The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-19
LEAKED OUT AFTER ALL.
SAMUEL p. READ, JR., ARRESTED ON
THREE GRAVE CHARGES.
What an Unprovoked Assault Upon
an Unoffending Gentleman Has
Brought Upon a Well Known Young
Man.


Man.
About $50 o'clock in the afternoon Of
Sunday, week ago, the quiet and peace
of the Gayoso hotel were startled by Q
most unusual and unseemly sight, such as
has never MARRIED the good order OF thai
well-kept bosteliy under its present OK
cellent management. About the above
hour those whose attention was directed
TO that point might have seen we'll
dressed young man turn the corner Of the
stairway which leads down from the din
ing-room to the rotunda, This young man
was Samuel =. Read, jr., secretary of the
Memphis City Railway company, who has
quarters at the hotel. As he turned into
the rotunda there were sitting number
OF gentlemen, among them Mr.. John
w. Davidson, formerly an attache
CT the hotel, but now engaged in Other
business. Davidson sat with his chair
against the wall, and nearest to the turn
OF the stairway; next to him sat Mr.. Lewis
Anderson. travelling salesman for Ora.
ham, Cousins 4 Go. Mn Anderson is well
acquainted with Mr.. Read, and as the lat.
ter stepped into the rotunda Mr.. Anderson
iVnoccntly remarked: "Wcll, Sam, did you
eat sumptuous dinner" or some other
friendly observation. Read made no re-
ply, but
STRUCK AT DAVIDSON,
striking his well kept silk tile and almost
Isass oil III 81 "A
that Davidson and Read are not on speak.
ing terms, and have not been for six
months or more, for reasons which will
appear later on.) Another vicious blow
and the hat went rolling on the floor.
Davidson sprang TO his feet with the de-
mand, "What is the matter, and what does
this mean?" Read, with vile epithet,
struck another blow, which landed full in
Davidson's face. There was no time for
further remarks, and Davidson struck out
from the shoulder with his right, landing
a bloody bruiscr on Reads left eye, which
was followed by another OF like force on
his cheek, which peeled of the skin.
Read was already knocked out Of time, blu,
Davidson followed up his singing rebuko
with like force, and was fast making the
face Of his antagonist look like il had been
struck by n young cyclone when Read
REACHED FOR ms REVOLVER,
a 3S-caliber, self-cocking, Smith d Wesson,
and leveled il into Davidson's iace, pull
ing the trigger as he did so. The hammer
snapped, and, as Il did so, Mr.. Anderson
seized II with one hand and with the other
wrenched the weapon from the hand o
the would-be shootist.
II all happened in far less time than Il
takes 10 write IL. The intenscst excite.
mcnt prevailed for the while. The
! friends OF Read took charge OF him and
took him 10 his room, while Davidson
coolly picked up his hat and resumed his
chair. Sosudden was the occurrence, aud
there being no apparent aggrayation for
such brutal attack, the gentlemen were
wholly nj q loss TO account for IL. MIR.
Davidson was rs much surprised as any
one, and being gentleman who Is very
careful OF the feelings of others, the only
explanation that he could give OF the
causes leading 10 II was the relation OF the
following incident which took place be-
tween him and Read some time last sum.
MGR. Said Mr. Davidson: n,
"Mr. Read and had always been very
good friends, up to about six months ago,
and one day he came into the hotel with
his face all bruised and Scared. /, pre-
Stunning on our friendly relations, asked
What Is the matter with your face, did
the sidewalk fly up and bit your This
seemed TO anger him, and he turned upon
me with the
MOST INDECENT CURSES.
! vas surprised, and taking into consd-
Grafton his condition, said TO him that
did not mean the remark 30 be In the
least offensive, but that II he meant what
he said, then all our friendship was at an
end, and that ended all relations between
Us. From that day until he attacked me
I had not spoken 10 him. This i the
only reason | can assign for the attack.
have seen him time and again, though be-
fore had seen him frequently. Just why
he made the attack when he did, | cant
say. regret the occurrence, but oI
course | could not do otherwise, when
thus set upon"
Mr. Davidson Is young man well liked
Cor his ecntlemanly bearing and uniform
courtesy, and Is 10 be congratulated on IN,
narrow escape he made from death. II
tact. the community II TO be congratulated
that the timely Intervention of Mr.. Ander
son saved il trom the reproach Of another
disgraceful and unprOyoked hotel murder
As stated. all this occurred one weel
ago yesterday. Every Effort has beer
male to suppress and smother the shame
full conduct u Read, but the police author
tiles finally heard Of II. and on Saturday
last a warrant was sworn out for Read
arrest lie was not found during Satur
day. but Scrgt. Hedrick came up with hin
yesterday afternoon and took him 10 th'
police station, where three distinct charge
were dockstcd against him assault an,
battery, carrying n concealed pistol an'
assault with pistol. Read gave bond 70
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