The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1894-08-22

Come to Blows-The Origin OF the Trou
bIe-Cowardly Attack OF Mr.. Koes,e
from the Rear.
COLUMBIA, S. c., August Ga Der
sonal difficulty in the lobby of th.
Jerome Hotel yesterday afternoon be
tween George r. koester, editor O
the Register, anG w. Gibbes Whale1
of Charleston, a delegate to the Stat
convention, caused some excitement or
Maiu street. 1t is unnecessary 20 q
into details. The following IS an &C
count of the trouble as given to tht
reporters Of other papers by the princi
pals:
FRO3I MIR. WHALEY.
Mr.. Whaley being asked for state
ment of the causes Leading to the trou
BILE between himself a2d Editor koes
ter, said: 81 sent Mr.. koester a nott
this afternoon at about o'clock, stat
ing that in an editorial OH the 14tt
instant he had Willfully perverted {
conversation with me and that he haG
told a deliberate falsehooJ. Mr. Koes
ter called at the hotel this afternoon
and had conversation with me con
cerniDg this note. He stated that he
had in measure implied in conver
sation whilst in Charleston that I was
a coward. l told him would ask him
a simple question: Did he mean to say
that was coWard?' He begged the
question and l had to repeat the ques
ton several times, stating that he must
give positive answer, yes or no. He
finally answered yes | at once slap
ped his face. He struck at me, slightly
grazing me. The crowd in the lobby
at once rushed in and separated US. !
regret to say that one of my friends in
separating us struck Mr.. koester.
would have preferred attending to the
matter myself. l stated that l was
then and there entirely willing to finish
out the matter with Mr. koester. By
that time the crowd had collected in
the lobby of the hotel, and I got upon
one of the benches and stated to the
crowd that Mr.. Koester had made a
statement in one Of his editorials
which | had denounced as absolutely
false; that had desired to slap his face
and l had done So
FROM MIR. KOESTEE.
Tuesday morning published ID the
Register an editorial severely CRITICS.
ing Mr.. Whaley for the part he had
taken In the ring tactics adopted at
the meeting of the Tillman Reform
Club, in Charleston, Saturday night.
Among other things l stated that an
outsider (myself) had told Mr.. Whaley
that he was too big coward to repeat
to any one of the men excluded from
the meeting an insinuation he had
just made to me that they were not
there in good faith. Today l received
8 letter which will be found elsewhere
in the paper in which Mr. Whaley oh
jects only to that part Of my editorial
containing statement above narrated.
The statement that he had been called
a coward he denounced as a fslsehood.
AS soon as l received this letter I
walked over to the Jerome Hotel and
saw Mr.. TThaley engaged in converse
ton. When he was through | walked
up to him and told him that l had re.
ceived a letter from him, which l would
like to discuss for 8 few moments in
public or private, with or without
friends being present. He said that
either public or a private discussion
suited him but finally decided on hav.
ing the matter ventilated in the hotel
lobby. He commenced calling up va
rious members of the Charleston dele.
cation, while l asked Mr.. W. w. Price
to be present as my friend. There is
no necessity for going into all that was
said. It amounted to this: That l
stated to Mr.. Whaley that possibly l
had not used the word coward but
that | had used words to the same
effect and that I had certainly called
~ one of the gentlemen whom he had
insi1uated was not at the Charleston
meeting in good faith and had told
him that he did not dare repeat to him
the insinuation ne had just made to
me. Mr.. Whaley kept asking did I
mean to say be was a coward. I told
him that did. He then struck at me.
He struck at me again and l gave him
a lick. Friends then interfered and
pulled us apart. While I was being
shoved away l was struck three or four
times from behind, one of which was
exceedingly severely, landing upon the
neck, just below my right ear. l do not
know what outsiders interfered IN such
a cowardly manner
Mr.. WuALEY's CARD.
The following is the card of Mr..
which brought on the trouble:
COLUMBIA, August 10.
e. r. Rooster. Esq, Editor the Colum-
bia Register.
Dear Sir: l have only today seen an
editorial in your issue of the 18th inst.
The editorial is an attack upon my
self, and amongst other things you say:
'Mr. Whaley said to an outsider that
the men whom he had excluded wero
not there in good faith. He was
told that he was too big
coward to repeat that SANDER to any
one of those men face to face" The
outsider you refer to is yourself snd
you will recollect that the converse.
lion was as follows: l told you that
you knew that q combination had been
formed by yourself, Terrell and T. w.
Wagner by which number Of men
were to be rushed up to the meeting at
;he last moment with the intention of
the meeting and that the
men were not there in good faith. lou
said in a high 1own style: "You will
lot undertake (or you will not dare to
,ay so to these men, I laughingly
and satirically replied: "Oh, no, l have
10 intention of saying anything of the
Kind to them" You know well that
he word coward was not used. You
lave wilfully perverted the conversa-
ion and in my opinion told deliber-
.te falsehood. | must request you to
1--WE this note equal publicity with
Jour editorial, but as l much doubt
7our doing so, will give copy to
another paper. Very truly,
W. GIBBEs WHALEY.
MIR. PRICES STATEMENT.
l wish to say under my own sigma
ure that when Mr.. koester asked me
% be present as his friend did not an
icipate anything serious. Even after the
blows had passed between them l did
lot consider that 1t was my business
% interfere. I was simply present to
zee fair play. l did not see Mr.. Koester
struck from the rear as he was some
distance from me and l was watching
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