Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-05
STRUCK BY MR. FLOOD
,urOmattO1 Senator hskss an Attack
uUOn Er. Flanagan, Of POKnalan.
spvruE BLOW WITH a STICK
The trouble Occurs )" the
chamber. and Is the oufsf""'"
Wards Used During the
,,,oction BiII Discussion

u .rered him by Senator "ilnaih
lnsu'e I'm Of Powhatan. made an at
NJ 60 the latter yesterday in the
'a," cI.,. csambcr and struck HIM over 'ne
20 u5,h q hickory stick mh'e''"s d
h''' .a palnfui scalp wound, whieh
.i,,,ns are somewhat appreheh-
~. NAV prove rather serious.
s'. .-,,tle. which was the cuinina-
an unfr.endly feeling that mas
''" ne,wecn the two senators Tor
'A'' ,,e and grew Immediately out
.,tications touching heated "orus
- ,sssed between them during the
'''' ,., Of the election bill Monday
,,,prred Just before the Senate
.i,8 10 order and the blows, OF
-, ,berc were two. were administered
,,. other senators In the chamber
r,,iizsd what had happened
The trouble was. as indicated above the
,.....r,y.tb Of a pointed remark made by
~, ri,nacan, who interrupted MI
- n, the floor OF the Senate Monday
.l-tt ,,bcn he was discussing the cleo
&c question. and advocating the pas
80 ~ the Parker bill. which Mr.. Flana-
gan had opposed.
Mfr. Flood. in his remarks, spoke rather
d,suaraeingly of the gentleman from
p,wbatsn. and Mr. Flanagan sprang 10
tie feet pointed his finger at MT. Flood.
and said: THAT statement is absolutely
untrue. and the Senator from Appomat-
,,v knows IL. / verify believe" or words
~. mar effect. Mr. Flood retorted that
D.. had previously and when not uhoer
,.straint told the gentleman from Pow
hatan what no thought of him.
He REITERATED.
The Times. in its issue the next morn
,rg reported Mr.. Flanagan as having
characterlzed Mr.. Floods statement as
am absolute falsehood." When the
rr,-,ss renorter entered the Senate cham
ter Tuesday morning he was approached
bv Senator Flood. who told him that he
had misduoted Mr. Flanagan's remark;
not Mr. Flanagan had said that his
Ugood'sl statement was untrue and not
tbat u was a falsehood. The reporter,
believing that he had not misquOted Mr..
Fianaran. approached that gentleman,
ana asked him If he had said what the
Times attributed to him. He replied af-
arma,yeiy. and in yesterday morning 5
Times appeared the following:
"Tb. question was raised by several
senator's Yesterday as to the report which
appesrea in Yesterdays Times of the
debate between Messrs. Flood and Flana-
San. The report of the. Times was that
Alr. Flanagan accused Mr.. Flood Of being
guilty of absolute falsehood' in a charge
which he made.
several senator's who heard the debate
insist that the words used by the row
hatan Senator were that the statement
was absolutely not So
"The question was referred 10 Mr..
Flanagan. and he declared the report of
the Times TO be correct in every particu-
Tar. so far as he was concerned.
CONSTRUED AS AN INSULT.
This publication Mr.. Flood saw yester-
day morning before going 10 the Capitol.
When ne arrived at the Senate chamber
MIR. Flanagan had not entered, and Mr..
Flood engaged in conversation with seNe-
raj Of his brother senators, though, 20
far as can b. learned, he did not give
any int,mation Of his intention to attack
Mr. Flanagan. IT was noticed that he
had in his hand heavy hickory walking
stick. and though IL was not customary
for him 10 carry a cane. nothing was
thought OF this
T.
twice. returning each time after a few
moments absence, and just before noon
Mr.. Flanagan came In, and walked 10 his
seat which Is near the entrance. He
stopped there. and. leaning over the iron
railing which separates the desks of the
senator's from the space allotted TO spec
tat0rs. engaged IN conversation with Mr..
Evans. a gentleman who had some busi-
ness with him.
While he was thus engaged Mr.. Flood
Entered the chamber and walked over 10
ihe Clerks desk. and stood there for
several moments as though resolving IN
obs mind what course was best 10 pur-
iue. Mr Flanagan had his back towards
him and Mr. Flood walked directly up
i0 the aisle until near the front of Mr..
tlanaeaus desk. In order to attract the
attention Of the gentleman from Powha-
tan. ana 90 give him time TO place him
self On the defensive, Mr.. Flood. 20 he
states, said 10 a loud and angry tone.
'Y0u lying scoundrel"
Mr Flanagan. who is known to be an
athlete and a most courageous man.
turned instantly and confronted the gen.
tleman who had addressed this epithet
90 him. and Mr.. Flood. according to the
latters version, waited for a moment,
then raising the stick brought it down
wiki great force on the Senator from
PoBhatan.
THREW UP HIS ARM.
Mr.. Flanagan threw up his arm to
ward of the blow. and the only result
was that his hat was knocked back on
his head, and he received a severe con-
fusion on the uplifted arm. Mr.. Flana-
gan as soon az he was struck. slapped
bis hands over his face, and while he
was In this position Mr. Flood dealt an
other blow, this time striking him on
the head. The blow was quite severe,
and PRODUCED an inclsed wound over the
left ear about 10 inches long. running
ohiquey down towards the forehead. The
blood flowed quite freely. and Mr.. Flana-
gan staggering over against the railing
and leaning upon It, cried out. my God.
am dizzy; ] am blind; who struck me?'
Mr. Flood stood near him. and as this
nterrogaiory was put replied, with an
oath. Il did"
Several gentlemen rushed over TO the
scene OF the affair al this juncture. and
Mr Flood handing his stick 10 one OF
Them, turned on his heel and left the
room going at once into the Office OF
Cierk-of- of-ihe-Senate Button.
sergeart-at-Arms +. H. Watkins caught
NJ Flanagan and assisted him to a
plush sofa near the scene OF the fracas,
and De lay down on that
THE WOUNDS DRESSED
Dr. George r. snead. a member OF the
Senate from Norfolk. and Dr. Franklin
Pierce. a member OF the House from Isle
Of Wight. reached the side OF the wound
% man very soon after the blow was
struck and they at once dressed his
wounds. and made him as comfortable
as possible. Dr. Aaron Jeffery was tele-
phoned for, and he arrived at the Capitol
in few minutes, bringing appliances
with him TO more thoroughly dress the
wound. He. at the request Of Mr.. Flana-
gan. who was By this time quite con-