The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-26
SENATOR IREY'S KNIFE.
He is Said to Have Drawn it on Congress
man She'll Because He Endorsed
Farley's Letter In Part.
lSpecial to News and Courier

Especial to News and Courier.]
LAURENs, July 22.-The Irby and
Shell incident was an accidental meet
ing at Shaw's. Irby asked Shell if he
saw the Farley letter before it was pub
lished. He admitted that he had seen
it. Irby then asked him if he endorsed
it and Shell responded that he did in
part, whereupon Irby struck Shell, who
was seated, overturning him and the
chair in which he sat. 1rby drew q
knife and Shell raised chair. By
ISLANDERS interposed and the incident
closed. These seem to he the facts of
the case.
PARTICULARS OF THE FIGHT.
[Greenville News, 22rd.
There seems to be no doubt that
Representative She'll and Senator Irhy
have had fight. There is no denial of
it at Laurens and details are being
given by persons who, are in position to
know the facts. 1t was said yesterday
by responsible citizen of Laurens
who claimed to have his information
from eye witnesses that Congressman
Shell was sitting in chair in Mr..
Shaw's house when the discussion
arose over the "Craddock" letters.
Very hot words were used and Senator
lrby struck Representative Shell a
powerful blow, just as be was rising,
knocking him down and over chair.
The Senator, it is said on the same
authority, then drew a knife and ap-
peared to be about to use it on MIR.
Shell when Mr.. Cunningham, inter-
fered and tnen friends rushed in and
the row was stopped.
These stories come so directly and
circumstantially that in the absence of
a denial they will be naturally accepted
as true versions of the trouble.
CONGRESSMAN SHELLS STORY con-
CERNING HIS RECENT En-
COUNTER WITH IRBY.
Especial to The State
LAURENs, S. c., July 24.-Congress-
man Shell desires your correspondent
to furnish The State the following cor
rection Of the story of the Irby-Shell
affair which appeared appended to my
telegram in The State of Sunday, 23d
inst.
10 the Editor of The State: Ninth
ing is more distasteful to me than the
necessity Of appearing in print; but I
observe in your issue of the 23d inst,
an inaccurate occount of personal
difficulty that occurred at Col. Shaw's
between Senator Irby and myself, and
in order that the public may know the
truth of the occurrence, will state,
briefly, that l was at Col. Shaw's I'll
invited guest, on Thursday, the 18th
inst, together with Mr.. o. G. Cunning
ham, w. +. Cunningham and r. S.
league. Some time after my arrival
there, and whilst being entertained in
the parlor, Senator Irby suddenly made
his appearance, and in an excited IMAM
ner inquired of me if Gen. Farley had
read to me the communication pub
lished against him, and also demanded
to know if endorsed said article. /
replied in the affirmative, and I said en-
dorsed 80 much of it as was contradic-
tory to the statement made by Grad
dock" Thereupon Col. Irby struck
me, whilst I was sitting in my chair.
Mr.. w. F. Cunningham caught Irby
and pulled him back, when 1rby drew
his knife, bat was prevented from using
it by being held by Mr.. w. +. Gun
ningham. After some uDimportant
chickering's, Senator Irby left, and thus
ended the affair.
l would state, in justice to Col.Shaw,
that he was in no way responsible for
this Indecent occurrence, and none re-
gretted it more than he. The state
ment that Col. Shaw had invited me
to come to his house after midnight is
utterly false, and any intimation that
there was conspiracy to assassinate
me is without foundation. If I have a
friend (and I have many Col. Shaw
must be numbered first among them.
Mr.. o. c. Cunningham had no pistol,
nor was one ever mentioned through
out the affair, and no such information
was ever furnished by ME, as one ofthe
interested parties, to any one.
G. w. SHELL.