Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-12
A SHOOTING SCRAPE
AT THE SOUTHERN SOCIETY CLUB IN
NEW YORK.
The Lie Followed by a Touchdown
Biessrs. Wilton Randolph and w. IL.
Clarke the Principals-The
Quarrel a Mystery.
rnsci.l telegram TO tho plapa,eh.l

New York, January 1.-The shooting
scrape at tho Southern Society Clubhouse,
No. is west Twenty-fifth street, last night
has caused a great deal of talk to-day, and
is being discussed in all the clubs IN town
tonight. The affair is shrouded IN as
much mystery a. IL was last night. No one
will talk at the club, and the principals III
the affair are invisible to the public eye;
AS soon as the shooting had been done and
the actors in the drama had disappeared.
tho police after putting IN fifteen MN
utes' hard work on the case de-
parted and have done nothing since.
and the chances arc they swlll not.
They did learn, however. that Mr.. william
Hancock Clarke aud Mr.. Wilton Randolph
had quarrclled and that Mr.. Clarke shot at
Mr.. Randolph. Just what this cause OF the
trouble was no one seems 10 know, or II
they do they are careful not 10 say any
thing about It. Mr.. Clarke IS on employee
Of the Department of Public Works and
Mr.. Randolph is in the law department OF
the Mutual l.ife-lnsurance Company ut No.
" Nassau street and Q son-in-law OF the
late Thomas }. Evans OF Richmond. Both
are prominent members Of this CLUB. 1hey
sat in the parlor Of the club last night
talking together. so the most authentic re-
ports say. and talking quietly.
CLARKE FULL or HIMSELF"
Gradually their voices raised, they grew
vehement, and the language finally be
came yery forcibe. Mr.. Clarke, who is a
Young man. and Us one Of the members or
the club puts it. "yery full OF himself"
seemed 10 he the aggressor all the way
through and wound up tho preliminary
scenes by intimating IN pretty plain IAN
cuage that Mr. Randolph was a liar pure
and simple. At this Mr.. Randolph jumped
70 his feet and Dir. Clarke moved toward
the door. When they reached the stoop
Mr.. Randolph demanded that the insult %
withdrawn and an apology rendered.
SENT HIN 40 GRASS.
This Mr.. Clarke promptly refused to Do,
and simultaneously with his refusal Mr..
Randolph knocked him OF the steps to the
sidewalk. The next minute was one OF
confusion and gunpowder. Mr.; CiarAe
drew a revolver and fired point-olank ~
Mr.. Randolph. who could not have been
more than six feet away at the time, Will n
out hitting MIN, and while the smoke OF
tho first shot was still pouring from the
barrel of his revolver, two more bullets lOI-
lowed the first.
SHOT FROM BEHIND.
Mr.. Randolph hurried to the Hoffman
House and begged Detective Jacobs TO loan
him revolver, saying that an attempt had
been made TO kill him, that he had been
shot from behind. and that the man VINO
shot him knew that he was unarmed.
Mr.. RANDOLPH WOUNDED.
The little finger OF his right hand was
bloody and friend, after binding up the
wound, which was slight one, induced
him to go home. Clarke had In the mean an
time disappeared into the clubhouse. ne
could not be found to-day, and at eDe,
partment of Public Works II was SAID
he was suffering from the. grippe. The
club was deserted this morine and those
present claimed to know absolutely nothing
of the affair.
WHAT Is SAID ABOUT 1T.
At the Hoffman House, however; u was
currently reported that Dir. Randolph was
man who would not calmly allow an as
sault like last nights to pass unnoticed,
and it was seriously intimated that meet
ing was not altogether Improbable. just
what the real origin of the trouble was no
one seems to know, although 1t Is pretty
certain that il was the result OF
o misunderstanding at POKER or diaer-
ence OF opinion in relation to the JeheI-
son Davis memorial resolution Wnien
brought forth the resignation Oh 'ioo-
President st. John the other day.
POLICE REPORT.
Captain Reilly, in whose precinct the
club is situated, made the following report
OF the shooting to the police headquaI-
tiers; Policeman james Il. Hussey re-
ports that at Z p. NJ. be was called 70 the
Southern Club, where he ascertained after
some difficulty that William II; Clarke ana
Wilton Randolph, both members OF the
club, had disoute in front OF the club,
where they exchane ed shots with reyolvers.
II cannot be ascertained whether either OK
the men was injured" And now ins2ec-
tor Steers Is trying to ind out why MI.
Clarke was not arrested
Ayunken mar. a. war; oulanceY. Puck