Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1902-03-20
TILLMAN AFFAIR NOT ALONE OF
ITS KIND.
THE RECORDS SHOW MANY
Sensational Episode of Years Ago
When Benton Dared Foote to
Shoot-Wisconsin Man, John F.
Potter, Plays Part in Scrap From
Which a Duel Nearly Results.

|
tor Benton OF Missouri barred lis
| breast to Senator t'OOte OF Mlss-s
slrpi and dareQ nim 10 shoot. Ine
exciting incident arose out OF IGe
| bIuLer anJe-bellum debates. FOote
had been remorseIeSsIy attaching the
| motives and deeds vi Lne norLnern
senators lii Cheir poncy toward the
| south. This debate became Ye.y
heated III April. On september IL
Senator Benton GAINED JnaL d ce-
| tain newspaper article mad been
| supervised anu approved by Senator
ioote. inns article represented TO
| De d report Oh the remarks lnuulged
| III by the MISSISSIPPI senator per
sCnal to the senator from Missouri.
! In the midst OF this debate Senator
| tcote interrupted the senator from
| Missouri, and for the time had the
floor. While he was making some
| reternce to Benton, the latter walked
eXcitedly toward HIM. The report OF
the affair is very explicit in stating
| that Senator Benton was unarme1.
He made no sign OF being about 10
| make an assault, but his angry face
alarmed the senator from Mississippi.
Senator FoOte started to run away,
and Senator Benton increased MS
| speed. AS Benton came after him,
Foote hurried along and drew a i've
chambered revolver as he ran.
| Benton was in full chase. He did not
see the weapon, but was apparently
| very anxious to OVertake FOOte.
Senator Dodge OF Wisconsin reached
Benton, and begged him for Gods
sake TO do nothing which would COM
| promise him with the senate. Ben
ton was finally persuaded to turn and
retrace his steps. He looked over
| his shoulder, and caught the first
sight Of the senator from Mississippi
| with the revolver In his hand. This
| aroused him to a frenzy Of despera-
ton. He broke away from Dodge
ana rushed back at Foote. Tearing
open his Waistcoat and his shirt, he
| barred his breast to the Mississippi
senator who was brandishing the re-
volver in his hand. He had cooked
| the weapon as he turned, when he
| saw he could run no farther
Benton stood within a few feet OF
him, and with his naked bosom as a
target, dramatically cried to Foote;
! II am not armed.
| Il have no pistol.
Il diSdain to carry firearms
! Stand out of the way and let the
assassin fire"
| AS may be imagined, there was
scene of the most intense excitement
in the old senate, now the chamber
Oh the hall Of justice OF the United
States supreme court. Covering At
the front of the presidents desk was
the thoroughly frightened FOOte.
! Towering over him was the gigantic
| Benton. He was in a rage that
would have made the gods proud.
| Slowly FoOte wilted. He sank into a
chair, and finally Dickinson of New
York came and took the revolver
away from him.
| A senate committee investigated
/ the matter and did not require the
belligerants to apologize. The giSt
| Of the report was that the senators
/
| apology was not necessary. 1t was
| urgently recommended that the prac-
tice of carrying concealed weapons
| ir the senate be dispensed with.
| Pryor-Potter Incident.
| One of the most famous fights IN
congress took place in the house IL
! 1860 and nearly led to a duel with
bowie knives between Roger A. Pryor
of Virginia and John F. Potter OF
| Wisconsin. Judge Pryor, since be-
come celebrated as a leading lawyer
| in New York, during the years short
states rights partisan and bitter i'll
| his denunciations OF the north. Potter
was a native of Maine, and had &C
| CURED prominence as a lawyer in
| Wisconsin when he was sent to con
| gICsS to represent the first district
| OF Wisconsin, now represented by
| Mr.. Cooper, chairman of the COM
mittee on insular affairs
The alteration between him md
| Judge Pryor occurred over a speech
| III the house by owen Lovejoy con
, corning the assassination of his
brother, Elijah P. Lovejoy at Alton,
HI. for denouncing slavery in his
newspaper. Lovejoy's speech was
one of the strongest deliveries
against slavery ever heard in the
house. and led to a scene of excite
| ment and tumult in which Potter be
came involved
He struck Representative Banks
dale Of Mississippi, who wore a wig,
something not suspected by any mem
Der OF t house and the hirsute
adornment went flying in one direc-
ton while its owner went in another
AS result of blows exchanged Judge
Pryor challenged Potter to a duel
Duels were more common in those
days than now. when an appeal to the
code uello is held in derision.
Pryor was rated an expert pistol
shot, which Potter learned, and when
the seconds of the Virginian called
upon the Representative from Wis
consin TO ascertain what weapons he
desired to choose he promptly said
bowie knives.
Lander. the husband of the cele-
bTsted actress. RS. Lander, was a
strong sympathizer with the cause
which Potter represented. He was
also an expert duelist and callea
upon Potter to give him some valu-
able hints on the use of the weapon
"a had ca1anTad for the naCca