The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1894-07-21
THU NDGEFIEL) NEETING
How Gen Butler Passed The Lie
Men WIN Hands IN Their Zip POck-
cts Rush Upon the Stand-u Nom cnt
Of AGfW Eapectomcy, dad Then:
NoJCd9 Gets Hart.
Charlotte Observer.

Edgeiield $ G., july ia
score of hands were on as m,uv
pistols in a second to. day. Men
climbed up on the speaker stand.
others were ready for action. The
WIDER wa ready Tor the pa k.
but to tunate y the intense pol.
teal feeling int not result in
b ood,hed. tt o.ed awul ugly
for Il minut- or two
No o.o can ever want to witness
an ,her such meeting 1t was the
most aggressive and aggravated
OF the Il already he'd. Political
pa.si II w"s Mt dangerous heat,
ard all over few petty Offices
let there weie men in that audi>
encc who, lat tho drop OF a hat.
would have III ito kill their p0il-
teal opponents. It's a sad com.
mentary on this alleged campaign
Of education. IT ,huws, or at lea.t
it ou ht to, that IT. is a useles, and
senseiess campai. II. 1t is tearing
off the Scab frCin th3 IA t-heaIinr
political wounds.
There we're two affairs ut today S
meeting ole a p am, every day
hghl; The other nearly a tragedy.
For neither of tn m cou i any Of
the speakers be held direct re>
spouS;b'e. twas Just the passion
III the crowd. True, the lie WIS
passed but that has been done be.
fn'e without occasioning such a
'cene. Just here. both Governor
TIlIman and Senator Butler ou ght
to be commended 70. ther eAorst
20 quiet things. In a VOID bore
is what the troub'e was about:
Gen Butler had remarked that
about the only horse he had ever
ridden besides that Of Democracy
was the cd horse be was OH in that
yerY grove when he met Cham
berlafn and his Republican
myrmidon', and how he had he D
ed the people secure their libertis
and political freedom. Then Mr.
Henry Townes cried out: Yes,
general, and the ,ascals burned
your house for it, There was u
tall, lank man standing a few feet
from General Butler on the stand.
He was Mr. John Atkinson. He
had several times put in a word or
two during Bu ler's speech. This
time he cried He denied all
that in Warrington, though
Probably referring TO the Hams
burg riot General Butter did
no, recognize the speaker, but
quick as flash he turned in th ..
direction Of tho voice and said /.
ut ia lie don't care who said
it. / cay it's lie.'
MIR Atkinson did not reply. He
taitnnad on he-rarortcrs' desk
with his umbrella. but made no
sign of answering. The scene that
followed was terrible. 1t was
serious. 1t was desperate. Men
rushed up toward the stand with
their hands on their piatols. 9th
ers cursed and the ianger signal
was out Yet there we're a hun
dred women within few feetof the
stand, but that made no apparent
difference. Eully dozen o. each
faction, TIllman and Butlsc, made
for the stand to loin those already
there.
Henry Townes and Charlie Ham
mond were the first to mount the
stand. TOwnes turned on the ac,
cuser, Atkinson, and cried out =:
1T is lie. and that man knows il ,
General Butler tapped him on the
shoulder and said : Henry, I'll
take care of myself; get down f:om
the stand
But the lie has been given rev
pied Townes.
That's al right; for Gods sake
let's have no trouble said Gener-
al Butler.
Mr. Cogburn and some one got
INTO a loud dispute. Then Mr.
Hardee, friend OF Governor Till.
man, had some words. Said one
to the other: Now. look here.
put up that pistol, for you amt
the only one with pistol. When
| draw mine I'm going to us9 it,
Governor Tillman was asked to
have his friends recede. lhe pis-
tol was ont up. Jack Bladon, a
hon IN determination, forged TO
he front and had a tint with Cog
burn. But these are mere Incl.
dents-add d zen more OF them
and there may be something like
a p'ctuie of the situation Ger,
eral Butler urged his friends to
get off the stand. He pleaded
for gu ct. G0uernor tt Imam per-
fect'v. cool, asked all who were
Tedhy h.s friends 10 be quiet. and
after dea' of persuasion things
quiied down and General Butler
continued with his speech. From
then on every one vas on the OIL
vive, but fortunately all passed off
quietly.
As soon "a Butler resumed his
speech he took occasion, to say
Whoever states at any time, on
any occasion, to anybody that /
denied my partic patton in what
~a' done i'm Hamburg tells
won't say a q. because there are