The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-25
{ DAILY, SO A YEAR I,
CENTS A COPY.
WEEKLY, Les A YEAR
HOT WORDS AND A FIGHT
NEWSPAPER MEN AND OFFICIALS
CLINoH AT COLUMBIA.

The Award of State Advertising the
Cause of the Trouble-Editor Com
ssles Claims the Largest Circulation
for Els Paper and Goes for the Men
Who Reported to the Contrary.
COLUMBIA, 8. c., Nov. 24-The sensa-
tion OF tie night is an encounter between
n. G. Gonzales, editor of the STATE. and
A. e. Gonzales. general agent. on the ons
side. and J. Walter Gray of Greenvilie and
Sampson Pope of Newberry, clerks respects
lively of the House and Senate. on the
other. The law requires that the clerks Of
the two legislative bodies shall award the
advertisement of proposals for the state
printing to the daily newspaper In
Columbia having the larger circulation
Messrs. Gray and Pope deputed the duty OF
determining the question OF circulation to
w. M. Rodgers, assistant clerk Of the House,
an old Register compositor. Mr.. Rodg.
ers made his report and last night the clerks
awarded the advertising to the Register
and forwarded communication to tha
State, saying that according to Mr.. Rodg-
ers' report the Register had the largest CIR
culation.
n bINlGa hDAIOhlALs
To-day the State contained a severe edi-
torial calling the award an infamous
swinde"- and the report "fagrant and
willful lie.n The editorial said that Mr..
Rodgers ''in making his report, has lied
deliberately and maliclously, with the intent
30 injure the State. which he hates, and
bsneft the Register, which he SUPPORTS"
and that he knew the Registers circulation
was not half as large as the States Tha
aHfh0rtal al aaid that Maazra ard
Pope. ''in accepting and indorsing the re-
port so made, have broken their oaths to
perform their duties and have carried out q
conspiracy to defraud the State of its repu-
tation and to give the Register a reputation
which 1t could not otherwise possess. Messrs.
Gray and Pope were charged with outs
rageous partisanship and fraud.
HOSTILE MEETING.
Tonight the matter eliminated when A.,
e. Gonzales met Mr.. Gray in the crowded
lobby of the Grand Central hotel. The oc.
currences that followed are conservatively
given. According to the most dispassionats
statements from witnesses ohtainable NJ,
Gonzales said 60 Mr.. Gray II have been Z
ious to see you 0 tell you something !
have been saying about you all day. You
or Pope or Rodgers, or whoever is responsi-
BILE for awarding the advertising to the
Register, and the Statements
that the Register has a
greater circulation than the State, is a -
- liar and fraud. Any one who will
assert that the Register has half the circu-
tion OF the State tells a willful lie" Mr..
Gonzales repeated this, and said 1t was an
outrage on the taxpayers of the state to
| have the award given to q paper with not
half the States circulation.
/ RALLYING THEIR FRIENDS.
Mr.. Gray asked il Mr.. Gonzales had received
| his communication. About this time N. q,
| Gonzales came in the lobby and bearing his
brothers voice started toward him. Mr.
Gray then said: $50 there are two of you,
are therel Have / any friends hereq' Az
this appeal a number of persons immed-
ately rushed up and the cry was heard:
'sYes; lots of them" Mr.. Gray excitedly
threw of his overcoat and drew his pistol
| and said: ANY man who says that am q
| fraud Is a -- liar"
At this juncture Sampson Pope came up
and shouted: THAT is what say, and any
| man who accuses me Of fraud Is ----
| liar"
HIT HIM IN THE EYE.
N. @. Gonzales asked him what he said,
| and upon his repeating 1t struck him In the
face with his left hand.
| Mr.. Pope Ia said by eye-witnesses 70 hava
made two attempts TO draw pistol, where
| upon N. @. Gonzales closed on him. The
| two men clinched, swayed and fell, with
| Gonzales on top, belaboring Pope. Pope
stuck his fingers in Gonzales eyes and
| gouged them. Gonzales called out to
him to stop gouging him. Gonzales
states that he did this because
Pope's friends had hold Of his arms and that
he could do nothing. Iu some way the men
| were soon parted, neither receiving much
damage. Gonzales believes that he was
struck over the hand by a stick in the hands
| Of some one In the crowd.
GRAY FAILS TO FIGHT.
In the meantime A. E. Gonzales had been
| facing Gray. who stood with drawn pistol.
| Gonzales advanced one step. called Gray q
| coward and told him TO throw away his
| pistol, as he had none, and fight it out.
| The struggle between Pope and
the other Gonzales got these
| two separated and Gray remained in a corr
ner OF the lobby for fully five minutes.
standing erect with drawn pistol and pale
| face. A. e. Gonzales continued to curse
Gray and all of his friends, telling
| them he would whip any three Of
them. BY this time some
| of Gonzales friends had been attracted into
the hotel, and the two brothers went ups
| stairs.
The occurrence has created intense excite.
ment, and nothing else is talked about. It
| is very probable that tomorrow will bring
/ out new developments In the matter. Suits
for perjury are being talked of.
| a q ATNnE Y TnrG rTA1rn