Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-07-07
A Street Array.

| Saturday afternoon personal encounter
occurred between School Director Matthew
Cooke and o. NJ Adams, late Principal OF
| the High School. Statements have been
] given to print that are contradicted by one
or more of the parties interested. Last
evening Mr.. Cooke, and Professor Howe, as
| friend for Mr.. Adams, both presented state
ments for publication that in some material
points contradicted each other as to what
was said by the parties precedent to
blows passing. Both gentlemen
finally agreed that as the state
ments disagreed, the reporters should
ascertain from E. Washburne, who was
present, Just what passed. Mr. Washburne
states that on Saturday afternoon he was
talking, at the corner of K and Second
streets, with Mr. Cooke on business relating
TO Washburnes trade, when Mr.. Howe and
Mr.. Adams, whom he, Washburne, had not
previously known, came across the street
together, and Mr.. Cooke began to deliver a
verbal message to Mr.. Howe from his
family at Monterey. Some words, not an
CRY ones, then passed between Mr. Adams
and Mr.. Cooke, that did not fix themselves
upon WaShburne's memory, as they were
not thought by him important when Mr..
Cooke sad, in demonstrating tone, that
Adams was mistaken, for he, Cooke, had
been his best friend in the matter. Mr..
Adams then said "You are a liar, and
you can take it any way you please"
Cooke replied that he was not too old to
resent an insult. Adams said to him,
You are an ignorant ass" and added in
substance that, in proof of it, any man
who did business sixteen years and paid
off at four cents on the dollar, was an
ignorant ass, robber and a cheat" Cooke
replied that if he had met with misfortune
it was not the result of his own acts. As
he spoke he stepped toward Adams, and
added that he would take no more abuse
like that from drunken -" applying
harsh term implying immoral conduct.
adams struck at the same instant with his
cane at Cooke, hitting him on the side of
the head, and at almost the same instant
Cooke struck Adams, and blows were
exchanged and both men went
down in the scuffie. There was
no kicking, as | have heard has been pub
lished, nor did | see any unfair advantage
taken by either man. | was within three
feet of the men and heard no mention of
school or school matters, and | am conf
dent no mention of schools was made. |
must have heard it had anything been
said about schools"
The chief points of difference between
Howes and Cookies statement is, that
Howe says Adams charged Cooke with
having stated matters affecting his, Adams,
moral character in his relationto the High
School. That Cooke responded it was so,
and Adams said the statement was lie,
and thereupon Cooke struck him. Mr..
Howe says Adams used the term to Cooke,
as stated above by Washburne Mr.. Cooke
contradicts Howe, saying the High School
was not referred to, and Adams did
not say to Cooke that he had made
statements about his moral conduct, etc,
Cooke admits he did use the term to
Adams Washburne refers to. Evidently
these statements present all sides of scan
dalous tempest in teapot, the only pos
sible excuse for reference to which is the
tall" the affair has made, and the publ
cations concerning it here and abroad, and
of which it is wholly unworthy, and be-
cause it appears to have grown out of the
issues between the Board Of Education and
the late Principal of the.High School, and
which have taken the form of personalities
that are wholly inexcusable and the dis
CussiOn of which cannot but injure the
schools. Both the participants in the
g. scrimmage" are reported by their friends
as heartily sorry for their part in the affair,
which is some compensation to the public
peace.