The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-27
CLAY HITS BACK AT CHENEY.
THE CHALLENGER TOLD HE DON'T
WANT TO FIGHT A DUEL.

The Chairman Accuses Cheney of
Giving His Letter TO the NewsPa-
pers and Informing che Police OIL
GERS SO As TO Make sure no Duel
Could BE FOught-Mr. CIay's Let
ter Bitter Pill for the Lawyer to
Swallow.
Atlanta. Ca. Nov. 26.-Hon. Steve Clay
to-day published a letter in reply to the
note which he received from W. c. Che
ney inviting him to a meeting outside If
the state. this meeting being for the pur-
pose OF duel. Mr.. Clay's letter, which is
very good reading is addressed TO Mr.
Cheney. He says: I have always re-
garded YOU as a harmless one. l regret
very mucn 10 see the extreme melancholy
which has always manifested itself in
your disposition and character assume a
phase so fierce and aggressive, and so ut
terly antagonistic TO your entire career
heretofore No man who knows sou
would think for a moment that you want
ed TO fight duel with me, and cannot
persuade myself that you are really in
earnest, although you say so in express
terms. / arrive at this conclusion as
much on account of your conduct in this
affair as by what l know of your person
ally. For in the first place / am inform
ed that you furnished the press with the
communication that you addressed to me /
almost as soon as I received it,
I'm the second place / am Informed /
that you notified the peace officers of this I
city that you intended to fight duel and /
that you had addressed communication /
to me looking TO that end.
mo sane man who intended to appeal 1
to the code duello for satisfaction would /
have acted in this way, because you are /
Obliged to know that we could not posi- /
bly, escape the vigilance of the officers |
that you have taken the preodutlon 10 no. /
tify in advance of your criminal purpose ]
Modern duels are usually fought in TINS /
way. A challenge is sent and accepted, /
and the principals are Immediately put /
under bond to keep the peace. But rev |
of them have labOTed as assiduOusly 10 /
accomplish this result as YOU have done. /
/ decline TO become party TO any such I
miserable fiasco
I decline TO meet you for the purpose |
of receiving a challenge TO fight duel |
for various reasons. In the first place, /
do not believe that you comprehend the /
character or nature OF the act you ask /
me to engage in. This would appear to I
be sufficient reason, but l base my re- /
fusal on higher grounds. / am opposed to /
dueing. / am opposed to il because it /
Is prohibited by the constitution of the 1
state, that ] have frequently sworn to |
support ana 0Gltnu. am opposed TO II ]
because il is condemned by every prin- |
ciple of our laws and every doctrine of |
our religion.
Il am opposed to it. because / am UNI |
willing to commit murder or to become |
a party to its commission by others. l /
never intend to take the life of a human /
being unless il is absolutely necessary to /
do so in self defense. l have a family /
and dependent little ones who look to me |
for support. They have higher claims /
upon me than you can possibly have You
"A
hazard nothing but a life without ties or Il
associations that make it desirable to l
live, a life embittered by disappointments, i
scared. wretched and dwarfed by failure /
and selfishness.
81 have no reason for desiring to meet /
you out of the state, nor have l done |
you any wrong that entities you to any re- !
dress at my hands. l have done you no 4
injustice. If / had / am manly enough |
TO confess IL and make the proper repara- |
ton for ii. Having done you no wrong, I |
have no reparation to make you. 1t Is |
evident that you wanted no duel, but a |
newspaper sensation, otherwise you
would have waited a reasonable time for |
an answer. This you have not done, and |
Notwithstanding that your complaints are |
you invite me out of the state on one |
day, and rush into the public prints on the |
next "
''The course of any gentleman having a |
grievance against another one would have |
been to ask an apology. This is Gus |
tomary with all gentlemen, and no one |
can appeal 10 the tOue unlll lie mas done !
this. This you have not done, but on the |
contrary you send me twelve pages of \
legal cap reeking with abuse, false |
Charges and rumOrs you claim to have /
heard. You assume all these to be true /
without giving me an opportunity to af- |
firm or deny them. / shall not dignity |
your charge by answering them specific |
ally, for where you are known and ] am |
known they need no answer and will do |
me but little harm"
Mr. Clay then reiterates the charge he |
had already made touching Mr.. Cheney's /
business transactions, he having been /
employed by Mr.. Cheney's brother to sue |
him to recover his Inheritance.
Mr.. Cheney also publishes a reply in |
which he says Mr. Clay is mistaken in
believing that he did not want to fight a
duel, and denying that he notified the au-
thorities that he was going to send a
challenge, and also denying that he gave
the matter to the newspapers.
GLYNN'S SCHOOLS