The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-07-29
A Fisticufr Between Earle and Evans
ut Florence.

and Circuit Court Judge came to blows
m the rostrum In the Court House.
Blood was spilled as result of
this campaign of education. The cam
paigu can hardly sink any lower. The
personal fight was perhaps no more be-
low the plane of the campaign than sew
eral of the speeches and many CT the re-
ferences. The speakers called each other
liars with almost the same alacrity that
they would call each other gentlemen.
One candidate charged the other with be-
ing belplessly drunk, while the other
charged his adversary with having failed
three times, and becoming Weather on
the occasion of each failure. A Governor
charged insurance agents with "doing
the same as stealing money" A Senate
risl candidate referred TO his adversary
rs being jumping jack, "toad," and
unworthy to breathe the fair name of
a young lady" and finally said Of Gov
ernor, tsWatch him, he has been in a
Court room before, and may yet be in the
dock" And q Governor said of his oppn.
nents that they were going around like
sfice dogs with their tails cut" But why
W on? These are just few samples of
one ofthe campaign meetings. The list
of such plimentary expressions may,
by search of the records be found to con-
tinue ad infinitum. But what's the need
of this? Actions often speak louder than
words. Judge Earle could not stand 1t
any longer and came to blows with his
adversary, and couple Of the other can
dldates gave the audience to understand
that there was possibility of meeting
"on the outside"
Oh, yes! this is the great campaign of
education. It Is one of the things of
which the movement boasts, for it hrs
said that 1t Is great privilege for candi-
dates to come face to face before tho peo-
ple It may not make much difference
whether the lives of the people are ieop-
srdizsd by such meetings, but to-day it
looked very threatening, for numerous
we're the pistols that were drawn, aud hap
py the result that not one Of them was
fired.
Now there will naturally be o variety
Of stories about the encounter between
Governor Evans and Gen. Earle, as we'll
"a the effect OF several of the 3. ohes.
Without any Intention of doing any one
an Injustice, or mixing up the facts,
they will be given just rs they were seen
or understood from those best able to de-
tail the matters, for in the excitement OF
the moment it was difficult to see every
thing.
Naturally the chief excitement and the
most sensational and dramatic incident
of the cam paign up 10 this time was the
encounter between Governor Evans and
Judge Ear 9.
1t will be remem bered that at previous
meetings Judge Earle had warned Gov
ernor Evans not to mako any personal
reflections on him, or TO use any improp.
er language, and il he did 30 it would be
at his peril. Governor Evans at each
such warming took occasion 10 say that he
would say whatever he pleased, and as s
sequence to this there occurred to-day
the first personal encounter,in the tour
campaigns that have occurred since State
sm paigDing between candidates began
Both men did what they promised, and
nccasioned thereby very considerable
disturbance.
Judge Earle spoke first, and in tht
course of his remarks said nothing about
bis antagonist, but dealt entirely with ma
tional issues. When Governor Evans be.
gan to speak there was c"ll"quy be
tween himself and Judge Earle about
| certain questions that were asked at the
Lancaster meeting, the issue arising
through controversy as to who started
| the cam palgn on the decline. This con-
troversy, involving the reading of affids'
Wits, and q rather harsh tone between the
Two candidates, was temporarily settled
| without blows. Later on Governor
| Evans had occasion to speak of the Till
| lnan letter, and went on to say that hit
opponents were stating what position
Tillman had taken or would take, aoG
| that the day before he had gotten the let
| ter one of his opponents had talked about
rillman, and said that he was hands of
in the fight, but that the day he got the
letter nothing was said about this, ano
then he went on tn say "They are going
around here like flee dogs, with their tail;
cut"
Judge Earle was seated just about 6
mans length from Governor Evans, who
was speaking from the slight elevation in
| words "like fce dogs with their taIls
cut' came out Gen. Earle jumped up
and facing Governor Evans, but still or
the main floor, said; "Now, Governor
that's going too far" and walking up 6
.aep or two, with one foot on the eleva.
ion leading to Governor Evans, said tc
hiu, looking him sqIarely in the face
$40 you refer to me?"
Governor Evans, with little wave Of
the hand, said: 'Now, General, wasn'i
hurting YOU" or something like that.
Judge Earle wanted no mistake about
the matter, and said: "What did you
meau." And Governor Evans, still look.
ing at him, saids 81 meant just what
said; that you and Duncan are going
around like two little fee dogs"
If Governor Evans intended to say any
thing further there was no chance for It.
FOR with that Gen. Earle deliberately pu,
himself in position, drew back his arm
and let it out at Governor Evans head
with all the force that he had. Governor
Evans dodged, and if the blow struck him
| It was on the head or back, but not in the
face. Governor Evans struck back while
still bending, and hit Gen. Earle. In an
instant fifty people around were up and
all was excitement. Sheriff Scarborcu ugh
| and two or three other people got ahead
of Judge Earle and pinned bis arms to
his side. and Chairman Mccall and others
pulled Governor Evans to one size. In
less time than it takes to say it the two
men were several feet apart. Governor
Evans was standing on the elevation
without any bruises, and pale with eG.
| citement, while facing him was his ad.
versary with sharp blow on the left
| cheek bone. The blood was trickling
down the side of Judge Esrle's face, bul
this was of apparently no concern to him
for he was there ready for the next move
OF course both men had their friends
there, but at the instant that the blow was
| struck il appeared that there were more
of Governor Evans friends about thar
those of Judge Earle, but within min.
| ute there were dozen of Judge Earle't
friends about him. There was great tC
do about it, and quite number of the
party seemed to want TO get into fight
bnt there was more talking than anything
else. Several of Governor Evans friends
were crying out that they were ready and
willing to fight it out. Several of the hot
heads in the crowd drew their pistols
while others did not draw them, but
made ready to do 30. The reporter g
stand was within few feet of the scene
of com bat, and it was but an instant before
men began trampling over their papers
and persons.
When the first shock was over the cool.
beaded men in the audience, and around
the com bataDts, cried for everyone to sit
down, but everyone didn't sit down, but
kept on threatening to fight and hurrah
ing for their favorite. The friends o
Governor Evans seemed to get the notion
that after the fight it was an effort TO keep
him from speaking, but no one seemed
to have any such idea, and few minutes
after the blows had been passed Judge
Earle, with the blood still on his face
mounted chair and cried out, "rhis
thing is all over, and let every body sill
down, and am sorry for it"
A minute or two afterwards Governor