front OF my seat. said to me, If
you repeat that language again I Will knock
you down. 1t was solemn moment for me.
had never been Knocked down. and having
some curiosity on that subject. | repeated the
language. Then Mr.. Dawson of louisiana the
same who had drawn the bowie knife, placed
his hand on his pocket and said, with an oath
Whlcn WIN not repeat, that he would shoot
nee, at the same time cooking the pistol 50 that
all around me could hear the click"
TIE fooTE- BENTON AFFAIR
1t was In April, 1850, when the compromise
measures were under discussion that the scene
between Foote and Benton took place in the
Senate. Fcote was making speech and max
ing alluSiOn to Benton Benton rose hastily
from his seat, pushing his chair violently from
nm, and without remark or gesture moved up
The aisle toward FoOte. who was about twenty
feet distant. Benton had no weapon IN his
hand or upon his person. FOote perceving
Benfon's movement advanced to meet him.
yer. Members interviewed and order was re-
stored. Benton said pistol had been brought
to assassinate him. Foote replied he had only
brought it for Self-defense. Benton replied
that was always the pretext of an assassin.
THE sET-To BETWEEN CHURCHwELL AND cULLUM
In 1854, Cnurchwell and Cullum had their
''set-to" in the House. Churchwell pronounced
language used by Culium to be UNANIMOUSLY
false. Cullum, who sat about fifteen feet from
Churchwell, sprang from his seat with both
lists appraised, and exclaiming cd d-n you,
you On rascal, {" tried to ''geL at" him. Cullum
said Churchwell drew pistol On him. The
Speaker pounded; the Sergeant at-Arms fumed
ald-hefd up has alldCet But calm succeeded as
II always dOeS-after time.
THE ASSAULT OF PRESTON 8. BROOKS UPON
CHARLES SUMNER
1t was on the ed Of May, 1856, that Preston
S. Brooks, a member OF the House from South
Carolina, came into the Senate chamber and
knocked down and beat Senator Sumner, from
Massachusetts,, before he could rise from his
chair. The anticipated attack was known to
Edmundson, Of Virginia. and keitt, of South
Carolina, VINO were both present when it took
place The country has not yet forgotten 1t,
nor have its influences yet died away. Brooks
afterwards challenged Senator Henry Wilson,
who was opposed to the CODE he also chal-
lenged Burlingame, who accepted and named
tie Canada side at Niagara Falls and proceeded
there Brooks declined to meet Burlingame at
that point, alleging that the place OF meeting
had been expressly named because 1t would be
impossible for him to be present.
WAR OF WATERS.
In the same year scene occurred In the
House between Mr.. Sherman. of Ohio NOW
Secretary Sherman) and MIR. Wright of Ten.
nessee. Sherman tried to throw a handful OF
waters In Wright's face, when Wright made an
attempt to strike him. Confusion and excite
ment prevailed for a moment but was soon
allayed.
REGULAR ROUGH AND TUMBLE ROW
took in no Et,,