The record-union., 1893-02-20
WHAT LEE SAYS.
He Declares He is Not Bloodthlrsty
and Has Made No Threats.

and Has Made No Threats.
The story of the affair at the Capitol
was duly related in all the papers and
Lee was generally represented as having
been bounding Senator Goucher with
the determination of assaulting him,
which was understood to be the latter's
reason for having had him elected from
the chamber.
| Lee called at the RECoRD-UNIoN Office
yesterday and asked to be allowed to
state his side of the case. He has the
bearing of a man who is anything but a
ruflian, and said he was a plain-going
farmer and orchardist in Fresno. He
said the reports in the newspapers were
all misleading, and that they did him an
injustice.
1.-The statement" said Mr.. Lee, "that 1
had used insulting language about Sen
ator Goucher, or anyone else, is false. AS
for Young Dutchy. L do not think L ever
spoke to him before, as | am not in the
habit of associating with his kind. At
the time he assaulted ME l was engaged
| in quiet conversation with a Mr..
! Graham. Dutchy rushed up to me and
when within d few steps he said some
thing about my having insulted Senator
Goucher and then he assaulted me with
out waiting for reply.
81 drew pistol to stop the assault and
it had the desired effect. l had a right to
have shot my assailant, but did not wish
! to do so, and am very glad | was able to
control myself to that extent.
| The published statement that had
| threatened Senator Goucher's life either
! before or after the assault is untrue.
! have neither made such threats, nor have
had any intention of assaulting any
one. AS one of Senator Goucher's con-
| stituents / felt that had not been treated
fairly by him in relation TO the county
division fight, as | had been promised a
hearing before the committee, but was
not notified of the meeting, although
was here waiting for it, l wrote a letter
when l went home to one of our local
| papers, the EypOStOr, i'll which | criti-
cised Senator Goucher's course on the
bill, and it was for this, and this only,
that he made the attack on me and had
me expelled from the Senate, leaving the
impression that l was dogging him about
to assault him.
81 had been back to my ranch after my
first visit here, and was engaged in the
peaceful occupation of planting fruit trees,
when l was urged by neighbors to return
here on other business. / arrived on
Friday, and went to the Senate chamber
to see one of the members, and had been
| in the lobby but few minutes when
| Senator Goucher saw me, and soon after
ward got up and offered the resolution of
expulsion. l was relating to Mr. era
ham what had occurred, when Dutchy
came up and assaulted me.
son leaving Fresno I was informed by
Mr.. Ferguson, of the ErpOStOr, that he
| heard that Young Dutchy washere in Sac
ramento waiting for a chance to do me
up, so l got pistol to protect myself"
Mr.. Lee was informed by the reporter
that during the time he said he was at
home planting trees the newspapers were
printing stories of his alleged haunting of
Goucher, and was asked if it may not
have happened that the Senator had been
misintormed as to his movements and in
tentions.
"That's something new to me-" said
Lee. 81 don't know what stories or
rumors may have reached Senator
Goucher's ears, but say now that have
not threatened him, and l have not be-
! lieved that Senator Goucher had any idea
OF shooting me. 1 had been led to be-
lieve, however, that other parties had
been employed to assault me, and one of
them did do so.
81 don't like to have it published to the
world that | am roaring lion from the
backwoods of Fresno, going about seek
| ing some one whom | may devour, and
yet here it is stated in the papers that last
Friday night l was haunting the hotels,
looking for Senator Goucher, and that
had threatened to kill him on sight,
"Now, the truth of the matter is, I was
engaged in business with a gentleman in
his room from dark until 10 o'clock at
night. and on leaving him l went direct
to my hotel and went to bed. am not a
drinking man nor a carouser-simply
farmer and taxpayer in Fresno County,
who desired to have the MADEIRA County
division bill modified in one particular
| have had no business with Senator
Goucher since what L considered his i'll
treatment of me by calling meeting of
the committee and not notifying me of it.
81 did not come here this time to annoy
him in any way, and when he spoke to
me in the lobby on Friday L told him
quietly l wanted nothing to do with him.
Somebody has made great row over the
matter, and the newspaper reporters
haven't allowed any of it to get away. AS
l said before, l am a peaceable man, am
not seeking trouble, and if not assaulted
for some fancied wrong there will be no
trouble, so far as l am concerned"