Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-04-14
\ DESPERATE ArFRAY.
Fall Details Of the Terrible Encounter Be-
tween Alexander II, stephens and a
Georgia Judge.

tween Aiexanuer H. stephens and
Georgia Judge.
During Mr.. Stephens congressional
service and lending the campaign of
1913, says a writer in the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette, he returned from
. washington to Georgia. He was fresh
from the great debates on the acqui-
sition of California and New Mexico
as United States Territories, and for
having taken, against the wishes of
majority of the Southern members,
mo prominent part in opposition to
such acquisition, he was met with
much adverse criticism. Judge Cone,
who was at the time one of the lead
ing politicians of Georgia, was partic-
ularly severe in his comments upon
Mr.. Stephens action, and was re-
ported as having publicly denounced
him as a traitor to the South.
Hardly had Mr.. Stephens reached
his home when these AMI similar re-
ports were conveyed to him. At first
ne did not credit them, but as one
kind friend after another informed him
that Cone had called him traitor and
advised that he owed it to himself to
demand satisfaction, the fires of pug
nacity ia his nature, which were always
smoldering, hissed Up, and he de
clared that if Judge Cone would admit
having called him traitor to the
South he would "slap his face" Not
long after this he met the judge at a
nunerously attended Wing gathering.
and going up to him quietly said:
"Judg Gone, have been told that
you, for reasons of your own, have de-
nounced me as a traitor to the South,
and take this opp rtunity of asking
you if such reports are true"
"No, sir" was Cones reply, "they
are not true"
81 am very glad to hear you say So"
said Mr.. Stephens, cordially; and in the
same friendly tone continued: "Of
course, | do not desire to be in any way
offensive to you, Judge Cone, but in
order that we may have no ther
misunderstanding through the mis-
representation of others, 1 think it
right to tell you that have said l
would slap your face if you admitted
having used the language attributed
to YOU"
Upon this the Judge again disowned
having spoken disrespectfully of Mr..
Stephens, and so for the time the affair
ended. 1t was the subject of discus
sion all over the State, however, and
the general verdict was that Judge
Cone, very powerfulman by the way,
hod ch ho 70 20 %
Aleck Stephens" In such a commun-
ity no public man resting under such
charge could hope either for political
preferment or popular respect. Cone,
of course, knew this, and, very much
heated and annoyed by the comments
which were being made upon him,
wrote to Mr. Stephens demanding an
immediate and public retraction of the
threat. In reply Mr.. Stephens wrote that
the threat of slapping the judges face
had been made contingent upon the
truth Of reports regarding which he
(Mr. Gomez had pronounced to be
untrue, and that such being the case
there could be no cause for offense or
angry feeling on either side. I'm
fortunately this letter was never re-
ceived by Judge Cone. Three or four
days after it was written, however, he
met Mr.. Stephens on the piazza of a
hotel in Atlanta, and, disregarding that
gentleman's friendly greeting, said in
very offensive tone:
".Mr. Stephens, L demand that you
make an immediate retraction of your
threats regarding me-"
Sick and weak though he was, Alex
ander II. Stephens could allow no one
to speak to him in the fashion de-
scribed. Judge Cone was very giant
in size and muscular development, yet
the frail man whom he addressed, with
aggravating politeness and without
hesitating a moment, replied: "Par-
don me, sir, have already written you
on that subject. / must decline to dis
cuss it further"
"Am to take this for your answer"
asked Cone, excitedly.
1t is the only answer l have to give
you" was the calm reply.
"Then l denounce you as miser-
able little traitor" cried Cone, mad
with excitement. The last words had
hardly left his lips when Ii ght cane,
W elded by the quick hand of the man
he had insulted, left its red scar across
his cheek.
Wild with pain and passion, without
uttering word, he drew keen
pointed dirk knife and made one furi-
GUS thrust at his weak little adverse
rvs heart. Instantly as he did so,
however, Stephens, Selling a stout UNI
"A