Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-07-15
An Alleged Political Murder.

July 7th, Is regarded by SOutn Carolihlans
here as a high.handed political outrage. De
tails Of this atrocious murder, and the shat
low pretense of punishment Of the murderer,
is given by a trustworthy correspondent VINO
saws: ColUnsl Blair was entirely unarGied,
having nothing but his usual walking st'ek,
and made uo threat or attempt TO use even
that. He vas brave old man, 20 years old,
who was never known to commence quar-
rel or take advantage Of an enemy. No IN
stance can be given in which he ever during
his long life assaulted or shot any one IN
personal quarrel. He did not threaten or
attack the man who shot him. The casus
belli was purely political. The Bourbons
were his bitterest foes. They had moohed
him in the presence Of Hampton, Kennedy
i Co. in 1880, when he was the Greenback can
didate for Governor. They had persistently
prosecuted and slandered him afterwards.
His private character being irreproachabie,
they could no. asssil it. The man who
slaughtered him was Chairman OF the Demo-
cratic Club, an ex.rebel Captain Halle, who
had said and circulated it that Blair had heid
NEE .ings with negroes at night. ms was
done to break his influence over his white ad'
herents, and to gosd and irritate him. Bar
had pronounced the man who had sald II
liar, This he would not retract Halle was
the party who should have withdrawn his
false utterance and retrscted fret; then Blair
could and would have withdrawn his oifen-
siye epithet, and no man would have done SO
more readily. Blair made no demand on
Halle, and no threat against him. L follow
the ex parte Democratic accounts strictly,
and you will find them Just as L state them.
Halle shot him to death Oh his refusal. He
shot five times in as many seconds with a
Winchester rifle, a sixteen-shooter "a
Winchester taken from the Demo.
cratic Auditors ofice, where it was
conveniently at hand ready loaded. The
Auditors office was not open for business Ut
being legal holiday, but was unlocked, and
Halle hsd the entree. When he stepped into
thai office and closed the door. did Blair fol-
low him? By no means. When he came
out, with the murderous weapon IN his hand,
did Blair advance upon him or attack him
By no means. Blair was still standing where
he left him, in front Of the Courthouse,
waiting for the assembly of the people to hold
a mass meeting, which had been duly adver-
tised, and where Blair, as leader OF the
anti Bourbons, was to have spoken. Blair
had the people of his county organized, and
could not be d. feated or answered except by
Democratic rifle shots.
Disgraceful Discussion.
WASHINGTON, July 14.h.-A disgraceful
discussion occurred in the House this after
noon over the Garfield illness expenses, as
provided by the Senate amendment to the
deficiency bill. Springer, Blackburn, Nc
MILAN and other Democrats attacked the
character Of the medical attendance given
Garfield, and the talk about the surgical
ope atoms in all their details was both dis
gushing and painful. The Republicans asked
in the name of decency, and of regard for the
memory of the dead, and for the feeling OF
the living family, that the debate be closed,
but the Democrats would have it, and the de-
bate went on.
United states Senate.
WASHINGTON, July 14th.-After Monday
the Senate meets at IL o'clock in the morn
ing.
A number of pension bills were passed,
among them one increasing the pension OF
the widow of General George A. Custer to
$50 per month. and the House bill granting
pension of $50 month to the daughter of
President Taylor.
The House pension bill was amended by
the adoption of general proposition prohib-
iting the payment OF double pensions.
The tax bill was then taken up, and Bsyard
reviewed and criticised the measure.
At the conclusion of Bayard's speech, Beck
offered an amendment reducing 10 cents per
pound the tax on manufactured tobacco.
Pending discussion the matter went over
for the day, and after an executive session
the Senate adjourned.
House OF Representatives.
WASHINGTON, July 14th.-By large ma
jority the Senate amendments to the general
deficiency bill were non. concurred in.
Townshend characterized as a salsry-grab
the item of $50, 000 for the payment of mile
age to Senators who attended the special ses-
sion of the Senate October 10. 1881, and the
amendment was non-concurred In.
A debate ensued on the amendment Great
ing Board of Audit of the First and Second
Controllers of the Treasury and the United
States Treasurer, to whom are to be referred
all the expenses attendant upon the sickness,
death and burial of President Garfield.
Blackburn of Kentucky characterized the
action of the Senate in adding this amend
ment as bordering very close on the insolsnt
and an infringement Of the dignity Ct the
Heuse-an attempt to accomplish an end by
surreptition. The speaker delivered eulogy
on the character Of Garfield, and then pro-
ceeded to characterize the course Of the Presi-
dents physicians aud other claimants in severe
terms, and pointed out that ne provision was
msde for pay for Surgeon General Barnes,
Surgeon Woodward or DR.. Townsend. All
claims should be RENTED to the Courts for
of their justice. He denounced
the claims of the doctors as frauds.
Taylor of Ohio said there was no question
of steal about the matter. The doctors would
not accept the solution of the question pro
posed by the Senate, and Mrs. Garfield
would not permit the claims Of the doctors to
be litigated. He proceeded to rehesrse the
old rumors about malpractice, private ad-
vices of the Presidents true condition to
Wall street gamblers, the chief physician
crowding out the others, and closing with the
quotation, Pardon NE, thou piece of bleed
ing earth, that l am meek and gentle with
these butchers"
Hiscock deprecated the discussion.
Finally, after much mora talk, vote was
taken, and the Senate amendment was non.
concurred in-ayes rs. noes 81.
TAYLOR Of Ohio then asked and obtained
unanimous consent to report bill directing
the Secretary of the Treasury to pay to the
widow of the late President Garfield $50 000
less any sum paid to him on account of his
salary as President.
The bin was read and passed unanimously
The House went into Committee of the
Whole on the Senate amendments TO the
river and barber bill, but as the amendments
were not printed the committee rose, and
they were ordered printed.
The bill to refer all claims and demands
against the Government to the Court of
Claims for investigation was passed, also the
bill for the relief of certain citizens of Ten
nessee.
The House then took recess.
At the evening session the Hosse agreed to
the Senate amendment to the House bill
granting pension to August Miller.
Pension bills were passed to the number Of
forty, among them the Senate bill granting
an increase OF the pension to the widow of
General Custer.
Adjourned.
The star-Eoute Trial.
WASHINGTON, July 14th.-In the star
route trial to-day, Blois. who was on the
stand yesterday, was recalled, sRd testified in
effect that the members of the firm of COZ
tractors appear to have signed the names
of one another indiscriminstely. Letters
from Governor Pitkin and Chief Justice
Thatcher, of Colorado, were declared by wit
ness to be in Reredell's writing, with the ex-
ception of the signatures, which he was
unable to identify.
There was great sensation, and the Court
and counsel expressed profound surprise,
when the Grand Jury, entering at this point,
announced that they had found no iRdict-
ment. and made no presentnent.