The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-08-09
GARY AND PATTERSON FIGHT
BI.OWS HIT AT LAURENa.
Two Candidates For Governor En.
gage in u Fisttcutf on the Stand

In the News and Courier, Angus,
Kohn writes OF the campaign meI ting
at LRurens On Saturday:
The great educational camp .ign
evolved into Singing match to NY.
1t was some hat the unexpected W II ich
happened. Frank b. Gary and A. How
ara Patterson had u rough and tum ble
light before thousand Laureus people
men anu women. They fought with des.
peratiOn and determination until Jim
Tlllnan and others separated IT,, m,
and then they wanted to get back At
each other. Had the accident occurred
years ago In this county, whom therc
were q cartlOad OF pistols at q meeting,
there would have been funerals here to
morrow, but now all the feeling seems
to be- between the candidates. Today
the result was two badly bruised facee
and emphasis on the style OF campaign
Ing going on, and II others showed the
same spirit there would be many more
listicutfs from day to day. Al touay'e
meeting MIR. Patterson in his speech
attacked Mr.. Cary about his Charles
ton speech, reading the clippings and
making the statement published. MIR.
Gary thought this persistent ell Jrt wae
to mako 1t appear, indirectly, that he
straddled in Charleston, or favored u
local option while in Charleston with
the license feature, which he insisted
was not the case, and Patterson's effort
by reading extracts was to place hum
In false position as to what he said,
and his attitude on the liquor ques.
tiOn.
When Mr.. Gary's turn came to speak
he Immediately replied that he did
not straddle," and that his position
then as now was plain. Mr.. Patterson
was sitting about five feet behind
where MIR. Gary was speaking, and MIR.
Patterson got up and he said :" Mr.
Gary want to explain something." Mr..
Cary turned tquarely around and said:
Now, Mr.. Patterson, want to ask
you plainly Id what | have said about
that Charleston matter true ~ Mr..
Patterson said be would explain. Mr..
Gary replied that there was no use to
explain, but insisted on knowing wheth-
or what he had just said about the
whole matter was true or not. MIR.
Patterson went on to say the candi-
dates would not agree with Cary, or
something on that line, and said he
dared TO prove his statements by any
OF the Candidates. Mr.. Gary insisted
on o direct reply as to whether his
statement about the Charleston speech
WAS true or not. BY this time tho two
men were within arms length, look lug
hercely at each other and, no doubt
looking for q bow.
Mr.. Patterson said that ii he was MT
allowed to explain he must deny what
Mr.. Gary had said Was correct MIR.
Gary then said: III you say my state.
mont Ia not correct you say what is not
30" Tho two men joined. Patterson
struck out ana claims to have hit first
There WAS not seconds difference liz
the passage Of blows. Patterson struck
Gary an uphanded blow under the left
eye, which cut the skin for half al
inch long. Gary tit Patterson on the
mouth and cut the lip and struck him
under the eye. 1t was not minute be-
fore half d dozen men were around the
two combatants they were up against
each other, cllncned, and sevrcal blows
were passed, but they " ere pulled apart.
G&ry WAS taken toward the front oi The
stand and Patterson to the rear. They
said nothing, but were eager ana
watching. Crowds pressed up to the
stand, some yelling for one Candidate
and some for another. BY the did Of
two policemen, Sheriff McCravy, Sena-
tor Tillman and Chairman smith,
those who belonged on the stand were
instructed to get back and sit down,
and those who did not belong ON the
stand to got of. At this time the Can
didates had mopped their faces nnd
wiped the blood from their bruises.
When quiet WAS restored MIR. Gary
faced the audience. Somewhat uls-
hevelled and bruised, and qulverlng
all over and with clinched hands, he
spoke out, and said whom he lett homc
he decided he would be q gentleman
and give no possible offence to any one.
in hn tab ,,,l
from any one. He had treated MIR
Patterson as a gentleman and freud,
but he had gone too far, and he woulu
allow no man to insult him without
hitting him In the mouth. Mr.. Gary
apologized with feeling and almost
tears for having fought before ladies,
and expressed his deep regreIs a. the
Incident. Then he went on and con.
cluded his speech, cutting it here ana
there.
Mr.. Patterson was allowed to make
b statement and said he WAS very
sorry for the occurrence. He did not
like such things. He and Gary had
been warm friends and he had been q
staunch friend Of the family, but when
ever a man told him he lied he tried
TO put his hst in his mouth and give
him the best he had in his shop.
When the two candidates had tax eD
their seats policeman, Who looks like
the pictures Of Mr.. Dlnkelspiel, good
naturedly held out his hand and said
the disturbance would cost each OF the
com batants IS, or they would have to
20 before tho mayors court. MIR. Car,
paid his $5 and Mr.. Patterson followed
suit.
Through the efforts Of Clerk OF
Court Bolt MIR. Patterson and Mr..
Gary met, shook hands and agreed to
be friends and comrades as when
they entered Laurens. or course nci.
ther OF the contestants was burt to any
extent.
After the scrap 1t was up hill work
for oil the candidates until Tillman
was presented and he was received
with enthusiasm. He whooped things
up and had the boys hurrahinp. He
took q primary, and called me up to the
front to note the vote. Not a dozen
voted for prohibition, but when It came
TO vote for the dispensary pretty much
every one voted, and there was one of
those old-time dispensary fields OF up
raised hands. Tillman was happy and
30 did every one else seem to be-, and
bo ranarlx ed that thero ,uoo ,,othI,,