The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-09-27
THE AFFRAY AT THE STATE HOUSE.
Secretary of state Lipscn,nb Gives his
Version of the AnItir.
10 Ne NI.l.e d a. Mws al C-n,E...

10 he Filter gf Nr Nws nal Cm,i.s:
As you have seen proper to publish
the report q! your local correspondent,
~. q. G." Of An an'ray ~; Ike State
House. send you the enclosed, AMI
ask !ha, in simple Justice yom give the
same publicity to this communication
that you have given TO the G,Schno,!.
contained in that report:
On the morning of llr 10Th. upOu nv
going from the inner 10 the outer room
OF the Secretary of States Office to speak
officially To the clerks, found Mr. J. p.
thomas, Jr., standing in the door OF the
outer room conversing with the Office
cierk-one standing just outside tn,
door and the other some five or six feet
inside the room-about information be.
ing prematurcly and improperly obtained
as TO the official acts Of The Governor. |,
standing IN my OUfct, near the centre oi
the room, impaired TO my clerks some
information | had received from The
Governor which they had not heard be
lore. then remarked to Mr.. Thomas
that on the day before ono of NV clerks
had called my attention to the fact that
q person had been In the office of the
Governors Secretary for some time atone
books or papers containing the informa.
ton. Mr.. Thomas said he did not think
that person would do such thing.
remarked that man that lied might a..
It, MIR. Thomas, with temper, replied
that be did not believe this person had
LEO. asserted he had lied abo". me,
Mr.. Thomas, advancing into my Office
said: He is my friend, and when you
ful I Ill
repeated the assertion aud reproved
him for his manner to me. lie advnnc.
Ing to the inner corner Of the table in.
side my office several feet, in manner
lmpudent, disrcspectful and Insulting
repeated the assertion, "that as often a.
| said it he would tell me he did not be
liere it," The impulse to slap his face
then and there was almost irresistible
but restrained it till he turned and lcr.
the Office, and then followed out to
meet him in the corridor; but he had
reached the ante-room Of the Govcrnor's
Office, and while he was in the door OF
the partition ! said TO him: "Mr.
Thomas, didn't want difficulty with
you, but you as much rs called me liar
IN my own office, and am going to re,
sent 1t" and with scarcely an intermis
sron slapped his face. lie ommcnccd to
say something and it may have been
NO, didn't" for did not wait for it,
slapped him with my open hand and
do not think | struck single blow with
my clenched hand, for did rot desire to
lnJure him, but TO emphaticaliy resent
what l considered gross and unwarrant-
Ell insult. Your correspondent says his
report Is on "the most credible accounts u
Ii any one gave him such account lust
as he has it, then he or they simply
stated that which is false and if other.
wise, then he uttered IL tnlschuod with
out excuse and knowingly.
Very respectfully,
JAS. n. LIrSCoMB.
The Reply of MIR. Gonzales.
COLUMBIA, September lS.-Col.
James n. Lipscomb, Secretary Of State,
has addressed to you letter concerning
his assault on Mr.. Thomas, and has had
copy of it published in the Columbia
fc'istcr of to-day. This letter seeks to
shnw that my dispatch in relation to the
affair was untruthful. 1t is true that
this accusation was not published until
l had been placed under peace bond.
do not intend 10 have II newspaper
controversy with Col. Lipscomb after
what has occurred, inasmuch as | have
an opinion of him which WAS sworn to
yesterday, published to-day in the Mcmz
and Courier and the Register, and can
be seen at any time on the records Of the
court. But it is proper that, as your
correspondent, l should vindicate you
from the charge Of publishing false.
hoods" over my signature. l do not hes
itate to announce that l received nv
Information liz regard to the I.inscomb-
Thomas affray from persons who sympa-
thized with Dir. Thomas. could not do
otherwise, as Col. Lipscomb refused to
give his version when asked by a Jour.
nalist, and have yet to know of q per.
son in Columbia who approved Of Col.
Lipscomb's conduct on tho occasion.
There was essentially but one story told,
and that was reported to the Ncms and
Courier. You and the public can judge
OF the correctness of my dispatch by
comparing it with the accounts published
In other newspapers. AS to the move.
ments and relative aggressiveness Of the
parties, the Registers report was almost
Identical with mine. So with dispatches
to the New York San and Atlanta Con.
shtufion, which l have seen, and tele.
grams to Northwestern papers, which
have heard OF. If any version of the
affray sent from Columbia on Saturday
agrees with Col. Lipscomb's story, l
have not seen it nor heard of it. Yet
Col. Lipscomb singles out my dispatch
for denunciation. AS to that, am will
ing to let it stand, with the accounts of
the impartial journals have named,
against Col. Lipscomb's bare assertion.
My relation was announced to be sac
cording to the most credible accounts" ;"
l will not be blamed for believing, after
my recent experience, that "the most
credible accounts" are those which are
the farthest removed from Col. James
n. Lipscomb's statements.
Col. Lipscomb states, apparently by
way of excuse for his uttcrances about
me to Mr. Thomas, that one of his clerks
suggested to him that might have seen
books and papers containing certain in
formation-informa,io which | sob.
tanned prematurely and improperly"
By this is meant the pardon of L. r.
Paulk, news Of which published before
the Governor had publicly announced
it. My first knowledge of this pardon
was obtained from one os Col. L;;,s
combs clerks, who told me that n pardon
had been granted and advised me to ask
Mr.. Thomas for it, did SO, and Mr..
Thomas declined to furnish il at that
time. then asked the Pcnitcntiary BY
telephone about it, and when the prison.
er had been discharged. was given his
name, sentence, &C., by Penitentiary
official through tho telenhonc Til. 1yo.