Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-11-19
The Northumberland Affair.

| L
and S. S. Rowland at the New York
horse show has created big sensation
in club and society circles in that city
The prominence Of the principals and
the place of the occurrence set the
whole town agog, and now everyone is
specializing as to the probability Of
resort to the code.
Mr.. Neville has been constant at
tendant at the horse shows in New
York and is well known among club
men and horse owners.
One of the members Of the Southern
Society said yesterday that Bob Neville
has figured in at least one affair of honor
in Virginia. He took exception to Il
remark by young Mr.. Randolph, and
they met with broad-swords. After =
few passes Neville succeeded in cutting
Randolph's ear, and he ended the fight
BY saving: II don't often fight with
boys
MIR. Rowland is Washingtonian, but
is temporarily residing at the Hotel
Iogerot. one of the SWEETEST houses III
New York. He married daughter OF
the late August Belmont
As to the arrest which followed the
blows exchanged, Mr.. Rowland denies
that he at first refused to make a COM
plant against Mr.. Neville, and was
urged to do so by Messrs. Fellows anu
Wharton. He declared that he made
the complaint willingly, and said;
s"Tbcre was no other course left open
to me. | should not have done so II
Mr.. Neville had come to me like gen
tleman and, after first attracting my at
tention to him, had assaulted me. But
he did not do so. He came to Inc like
a BLACKBOARD, approached me from be,
hind, and, without warning, assaulted
me. So turned him over to the po-
lice as one would a blackguard III the
street. If he had acted like a gentle
man. would personally have assumed
the adjustment Of the affair. :"
Mr. Neville has stated that he PAID
YOU the amount he was indebted to Per-
cy L. Drayton?"
Il cannot discuss in the newspapers
a question of veracity between Mr..
Neville and me" answered Mr.. How
land.
Mr.. Neville was released from GUS
tody OIL $500 bail to, appear in court
on Monday. Mr.. Rowland declares
that he will press the charge. Club
men generally are of the opinion that
Mr.. Neville will not let the matter rest
with the decision of the police justice.
but will either fail To appear Monday,
or will have q more serious meeting
with Mr. Rowland before that time.
A gentleman from Baltimore who
was at the New York horse show
Thursday and knows Mr.. Neville,
heard that the cause of the trouble was
substantially as follows Some time
ago Percy L. Drayton Of New York
and Washington. and cousin of Cole
man Drayton. who married Miss Astor,
made a wager of $50 with Mr.. Neville
on a horse race. Mr.. Drayton Won the
money. Shortly afterw;,rd AIr. Dray-
ton lost $50 to Mr.. Neville in game OF
billiards. When Mr.. Drayton died,
last June, Mr.. Rowland was chosen to
settle up the estate, Mr. Robert Neville
forwarded check for $50, but Mr..
Howland refused to accept it: A cor
respondencc followed in which, it is al
legged. Mr. Rowland was offensive. Mir.
Neville said he would publicly insult
Mr.. Rowland. Seeing him at the horse
show be put his hand on Mr.. Howland's
shoulder, and as Mr.. Rowland turned
around slapped him in the face. Mr.
Neville started to walk away when Mr..
Rowland knocked his hat off with his
cane The arrest followed. Mr.. How
land, at the request of the horse show
officials, preferred a charge of assault,
which will come up for a hearing on
Monday. Mr.. Neville and Mr.. How
land are connected by marriage.
A dispatch from New York says:
There has been some talk Of Il duel,
but as Mr.. Rowland struck Mr.. New
lille at the time the insult was offered
to him. the code, it was said, does not
allow him further redress. If he had
not returned the blow he could have
challenged the man and demanded sat
isfaction. As it looks, now that the
code has declared the matter of the as
sault off, maybe Mr. Neville will fall
behind in the matter of talk and IN
suits. and in that threc-cornered event
he NAV challenge Mr. Rowland. y
The New York Herald says; MI.
Rowland was almost universally COM
mended for the forcible and summary
manner in which he dealt with his as
sailant. There was some speculation
rs to the possibility of Il duel between
the two men, but all such talk is re-
garded as idle by Mr.. Rowland and his
friends. The affair will doubtless end
in the police court on Monday, sat
which time it is almost certain that Mr.:
Neville will be fined or imprisoned
either for assault or for disturbing the
peace of the Garden or both.