Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-01-17
EXCITING SCENES In THE HUSFINGS
COURT ROOM.
JOHN A. NOON CALLS HON. A. C. COR
DON A LIAR DURING THE COURT.

JOHN A. NOON CALLS HON. A. C. COR
DON A LIAR DURING THE COURT.
Immediately on the Adjournment
of the Court a General Fight
EnSued.
A scene occurred IN the courthouse, imme-
diately on the adjournment of the Hastings
Court at about o clock last Saturday evening,
such as never occurred there before, and such
as, it is hoped. will never occur again.
1t will be remembered that petition for a
local option election in this city was filed De
cember 18th, 1893, and that after the list had
been purged of the names not entitled to be
on it, and the Withdrawal of others, by the
assent of the counsel for the petitioners there
did not remain the required number of of
those who had voted in the Novembe election,
and that that petition was then withdrawn OF
dismissed.
| Another petition was then gotten up and
was filed January 10TH 1884, and it was this
petition that the court on last Saturday was
considering when the scenes referred to oc-
Cured. The counsel on the part of the petit
TONERS were J. B. Stephenson, of Harrison
| burg, F. B. Kennedy, and J. A. Alexander
and on that of liquor dealers, A G. Gordon
and w. L. Craig.
The counsel opposing the petition maintain
| ed that the new petition was virtually the same
as the old one which had been dismissed
| that as to the names that were the same on
both petitions, the matter had been concluded
When we arrived in the courthouse, which
we found filled below with whites and the gal
leres with colored, R. M. Kinney was on the
witness stand, who testified that he had ex-
amined the list, which contained 435 names,
and found that, of that number, 313 were on
the former petition
Mr.. Gordon then argued that as the local
option law was a statute law in derogation of
the common law, it required that it should be
complied with strictly, and that the petition
in controversy failed to do so, in that it did
not follow the language of the statute. and
state that the petitioners constituted onef fourth
of those voting in the city at the preceding
election. He maintained that as to the 313
names that were on both petitions, the matter
was absolutely concluded when the old peti
ton was dismissed, and that they could not
| petition again for two years-that it was not
the intention of the Legislature that the peo
pie should be all the time harassed by such
contentious. He said there were many good and
| conscientious men among the petitioners who
were doing what they supposed was their duty,
but there were some who were ''for revenue.
In the medieval ages there were such Knights
as Richard, the lion-hearted, and Geoffroy
de Bouillon who led crusades in behalf of
Christianity and morals, but now, God save the
mark, John A. Noon, (whlte) and Fred Dill
lard (coloreD are the assumed leaders to teach
this court and others their duties. He said, il
the ''bread-and- butter brigade were taken of
the list, that there would not be enough names
left to bring the petition before the court. He
repeated that some on it were 'for revenue
and that he did not except John A. Noon an6
Fred billiard. As he said this, John A Moor
said-"I call you liar in open court" In
stantly Mr.. Gordon rushed towards Noon to
assault him, but was intercepted and prevent
ed from doing So Mr.. Gordon then returned
to his place in the bar, and apologized to the
court and said, II should not have noticed
him at ALL and then resumed his argument
where he had left off, and soon after he con
cluded, the court adjourned.
In few minutes after the announcement
of the adjournment of the court, Noon got W
who confronted Noon and asked what ht
meant by calling him liar, and at the sam,
instant struck him, when Noon struck back
and thus the first fight commenced whereup-
on a scene occurred that beggars description
In less time than it takes to mention it, all thu
space inside the bar was filled with struggling
men, some fighting and some trying to sepa
rate those engaged. Whilst in this mass,
chair from the gallery was thrown dowr
among them. Friends and foes were mixeC
up and mistaken for each other. One mar
on the outside OF the bar struck another will
a cane, who however, was Immediately sezet
and quietted.
Neither Gordon nor Noon was much, if i
all, hurt. The persons most hurt were VIM
T. McCue, Postmaster of Staunton, whom
some one struck on the head with, it is sup
posed, the round of chair, and Jas. L. Beck
son-in-law of Jas. w. Bodley. 1t is grea
wonder that number were not seriously in
jured.
Such scenes as these, growing out of sucl
contests, will tend to influence the Legislator,
to adopt the bill offered by Senator Miller, O
Lynchburg, to SO amend the localoption Law
as to exempt from its operation cities tina
have population of over FIVE thousand.
On Monday afternoon when the trial on th,
localoption petition was resumed, the court
house, as on Saturday, was crowded will
whites below and with colored in the galleries
J. B. Stephenson, on behalf of the petition
ers, made his argument, in which he main
tanned that the fact that 313 names on the nev
petition were on the former one which hat
been dismissed was no reason why the new
one was not valid, though, without them
there would not remain the required one
fourth of those voting at the preceding cleo
tion-that the right of petition was a broa'
and sacred one which the people had tn
right at any time to exercise, and as often a
they chose so to do, and that the manner wa
not material
He was followed by w. E. Craig of counse
for those opposing the petition, who made tn
same points and maintained the same pre-
positions of law contended for by Hon. A.
Gordon on Saturday, as mentioned above
which he elaborated more fully and presente
with great force.
In addition to the points made by Mr.. Gol
don, he maintained, and quoted authority t.
sustain it, that though the former petition
was dismissed for different reason, yet til
fact that it did not conform strictly with tn
statute was fatal to it,-as much so as if tha
objection had been made at the time. Hi
contention was that, as that objection was az
plication to the petition that was dismissed
though it was not made at the time, but coul
, have been made, debars the 313 names on tn
new petition that are on the old-that so ia
as they are concerned, the matter had Doe
concluded by the dismissal of the old petition
) AT the conclusion of the argument, the pc
pers were handed over to the Judge.
On yesterday morning, the court overrule
the demurrer to the form of the petition, an
the plea of res ddjudicata as to the 313 name
= that were on both patitions nc cOntan5ad fir