The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-07-20
LISA LIE, $ I'D GEN, BUTLER.
4 Riot Mas Barely AVerted at EDGE
field, South Carolina.
TILLMAE'S FRIENDS DRAW THEIR GUNS
a Charge that Butler Denied His Part In
tho Hambnrg Riots was the Cause OF
the Trouble-Tillman's Speech.

upon the speakers stand; others We're
ready for action. The powder was all
! ready for the spark, but fortunately the
intense political feeling did not result in
/ bloodshed. How narrowly the tragedy
was ayerted may not have been realized
by those who were responsible for the
! strained conditions. IT looked awfuly
1 ully for q minu+a or two. When Edge
! field men get mad and look as II they were
about t. act something is very likely
/ u happen. Imac ne a powder magazine
! with fire Creeplu1 towards 10, every one
! mOmentdrily expecting the explosion. The
/ crash IS expected put 10. the names 90
/ within "a few feet oI the masazine, tney
| stop. the danger is over, and every one
SO il was to-day at EdgrneH. 40 one
! can ever expect 10 witness another such
/ meeting IL was The most aggrcs5lVe ana
/ aggravated of the tWeuty-One already
/ held Political passion was at a danger
Gus heat, and ali over few petty Offices.
Yet there were men ia that audience
! who. AT the drop Of a hat, would have
| shot 10 XIII their political opponents. III
/ is a sad commentary on TINS alleged cam
/ paign of education. IL shows, or at least
! IL ought to. that it IS a useless and sense
| less campaign. IL is tearing Of the scdD
| from the fast-hedling political wounds.
The brave people OF Ldgeheld may
have thought there was nothing unusual
about their meeting-that is their priVi-
leee-but when men say and do what was
! done here to-day there Is prepOuder-
ance Of crcumstantal evidence 10 give
Edgeheid the palm for getting closer 20
the verge Of political battle and avoid
ing IT than any other place I'm America.
II really looks a. # old Edgeheld can
avoid such a crisis with the facility that
she can provide caldidates. For each Of
"a dozen offices she now has five active
candidates I'm the d I'D
There were al to- lays meeting two coll
f. N.. r Farf.N
other nearly a tra gcdy. For neither ~
them could any Of the speakers be held
directly responsible II was just the pas
sion IN the crowd. True the lie was
passed. but that Las been done before
without occaslonin' such n scene.
WHAT THF TR URLE WAS ABOUT.
Just here both Senator Butler and
Governor Tillman ought 10 be commend
I'd for their efforts to quiet things. In
a word, here IS what the trouble was
about.
General Butler had remarked that
about the only horses he had ever rid |
den besides that Of Democracy, was the |
Ola horse ne was IN in .hat very grove |
when he met Chamberlain and his Re- |
publican myrmidOls. and how he had !
helped the people 20 secure their liberties |
and political freedom.
Ihcn Mr. Henry TOwnes cried ont: |
res, General and the rascals burned /
your house for IL.
There was a tail. lank man standing |
lew feet from General Butler on the |
stand. lie was Mr. John Atkinson. |
He had several times put in word or
TWO during Butler speech This time |
ne cried: "He de' ed all that In Wash. |
in.,'' ..-aoA '.'feurne 10 tie Ham |
General Butler dill not recognize the |
speaker, but quick as a fash he turned |
M the direction OF the voice and said: |
IL ne. don't care who said ii, 1 |
Mr. Atkinson di1 not reply. lie tattooed |
ON the reporters desk with his umbrella |
but made no sign tor argument The |
scene that followed was terrible: il was |
serious II was desperate. Men rushed |
up towards the stand with their hands on |
lhelr guns. others cursed. and the danger |
signal was out. yet there We're a hundred
women within few feet of the stand. uGt
thdt made no apparent difference Fully !
dozen or each faction, Tllman and But |
Ter. made for the stand T. join those al
ready there. Henry TOwnes and Charlie
Hammond were the first TO mount the
stand. Iownes turned Oh the accuser,
Atkins and cried out: Its d lie, and that
man knows IT,"
but TIE LIE has BEES GIVEN"
General Butler tapped him on the
shoulder and said: Henry. IN take care
Of myself Get down from the stand"
But the lie has been given, replied
Townes.
That's all right. for Gods sake. let us
have no trouble" said General Butler.
Mr Cogburn ana some one got into
loud dispute.
Then Mr.. Harde. a friend Of Governor
Tillman, had some words.
said one TO the other: NOW look here
Put up that pistol. Tor you amt the only
one with a pistol When l draw mine I'm
going 10 use it, Governor Tlllmdn was
asked TO have his friends accede. Ills pis-
tOl was put up.
Jack Bladon, lion in determination.
forged To the front and had Il tilt with
Add "a dozen or more of them, and there
may be something like a picture OF the
situation.
General Butler urged his friends to get
Of the stand. lie pleaded for quiet
Governor TIllman, perfectly cool, asked
all who were really his friends To be
quiet. and after q deal Of persuasion
things Quieted down and General Butler
continued with his speech. From then
every one was on the qui vive, but for
tunately all passed of quietly. As soon
As Butler resumed his speech ne took
occasion 20 say:
Whoever states at any time, on any
occasion, TO anybody that / denied my
participation in what was done IN Ham
burg, tells-I won't say a lie, because
there are ladies here, but that which is
not true
BUILEH'5 PLAIN LANGUAGE
General Butler also took occasion az r
the serious incidents 10 say in a decidedly
vigorous way: When / bistered him his |
braying like meaningless dom |
KEYS tried TO drown my voice with their |
wild talk and yelling. Common iackasees |
can bray but 10 takes a man Of sense |
and prudence 10 convince the judgments
and not arouse the passions Of the people.
That sort of treatment don't intimidate |
me | have seen too much Of real dam |
GERS 10 be thrOttled In my speech by a
lot of blatant, wild jackasscs | love
free speech too much, and / will fight for
IT,"
The Hamburg afidavits were produced |
and read, and were received with dread
Governor Tillman on this line took oc-
casion 10 say that he would meet anv
one who told him personally that he
was not at Hamburg and wanted 10
make an issue Of H.
Perhaps the next most interesting hap
,ening was the position and the proposi-
Ton OF Secretary OF State Tlndal He
boldly prOphese1 that the Reform party
would be irreparably Injured IL II de-
lined 10 give all candidates n fair show
ng before the people. He made the
,rOp0sitiOn that the delegations TO the
nominating convention be prOpOrtiOnately ,
liVided upOn the actual vote received by
,ach Of the candidates In the clubs and
aggregated at the county convention.
low the suggestion VIII take remains TO
,e seen Anyhow, he thinks IL the true
afety valve Of the movement. Ellerbe
md John Gary Evans df some lively
blasting OF each other, ana their per-
onalitias seemed to please the crowd Of
bout a thousand, Mr.. Evans was In his
lement. and spoke 10 advantage. Mr..
cilerbe's friends claim the county 10 be
bout equally divided.