The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-02
AN UNFORTUNATE AFFAIR.
Evangelist Fife is Called to Ac-
count for Some Pulpit De-
nuncfatiOns Of His.


nunciatiOns of His.
Quite furry of excitement and COM
ment was oecasioned last Saturday at
the news that Evangelist Fife had been
assaulted in Greensboro because Of GER
tain things he had said from the pulpit
rejecting upon prominent people OF that
place during his meetings there. The
following accountisfrom a press dispatch:
GREENsBoRo, n. c., June 27.-Evange-
O'Clock by the three sons OF Judge David
Schenck in front of the McAdoo house,
the hotel in which Mr.. Fife and party
are stopping. He was struck heavy
blow behind the left ear with p ..oeded
cane in the hands of 1: ,. r. Schenck.
Mr.. Fife vas stunned for the moment
5n1y.
The cause of the trouble is this:
About two weeks ago Judge David
Schenck gave q moonlight picnic to the
Guiford Battle Ground, Of which he is
manager, and the party was chaperoned
by the wife OF Judge ScheDck. The pic
mic was turned into dance in the
pavilion erected in the grounds, and the
dancing lasted all night.
Last Sunday night, when Mr.. Fife
opened his meeting here, he Immediately
outlined his 'shoor of campaign" as
AGAINST dancers and saloon keepers, and
denounced the Battle Ground dance in
the bitterest terms.
He spoke of it as dissertation OF
sacred soil, an outrage to the country,
an insult to the town, and an insult to the
memory OF the soldiers who laid down
their lives on that field. He also de-
nounced the Christianity OF church men,
bers which would allow them to counte-
nance and conduct such an affair.
This, Judge Schenck's family took as
q personal affront and an insult to Mrs.
Schenck.
Thursday about 2 o'clock the three
sons of Judge Schenck, DIR. D. F. Schenck,
Weldon and David, called on Mr.. Fife in
his room in the McAdoo House, each one
carrying q cane, and on entering the
room carefully closed the door which
had been left ajar. On stating their
business to Mr.. Fife-that they had been
insulted and demanded an apology, Mr..
Fife replied: 'Iook here, you've struck
the wrong coOn.
! Seeing that nothing could be made out
of him they left. In last nights meeting
the dancing matter was again casually
alluded to.
Toward the close of the service the
three Schencks came up, aud as the crowd
was dispensing, it was whispered around
that Mr.. Fife was to be assaulted:
| Fife mounted the platform and called
understand am to be attacked"
| Many voices called back from the crowd:
"They'll have to attack us too" Mr..
Billhorn (Mr. Flies singer) called out,
''and Jesus too"
| A crowd of one hundred men escorted
Mr.. Fife to his hotel, and had moved off
few feet, beginning to dispense, when
the three Schencks stepped up to where
Mr.. and Mrs. Fife were standing and
threatened to kill him.
Mrs. Fife exclaimed: "You are not
going to assault a man of God in the
presence of ladies !" No, they would not
in the presence of ladies'" was the re-
ply.
Mr.. Fife, hearing that Judge Schenck
himself was few feet off in his buggy,
said ''let me see Judge Schenck," and
stepped up and offered his hand.
Judge Schenck replied: II will not
shake hands with any such damn scoun-
drel." Thereupon DR.. Schenck struck
Mr.. Fife and was preparing to strike
him again when Mr.. Bilhorn caught DR..
Schenck.
The blow was only turned however and
fell upon the head of the father himself,
cfiousH Hov a'''5osou-,- oesu-i1's 1vvvr1
pain.
Mr.. Fife staggered. DR.. Schenck then
fired his pistol, it is thought to scatter
the crowd. At any rate, the ball did no
damage.
Mr.. Fife was taken into the drug store
by Mr.. McAdoo, who came up, and DR.
Lindsay, Mrs. Fife and one or two Others
being admitted. His wound was dressed
while the drug store doors were closed,
q large crowed having meantime assem-
bled. Soon the door was opened, and
Mr.. Fife came out leaning on the arm
of Mr.. McAdoo, followed by Mrs. Fife
and escort.
The drug store is next the hotel en-.
trance, and the crowd parted to let them
pass. Mr.. Fife was pale. The blood had
been washed away. By this time alarge
crowd had collected on the street, and for a
time it looked as if there would be seri
GUS trouble, parties on both sides having
their friends who expressed themselves
freely about the attack and the provo
cation which led to it.
Sympathy last night appeared to be
with Mr.. Fife.
Statement from Judge Schenck.
/ The following card from Judge Schencl
giving his version of the matter, was sent
to the State Chronicle:
i GREENSBORO, n. G., June p. TIL,
young gentlemen of Greensboro gave q
hop at the battle grounds, and at their
request my wife acted as chaperone Mr.
Fife has alluded to this dance a hal
dozen times, once describing the huggine
OF the dance, again comparing it, as an
credibly informed, to O scene in grOe
shop, and saying the dance was worse
than the grog shop.
At last he alluded to the chaperone O
OF the dance and said that the next pic
mic at the battle ground was chaperoned
by noble Christian lady who would not
allow such scenes as occurred at the
dance.
These repeated and offensive allusions
caused me to go to Mr.. Flies room
and demand an explanation and apology
for the insult to my wife. This Mr.. Fiji
made and promised, as they state, tt
allude to it no more.
Last night ne again characterized thu
dance as miserable and abominable ,
For this he was attacked by my sons
and as l was near by, some one struck
ME a heavy blow with stick from be
hind and for awhile | was unconscious.
When | recovered and while smartine
under the blow denounced Fife to tn,
crowd in severe language. I did not
strike blow.
The meeting here to-day was composed
OF the patrons and participants in the
Fife meeting who seem to be infatuated
with Fife. have many friends who ar
standing by me in this unfortunate
trouble.
have done no wrong. l went to the
scene to preserve peace, but when Fife
approached me from out of the crowd
and offered his hand, I refused to take
it calling him scoundrel, and then the
fight began.
No one deplores the difficulty more