The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1890-05-17
AN OLD FASHIONED LAWYERS FIGHT
Gen. Reuben Davis Encounter with a
Judge Who Had Fined Him.

Oou. AtcuDen D1Vl8' encounter WITH q
Judge Who Had Fined Him.
In his racy book, "Recollections of
Mississippi" Gen. Reuben Davis gives
the following account of q personal en-
counter he once had with judge who
had fined him for contempt:
My patience gave way, and felt my
self in a perfect blaze of sudden fury. I
had in my pocket very fine knife with
long, thin blade. AS 1 sprang to my
feet drew out this knife, opened it and
threw it point foremost into the bar,
looking steadily at the judge all the
while. My object was to induce the
judge to order me to Jail and then to at
tack him on the bench. The knife vi
brated, and the weight of the handle
broke the blade near tho handle. Gen.
S. j. Ghol N and several others ran
upon the bench beside the judge, ordered
the sheriff to adjourn the court and car
ried the judge out of the court room,
while number of persons seized me.
Judge Howry being withdrawn, prudent
men among my personal friends con-
demned my action and appealed to me
to let the matter stop. Iagreed to this
Intending to pass straight to my hotel,
saw Judge Howry come forward to-
ward the place where I was standing.
awaited his approach and when close to
me asked him if he had intended by his
fine to insultme. He said "No." Ithen
said had been guilty of no offense to
justify such an indignity and requested
an explanation. He replied, 81 do not,
sir, explain my official conduct to any
man."
In momentI had slapped him on the
face with my open hand. By some acci-
dent a claw hammer had been left on
the floor near by; he seized this and
struck at me violently, while got from
my pocket the broken knife and opened
it. The blow of his hammer fell upon
my head, cutting through my hat and
several files of paper to the bone. made
another stroke at his jugular with the
corner of my knife blade. This blow
fell upon his jaw and seized him with
my left hand by the collar and pushed
my head into his face. He struck again
with the hammer, breaking and depress-
ing the outer plate of my skull bone, but
not until l had inflicted three more cuts
upon his Jaw. AS we were pulled apart
he gave mo the third blow. I went to
my room and sent the judge message
not to leave his room unarmed, as l
would attack him on sight.
The court met again that evening. l
had put on ftif cap, with the back part
before, to conceal my wounds, and the
judge wore his overcoat, with the collar
we'll drawn up, to hide the tokens of
combat on his person. l did not meet
Judge Howry for seven years after this
affair. l had gone to Pontotoc to attend
the Federal court and was sitting in
room with Roger Barton and Chancellor
Chalmers was sent for from below. He
soon returned and said to me: II sup
pose, Davis, you care nothing about that
affair between you and Judge Howry:"
promptly replied that thought moth
ing OF it, that Howry was gentleman,
and that our difficulty was casual and
without malice. Chalmers then said
that Howry was below and would be glad
to come up to Barton's room. he did so,
and met him at the door and we
greeted each other in the most cordial
manner. Until his death no two men
could be more sincerely friendly than we
continued to be. l shall always believe
that he went down to his grave without
finding out what led to our quarrel that
day, and l am perfectly certain that
shall go down to mine in equal ignor-
ance, unless he comes back to tell me.