Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-25
CARDFR0M MR.. THAW
he GIVES HIS VERSION or Mr..
WHITES ATTACK UPON HIM.
Says he Was Struck ON the Head in tho
Dark Part Of the Town and Beaten
Almost Into InscnsibiIity.

Mr.. II. II. Thaw, IN a long letter to the
Dispatch. gives In minute detail his YER
sion OF the trouble that he recently had
with Mr.. Warwick c. White In Parkers-
burg. w. Va. He also reviews at some
length the circumstances that led up to
this trouble. and says In the outset that
he considers It his duty TO his friends
as well as himself. In view OF the Inaccu-
rate reports that have been printed, to
make full statement OF the facts In the
case.
| Mr.. Thaw explains. from his standpoint,
how the first disagreement between him
self and Mr.. White arose; tells how ne
came to write a letter to a Parkersburg
! paper showing how Mr.. White had. as
ne claimed. acted improperly. and says:
| rms card was never replied to. except
| through verbal challenge to fight IL
| out by the Code OF Honor $50 calletD
but as L had been previously informed
that two days before he sent such chal-
lenge he had told about a score OF men
| he was going TO send 1t, and kill me
before the following day, and as he had
so publicly advertised his proposed inten-
| lions, that ] soon caught onto his little
| game. which was 10 formally accept the
so-called challenge. be arrested. fined $50
| and imprisoned six months in Jail, which
| Is the penalty attached TO such privileges
| In this state, j Informed his friend. who
| brought me the message, that | did not
| propose to attack or follow up Mr.. White:
| that should be on the defensive, and If
he made any attack on me | would pro-
| mise him warm reception. 4 warrant
1
| Wager. either for White or Harris. AS
soon as l learned Mr.. Wager contempla-
| ted such step / had Il stopped before
| it was issued
MET AGAIN IN WHEELING.
81 saw Messrs. White and Harris almost
| daily for several weeks, both day and
night. on the streets here, and / paid no
attention TO them or their movements
About three weeks since / went TO
Wheeling in the interest OF my assoca-
ton, and found Messrs. White and Harris
with three assistants working there, and
as disagreeable as It was to me personally
TO come into contact with them again, |
felt 1t my duty to remain; and further
told Mr. Herbert. who accompanied me
TO Wheeling, that we would pay no atten-
ton to them or their work. but attend
strictly 10 our own business, which we
did most faithfully. q
THE telegram Harris sent him Nvhite)
on Saturday morning from Wheeling
stating that / would be in Petersburg
on the night train, proves that they were
Keeping advised as to my movements ana
laying their plans for an attack.
THE ALLEGED ASSAULT.
Now l will proceed to give my move
ments and what actually occurred from
the time ! left Wheeling until my arrival |
here on Saturday night last:
Il arrived here on the Ohio River railroad |
train about 10 o'clock =. NJ. Immediately |
went down the steps TO the station door. |
where | saw White standing in the door. |
way apparently looking for some one. |
passed him and stopped on the pave
ment below, when i gave my satcheI |
check 70 a porter with instructions to |
take ii to the corner of Eleventh and !
Juilana street. | then took street-car.
having with me Il large package. about
two by three feet, under my left arm.
and large pocket book containing papers
In my right hand. I rode up I'm the car
until L arrived near Sixth and Market
streets at which point l got out entere! |
a restaurant and ate a lunch. Coming
out OF this place | continued up Market
street TO Ninth. thence around the cor
ner to Julinna. on my way home |
When l arrived at or near the cor
ner Of Tenth and Juliana. at a point
where the foliage made the darkness so
great that 1 could not see objects few
feet in front of me- IL was then that |
heard a voice In an linder.One say, There /
he is now" and not having heard any
footsteps approaching. ana the location
being such a dark and dangerous ono, /
at once determined to cross 10 the oppo-
site side of the street. which I proceeded
TO do by turning in that direction. when
| received stunning. cruel blow on the
back Of my head. made with some wea-
pom. which cut a cash down TO the skull
bone. This blow caused me TO stagger
to the middle OF the street, where l
stopped l then tried TO collect my
thoughts 10 see what was next best TO be
done. While standing thus | endeavored
to put the large pOcket-boOk in question
in my right-hand coat pocket, but, find
ing l could not do so. it then occurred
to me that l would drop the book in the
street and proceed on across, and If the
party or parties continue 10 pursue me
would give an alarm. as l knew not
who they were, and was not armed and
had nothing to defend myself with.
TOLD NOT TO ADVANCE.
Before making this new move however.
| said ! warn you not TO advance on
me- and then turned, dropping the
book. and as | did so | received another
blow from behind either from a rock or
brick. which rendered me entirely helpless
to defend myself. l don't remember any
thing else until I came partially to my
senses and found myself in the gutter
on the opposite side of the street and
Warrlck c. White pounding me in the
face with a large rock. As ] struggled
he struck me a blow over the temple
with rock. remarking as he did so. i
have got you now, you scoundrel,
and / intend to kill you l then realized
that l would have TO make a desperate
effort to save my .ife ana seeing 1 was
so weak from loss OF blood and the blows (
that had received, called upon some one
to assist me- but my appeal not meet
Ing with immediate response, ] made Il
last hard effort 10 collect my fast failing
strength, and was forced to leave my
face exposed, which | did by catching
him under his knees with both my hands
and planting my foot against the curb
ing and managed to turn him OF. But
when | made an effort TO get on my feet I
fell over from sheer loss Of blood and
and as l fell back in the
gutter | saw White get on his feet and
stamp me in the face with the heel Of his
shoe. He then jumped on me again and
commenced 10 take advantage Of my
helpless condition by again beating me
on the head and face.
- ' M III l-ADlisS II@EAl)lNtIS.
FINALLY l heard a few ladies' pleading ,
with some one TO pull him off and save ,
my life. which they finally ala. | man
aged 10 crawl up and get OH the porch
where the ladies were. and was finally
escorted home covered with blood and hll- :
ID with cuts and bruises and in faint .
ng condition Doctor Sharp, a prominent
physician and surgeon was called in and
dressed my wounds.
This is Il true statement of facts. as
Sod is my witness. and | pronounce any
other statement such as l ever threw c
ny hand TO my hip pocket or made any ,
'emark Whatsoever to White on the occa-
ION referred TO. or ever struck him q
single blow Of any kind (his condition
dearly proving this), or had any revolver !
n any other weapon upon my person.
II ever recognized my assaiants until / Z
ound myself being beaten with a rock
n the hands Of said Warrick c. White, !
IS utterly false and untrue" \
The remainder Of Mr. Thaw's letter IS c
devoted to discussion Of the defence Z 1
made by White and does not contain any y
.verment OF facts further than given T
iboye. lie says the two negroes who tes- n
filed before the trial justice did not tell .
he truth and criticises Squire Jones 9
or simply filming White 80 and costs :,
instead Of sending him on to the grand "
ury. .
Added 20 the letter is this note: !,
al.1