New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-27
4 TRAGEDY dVRRTPD.

The people Of Atlanta breathe freer.
danger which threatened not only tho peace Of
that thriving town. but tho corporal safety OF
Colonel Evan p, Howell, has passed away. The
circumstances were as follows Colonel Hoke
Smth-we assume that he Is q colonel, there
being no explicit statement to the contrary
controls "Thc Atlanta Journal" a communi-
cation signed Lex" appeared in The Atlanta
Constitution" declaring that IL WIS Colonel
Smiths habit % employ his newspaper 10 pref
udice jurics against railroads which he was
suing as a lawyer, and suggesting that the mat
ter should be brought before the Bar AsSocia-
ton, unless it is too dead % skim This pre-
cipitated a correspondence which threatened for
a time 10 end In blood An authority was
named in the communication for these grcTous
statements. namely, one Harry Jackson, who IL
spoken Of rs Captain" doub tleSs a typographi-
cal error for Colonel" The Constitution"
OF which Colonel Howell is one Of the numerous
controlling minds contained next morning lot
ter from Colonel Josiah Carter managing editor
Of " The Journaln denouncng these accusations
as false, and also a card from Colonel Jackson
admitting that he had made such charges against
"The Journal" but discaiming any suggestion
that its course involved unprofcsNonaI conduct
on the part Of Colonel Smith.
But the latter was not content. lie addressed
note TO Colonel Howell, whose title, through
the carclcssnnSs Of a prooircader, Is made 70 APP
pear as Captain" demanding the authors
name for legal redress or personal satisiac-
tom This note was handed to Colonel Howell
by Colonel CabanisS, who acted throughout as
Colonel Smiths friend. and seems to have per
L At Nfrn ~ lion,
| Colonel Howell, in reply. whilo stating that he
did not write the letter, assumed the response
bility of IT,. Colonel W. H. Rhett, doubtless
chosen like Colonel CabanisS for his powers as
a pedestrian as we'll "a his social tact, covered
the ground between tho Office Of The COnsti
| tutionr and that Of Colonel Smith in such short
I order that the latter was able TO indorse upon
| this note Received III 10 Il m" Matters
| were growing serious. in less than m hour
! Colonel Cabaniss had again travcrsed the same
distance in the opposite direction with note de-
handing retractOn Of the charges. This was
Endorsed, Received II :O4 p. m.," and there
the matter rested for the day, to allow Colonel
Howell 10 frame his reply, and also, doubtless, to
| give Colonel Rhett and Colonel CabaniSS an OPP
portunty to recuperate. The next morning
! Colonel Howell sent both TO Colonel Smith and
| Colonel Jackson q letter giving tho biography,
as II were, Of the accusation, but Offering to
make amends, provided the statements made TO
| him were shown TO be incorrect. Colonel Rhett
toddled over TO Colonel Smith with this COM
municaton, which was duly Endorsed, 4" Re
ceived / / - 8 n. M"
The general effect Of this letter was 20 put
Colonel Jackson IN a corner as the author Of
! ,ko Ht,tG ,l GY,it ir,,, p,t
to be diverted In less than an hour Colonel
Cabaniss turned up at the newspaper Office with
a letter declaring that Colonel Smith considered
it immatcra whence the information was de-
rived but looked to Colonel Howell for an I'M
conditional retracton. This was the darkest
moment of this painful history, and it was then
according 10 the official record, 81 IL p. m"
1t now seemed incumbent upon Colonel Jackson
TO explain, which he did by practically reStating
| the charges against The Atlanta journal" but
insisting that he had always held that such \
course on the part Of Colonel Smith was leg-
innate adjunct TO his law office, provided tho
public were put upon notice that in the discus
sion Of railroad matters it is personal organ,
and not public newspaper" Finally, he had
been assured by the latter that he had not been
party to the railroad policy Of the paper and
had accepted these assurances. This cOmmunica-
ton reached the Office of " The Constitution" at
! p. M. but the name OF the colonel who car
red It is not given. The rainbow Of peace might
now be family seen forming in the evening sky.
At 8 a5 D. m. Colonel Rhett presented TO
Colonel Smith letter from Colonel Howell, in
which the latter declared that he had msunder
stood Colonel Jackson, and therefore withdrew
| the charge. To this Colonel lIoke Smith sent