The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-01
STILL STOOD ON HIS RIGHTS.
EDITOR MURRAY REFUSED To An
sWER MR.. TESTERS QUESTION.

And Was Knocked DOwn-They Met
by Chance on Bryan Street, Near
Bull. and After "a Few Words, Mr..
Lester struck Two BIOws-Mr. MUIR
ray Thought Wr. Lester should BE
Grand Jury's InvestigRtiOn-The
Account of the Difficulty From
Both SIdes-Grew Out OF the AIIeE-
ed LibeIIous Publication Which
the Grand Jury Has Been Investi-
eating.
There was a lively little tilt on Bryan
street just east Of Bull yesterday morning
between 10 ana Il clock. in which Mr..
d. b. Lester and Mr.. F. ]. Murray, editor
o. tbs Evening Herald. were the princi-
pals, and OF which an alleged ubellous ar
tlcle. rejecting on the former. and pub
lshed in that paper was the indirect
cause.
The Morning News yesterday gave a
fun account of the proceedings before
the grand jury OF the city court, grow
ing out Of the article in question. the ef-
fort being made TO have indicted for
criminal libel the author Of the article
The little fsticuff was the natural Sc
quence OF those proceedings. though the
meeting between the Two men was acct
dental
Mr.. Murray was coming along Bryan
street toward Bull. and Mr. Lester was
going down Bull street, turning at Bryan
IN
as h. turned the corner he met Mr. Muir
ray and asked him why he did not come
out and state that he did or did not write
the article in question. Mr. Murray re-
piled hat the grand jury had investigated
the natter and he though, Mr.. Lester
should be satisfied. He told Mr.. Lester
he colld not blum him into making any
statement that he had not been required
to make before the grand jury
Mr.. ester. it appears. was provoked
over de matter considerably. He had
tried u have the author of the article
indicted and failing in this. h. was st!ll
further provoked, and when he received
MT. Mur ay' 5 last reply, struck i'm quick
~ IN tn face. knocking him down and
following up one blow with a second one
lie was augh hold of by some gentle
rene wal 81 the difhculty was prevented.
The whole thing happened in a very much
shorter sitce Of time than IL axes 10
tell IL.
Mr. Murray was bruised in two places
on the fata as a result of his tail. In
speaking the matter, he said IL was
wholly Unexpected. and when he met Mr.
Lester, Considering his tone and manner,
he did not anticipate any difficulty at all.
lie asktd me as soon as We met"
said Mr.. Murray. why I had not an
swered the questions put to me by the
grand jury There was no excitement in
his tone or manner, and / did not anUc-
lpate any oTfculty. / replied that I had
said all I Id 10 say to the grand Jury,
that the mltter had been fully investi-
gated by Tat body. and that there was
no reason ny / should answer aim a
question WI en- ! had not been required
to answer d the court. He then asked
the question again. His arms were still
Iolded, and here was no change O. his
tone. | mao the same reply. telling him
further thai he could not blum me into
stating to I'm what l was not made to
say before L grand jury, especially after
that body "a fully investigated the mat
ter. lie thd struck me. l did not see
him strike all, but when / felt The
blow We climbed and fell 10 the ground
puillng MIN Down. He then struck me
another blow Some Of those who were
standing arfnd say he knicked me.
Whether he d this or not l don't know.
l only know felt another blow Peo1le
who came upthen interferred and thee
was no furthr difficulty. I feel vs~v
much outraget over the matter, especially
as he had no ight 20 demand of me any
statement wnin court Of law had de-
clded II could ot require me to make"
Mr. Lester " 5 seen at his Office short
while after tie difficulty He showed
no signs or mTk from the difficulty. ars
the only relic { ii which he carried VS.
a demolished mbrella.
Bank" he sal, and was not giving
T TaQughS them asms fg when met MuT
him l asked I'm, Murray, after VIVA,
happened ye1rday, why can't you be
man enough 4fome out and say whether
you did or d3 not write that article?'
He replied in sneering sort of a wav
that the gran jury had fully investi-
gated the mattr. that l had no right to
ask him anything further about it, and
asked me if l as not satisfied with the
result OF the lvestigation. / told him
l was not, ant that he should be man
enough TO say whether he wrote the
article: He the stated that I could not
DUN MN in0 making any statement
which he did Mt have to make in court
l was very muo put out about the whole
matter and Wen he replied as he did
| struck him nd knocked him down.
l then struck I'm again, and that was
all there was tot. He did not touch me
at all. The wole thing happened in
about two secods, when some of the
gentlemen standlg there caught hold of
me, and there VS. no more to it,
The encounter was soon the talk Of
the street Whe it was rather unex-
pected the indications were that the mat
ter of the allege libelous article would
not be dropped after the Investigation
OF the city cour grand jury, though it
was not supposed would come IN In thar
way Mr.. Leste intimation made at
the time of the lvestigation was taken
TO mean that he would still further con-
tinue TO press h,matter in the courts.
NeidlingeI Rabun & NELL.
The above is Il title Of two bid firms
under a new maze, and complication