Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-08
THE OTHER SIDE.
MT. Stephsns's Version of the Dent.
stephens Difficulty.

Mr.. 1. Stephens, who had the difficulty
with Mr.. George Dent Monday morning,
called at the APPEAL office yesterday and
requested that his statement of the cause of
the trouble be published, which was readily
granted, inssmuch as Mr.. DENTS version was
given in the report of the affair printed
Tuesday morning. Mr. Stephens said: "Six
or eight months ago filled an order for Mr.
George Dent for 1000 brick at $40 per 1000,
amounting to $40. The first of the month
following / sent him the bill, and he stood
the young man of, saying that he couldn't
pay it for few days. The few days elapsed,
and the same young man presented the bill
again with the same results. This trans
pired two or three times a month for from
six TO eight months, until about three weeks
ago the young man told me that he could
not collect the bill, and insisted that ! should
take 1t and see what | could do with it.
About three weeks ago / went to Mr.. Dent
and handed him the bill. He looked at it
and remarked that he could not pay
it for few days, as he had no money. 1
asked him to set the time when he could pay
1t. He remarked that he would pay it on
the LIST of March. On last Wednesday the
LIST day of March, sent the young man with
the bill to him again. Mr.. Dent told the
young man TO go to see his Mr.. Dent's)
mother and she would pay it, The young
man went to Mrs. Dent, who told him that
she had no money and could not pay it. The
young man returned the bill to me with the
statements of both Mr.. and Mrs. Dent, and
on Saturday last | took the bill to him my
self at his Office on South Court street. Mr..
Dent said again that he did not have any
money and could not pay it. l said to Mr..
Dent: tine bill is getting old, and now l
would like for you to set your own time, no
matter how long, when you will pay it. 1
do not wish to have any more trouble run
ming after the money" He replied again
that he had no money, and he did not know
when he would have. l told him then that
it was very strange that a man could not pay
a small bill like that in the time
it had been running; there might be
some excuse for a man to beat another
out Of his grocery bill, because he was COM
PEELED to have something to eat, but there
was no excuse for beating a man out of
a bill for brick, "a he was not compelled to
get them, and be should not have got them
back: what would you think were | 10
knock you DOWN." | replied that l thought
would be of little account to let a mau like him
knock me down; that ii he would walk ont
on the street l would whip him in lrss than
two minutes. / got up and went out on tie
pavement few moments, when he came
1own the steps leading into the Office with a
iou Bile barrel shotgun in his hand. He said
nothing but stood on the steps and looked at
me. / said: Shoot, d--n you, when you
get ready; if that is the way you want 10
pay your bills, shoot away He stood
/ few moments longer, then sat down on the
'teps. l remained where / was standing,
within about thirty feet OF him, until finally
ne got up and walked inside, and walked on
Town the street. That was the last / saw or
heard of him until Monday morning, when
met him on the corner of Madison and
Main and gave him the drubSing you have
IIready reported.