Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-01-19
LOCAL
THE LOCAL OPTION PETITION,
A GENERAL SCRA PIPING MATCH IN
THE COURT HOUSE.

A GENERAL St.RAPPING MATCH II
THE COURT HOUSE.
To understand the sudden, remarkable
and general scrapping match in this CITY G
otherwise peaceful reputation, which OF
CURED in the Hastings Court Oh Saturda
last, it is necessary to go back a little
Local Option elections here have Away
involved personalities in them between til
Vets and Drys, and created good deal 0
i'll feeling. But us they were confined as
general thing to those most deeply interes
community generally which was content t.
vote and let it alone. 1t was not until tn
political election of November and the APP
pearance of Revs. Sam Jones and San
Small, that tine personalities were spreat
over pretty much everybody that did mo-
agree with them. and that to be a Demo
crat and vote the Democratic ticket was
enough to call down on the voter the &C.
cusation Of being the companion Of ''red
nose drunkards' and the supporter Of the
WUlSkSy EClOOl1. L lid DtliC VI
created a strong feeling of resentment
among many men who had hitherto beer
either quiet voters against liquor OF who
had not participated to any extent either
way. The resentment at this general as
sault on large part of the community in
no way interested for liquor, had not died
out before q Local Option petition was in
circulation with the usual effect of stirring
things up in the way Of elimination and
recrimination. No sooner had that petit
ton failed than another was started. 1t
began to look like the city was to have no
quiet, and there was q general feeling of
i'll humor prevailing that only needed the
application of match to produce an eX-
plosion. The match was applied on Satur-
day and the explosion came Off.
THE PROLOGUE.
On Saturday Judge Grattan was sitting
to hear argument of counsel for and against
the legality of the second petition. Messrs.
J. A. Alexander and T. B. Kennedy of
Stanton, and Jas. B. Stephenson Of Har-
risonburg, represented the contention of
the Drys that the petition came fully under
Craig represented the contention Of the
Vets that the Drys had had their chance
in the first petition, and having failed in
that by reason of having presented it with
number OF names that after purging
proved insufficient, they could not undel
the law take another chance. Mr.. Gordon
opened for the Vets, and in the course Of
his remarks said that MI. Jno. A. Noon, a
prominent Republican, who is also promi-
nent in the movement for a Local Option
election, was in it for revenue only. Mr..
Noon came to the front and said: II pro-
nounce that a lie in open court" MI. Cor
don rushed at him. but bystanders inter
fered and he was held back. He apologized
to the court at once and saying he would
see Noon later, went on with his argu-
ment.
THE sCRAPPING MATCH.
The court house was packed. The gal
leries were filled chiefly, as is usual, with
colored men. The floor was filled with
white men and in the rallied portion SET
aside for the lawyers were 3 good many of
the most prominent Drys and Vets. In
the mean time MI. Noon had moved over
close to MI. Gordon. Directly the court
and Noon went at it. In an instant there
was fighting all over the room. Middle-aged
men who hadn't had a scrapping match
since they were boys, went at it. Men
turned on their neighbors without looking
to see who they were, and in some cases
Vets were punching Vets and Drys punch
ing Drys. Men commenced fighting who
the minute before had not thought Of such
thing, and who had gone down to the
court house solely with the popular idea of
seeing the opposing lawyers chaff each 9TH
er, and without any idea that lawyers, spec
tators and all were to be tumbled into the
fight.
SOMETHING TO sTAUNToN's CREDIT.
1t is greatly to the credit of Staunton as
civilized town, that Notwithstanding al
most everybody On the floor was fighting,
not knife nor a pistol was exhibited
There is hardly city Of this size in the
State in which this could have occurred.
The only departure from the weapons used
in the prize ring. was chair which either
fell Oh was thrown from the colored gallery
down into the struggling crowd, striking a
gentleman and cutting his head badly. The
peace-makeTs of the occasion got about as
many bats over the head as the war makers
as is usually the case. The combatants
fought till they were tired and then the
crowd gradually left the court house. The
scrap was over. but untildark knots Of PEG.
pie were gathered On the street discussing
it. Fortunately, with every desire to dam
age his neighbor in the fight, pobody had
succeeded in doing it. and there were few
marks next day IF the scrimmage.
THE PETITION LEGAL.
Judge Grattan heard the remainder of
the argument on Monday evening and on
Tuesday gave his decision which was that
the petition was such one as was contom-
plated by the law, and if the proper number
OF names were on it the election must be
ordered. The revision of the petition with
a view to the usual purging was then be-
gun.
During the revision, thelist of designers
was reduced by 16 stricken OFF as not hav-
ing voted at the last cleo ton, and for va
flous other causes. In addition to this
yesterday evening IS signers made petition
that their names should be taken off the
petition for an election and put on one
against an election. This if allowed would
reduce the signers to 364-being less than
is required to order an election. But the
counsel for the Drys contend that the AZ
spoke too late and cannot now have thei1
names withdrawn. That contention Judge
Grattan will pass upon tomorrow morning
Prevention of Cruelty 10 Animals.
A ,,,ootinU WAS held on Tuecdov auo.;,,o