Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-06-13
FULL TEXT OF STATEMENT.
DIR. CannOn's Editorial in South.
ern Methodist Recorder.
(NorToS6 Lasadmark1


fNoJolk Lassdmark.)
The following statement of the
Trouble between DR.. Cannon and
Lessler Hoss will prove of ipteres,
to friends of all parties and others
of Norfolk. The statement was
written by DR.. Cannon on his re-
turn from Dallas, and appears as an
editorial in this weeks issue of the
Southern Methodist Recorder:
81 regret exceedingly that it is
necessary for me to say anything
about the occurrence at the close Of
the General Conference. decliied
to say anything to the reporter
there, and | understood that young
Mr.. Hoss and DR.. Hoss did the
same. But as reports have been
sent to the papers, and as these re-
ports are Inaccurate, | make the fol-
lowing statement OF the facts as
they occurred, to the best of my
knowledge aud belief:
Immediately after the benedic-
ton was announced, and Just as /
was about to pick up my papers
from the chair, | felt some one at
my right hand, and, turning, saw
the young man, whom l had under
stood to be DIR. Hoss' son, standing
by me. He held out to me the front
page of the Southern Methodist Re
eorder, dated May Sth, aud said that
he wanted an explanation of that
article. | said to him: Young man,
| have Lo explanation to make to
you of that article He said: You
have printed my mothers name in
your paper and / demand an expla-
nation | said: Yes, your mothers
name is in the paper, but it is used
in an entirely respectful way He
said: You accuse my father of false
hood [ said: 'I shall not discuss
the matters with you.' He said: 81
have been watching you for some
time, and you have been writing
about my father and you must stop
it." | said: Young man, have no
idea of discussing such matters with
you. IL there are any matters of
between your father
and myself / will talk over them
with him, but / shall not do so with
a young man like you.' | then
turned to pick up my papers. He
me by the arm and said that
If ! wrote any more such articles he
would hold me personally response
bic, and at the same time he struck
st me, but merely grazed my face.
| was so astonished at his action
that l had not time to straighten up
before Messrs. T.. G. Mosely, of Dan
Vile; w. w. Vicar, of Norfolk; w.
II. Webb, of Tennessee, and IL. @.
Reeves, of Tennessee, all of whom
were standing close by, pressed in
just as he struck at me again. This
second attempt would probably have
reached me fully, but for the diver
sion of the aim by the other gentle
men. AS it was it reached the side
Of my cheek, but without force, and
was not felt thirty seconds after.
wards. | turned to my chair, picked
lp my papers and left the hall as if
had happened. The young
man, so | understood, went at once
from the hall by another door.
81 am entirely willing to bear the
responsibility for anything l write,
but not for that i do not write. I'LL
know the meaning of words, there was
nothing in the Recorder that reflected
n any way upon Mrs. Hoss, and as |
he reports in the papers do not give
he words of the article, / give the /
in which her name occurs. |
"On March 9th sent short arti- |
Ne on the Deaconess question to DIR. |
doss. Although the subject was dis.
,ussed after that time by DR.. Hoss, |
md other articles written after mine
we're published, mine was not pub.
ished, and SO, about April 20th !
wrote requesting the return of the |
article. q now quote from the arti-
lie of March Sth:)
"'After a few days he received a |
etter from Mrs. 4. 4. Hoss, stating
hat the article had been misplaced.
md therefore. could not be returned. |
In the last Issue of the Adpocdte
here was an editorial note, that
owing to lack of space, some articles
'n the Deaconess question could not
be published
"This is the only reference to Mrs.
Hoss in the article, and her name is
simply used in a statement of fact
that ! had received letter that the
article had been misplaced. If DIR.
Hoss. or his son, or his secretary had
written the letter, the statement of
fact would have been made as to who
wrote the letter. But there has never
been any question raised as to the
loss of the article. | never doubte
that, nor did the article intimate any
doubt as to its loss. l wrote the arti-
Gle to show that j had sent an article
On the Deaconess question to DR..
Hoss, and that it was not published,
and that 1t looked as if mo admit
lance was written over the columns
IF the Nashville Advocate to anv arti-
,le, no matter how short, or on what
subject, if the name of James Can
non, jr., was signed to the article. l
aeny that there was any reference to
Mrs. Hoss in the article that was not
respectful, or which involved
more than simple state
neDt of undisputed fact.
81 myself attributed the conduct
If the young man, in view of his
,ther language at the time, to his
general excitement and dissatlsfac-
ion at the sharp issues which had
arisen between his father and myself
during the last four years, and / re-
yarded his action as that of an inn
nature person so overcome by his
feeIlups as tn Re unahle IN r;oht tlv ac