The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-26
AN OLD STORY.

The Difficulty Between Hon. VIM. T..
Ynucey and Hon. II. II. Hill in the
Chamber of the Confederate Sem
ate.
The Richmond Dispatch prints an inter-
esting version of the old story about the
difficulty which occurred in the chamber
of the confederate Senate between Will
lam l.. Yancey OF Alabama, and Benjamin.
II. Hin of Georgia, February 1864. Not
many months after the encounter YAM
cey died, and it has been said that his
death resulted from injuries received in
the fight; that Hill threw HIN against a
desk and injured his spine. According to
the Dispatch, this was not possible, as
they were twelve feet apart.
a bill for organizing the supreme court
was under consideration in the Senate.
Yancey ana Hill, both magnificent exam
PIES of debaters. discussing the question,
became Involved in a heated personal con-
troversy Yancey charged Hin with MAX
ing wiltul Measurements, to which Hill
replied; The remark that l made any
Wi.tui misstatements is false" and then
took his seat. The Dispatches story is as
follows,
The Senate went into secret session ana
unued, IT seems not in regular session.
but in sort of informal conference, when,
without any motion on the subject, the
controversy between Senators Hill and
Yancey was taken into consideration.
Senator r. w. Barnwen of South Caro-
lima expressed the hope that the matter
could and would be amicably adjusted.
lie intimated chat Yancey had on a pre-
Nious occasion, Jan. 3d. given cause of
omense to Hin, and urged Yancey to make
the atnende honorable to Hill This YAM
cey declined. ON the ground that he had
done nothing for which he ought to apollo
gize. Barnwell persisted in advising him
to do so, until Yancey cut him short by
saying: After the manner In which he
had been assailed by the senator from
Georgia he had no option as to his course.
He should stand upon occurrences as they
had taken place. SO far from feeling IL
incumbent upon him to retract any part
of his remarks upon Friday last after
what had occurred he only regretted that
he had not on that occasion used language
of greater severity" Hin then addressed
Nancey in a defiant tone: "You had bet
ter, then, do so now" Yancey replied:
II have said all in that way that is con-
slstent with my character as a gentleman
to say" Hill then struck him with a glass
inkstand (Which had a metallic top on the
right cheek, just under the eye, and as he
turned toward him Hill threw at him a
heavy glass tumber, which just missed
him and was shivered into pieces against
a window sash. Yancey, proclaimlng that
ut was a towards blow" tried to get at
Hin, who was about twelve feet away, but
several senator's lrterposed and the presi-
dent called for the sergeant-at-arms and
the combat was stopped. The Senate af-
terward took jurisdiction of the affair." A
committee was appointed, which reported
resolutions Of censure of Yancey, and they
were adopted.
Yancey made a formal protest against
the report OF the committee of the Senate,
who reconsidered their vote; the protest
was read and then Withdrawn. Thus the
matter ended. It is said that both sena-
tors had reasons which restrained them
from duelling.
The inkstand which struck Yancey was
broken, and his collar, neck and bosom
We're soon covered with blood, so that the
blow must have been very severe.