Evening star., 1902-08-08
RESENTED THE INSULT
Mr.. Knox Tells of Atlantic
City Unpleasantness.
AFFAIR IN A CAFE
REMARKS MADE BY BoIsTERoUs
MEN
Comments Were Not to Be Borne-The
Attorney General at Oyster
Bay.

dent Roosevelt was exceptionally busy for
several hours today disposing OF ac
cumulation of public business. BY luncheon
time. however. he had cleared away the
mass of official correspondence and was
ready to receive the Attorney General and
Mrs Knox who arrived from New York
about noon. They will be the guests of the
President and Mrs Roosevelt until tomor-
To a representative of the Associated
Press Mr.. Knox confirmed the report that
he had had a personal difficulty with
party of men in Atlantic City Wednesday
right.
1T was one of those dsagreeable incl
dents. said he. that sometimes occur in
restaurant or other public place. Accom-
panied bv Mrs. Knox, my daughter and
two or three friends, including District At
tDrney YGungs of Pittsburg, / was dining
in the restaurant of the Garden Hotel. A
party of men. none of whom 1 knew. seat
ed themselves at an adjoining table Their
conduct was unseemly and boisterous. They
talked loudly and their comments upon
members of my party and upon me were
insulting. to put it very mildly.
In the circumstances, accompanied as |
was hy the ladies. I could not resent their
actions their words at that time. They
evidently were seeking trouble, without
attracting any more attention than pos
Sible. ] got my party out of the restau
rant.
The Attorney General Returned.
Then / returned" continued Mr.. Knox,
with a smile Ito see IL the men really
were looking for me. l think they were,
for scarcely had l approached them when
they Sprang up. One OF them aimed blow
at my stomach. but it failed to reach me.
/ have no idea who he was. What hap
pened TO him | am not prepared to say.
Those things occur very quickly. | am
quite satisfied. however. that he does not
feel well today 1 do. You will note
that l am looking first rate
You do not know who were in the party
of your assaiIants?" the Attorney General
asked
Not positively. 1 understand that Chas.
T Schoen of Philadelphia and one of the
Cramps. also of Philadelphia, were in the
PARTY. but even of that L am not at all
positive.
Remarks Were Personal.
What actuated them l do not know. A
newspaper of today said that it had some
thing TO do with my attitude on the trust
question. but that seems to be entirely un-
likely. AS they sat at the table in the
restaurant they made no reference to the
action which, Attorney General. l have
taken against certain so-called trusts.
Their remarks were personal to me and to
/ could do nothing but resent them.
Il understand that after l left the res
taurant at the conclusion of the difficulty
the walters suppressed the crowd with SOM
energy.
The Attorney General evidently was not
In the least injured by his assailants, aI.i
as he Chatted about the trouble did not
seem to regard it very seriously.
Soon to Sail for Europe.
1t is understood Attorney General Knox
wall sail shortly for Europe, where, in
France. he will devote some personal at
tentiGn 10 the Panama canal question 1t
Is quite probable now that the proceedings
looking 10 a determination of the ability Of
the new Panama Canal Company to pass
u clear title Of the property to the United
States will be conducted in the French
courts While the administration is anxious
to have the matter passed upon as soon as
practicable. the question of time will be
secondary to that of certainty that the
L nited States will have no trouble with the
stockholders of the old Panama Canal Com
Fany If the property and rights of the new
company should be acquired by this coun-
try under the SpOoner act. The President.
upon whom the responsibility rests. will
take no chances upon the results of ex-
tended litigation In which the United States
might become involved il the property of
the new Panama Canal Company were
purchased before il had been determined
Judictaily that the company possessed the
absolute rlght 10 convey clear title to
tEiS country.
An early caller upon the President today
was Representative Robert ]. Lewis of
York. Pa. who desired to see Mr. Roosevelt
In behalf OF constituent
Statement by One of the Party.
Many features of the sensational reports
printed this morning of the assault on At
torney General Knox at Atlantic City
Wednesday night. are declared by mem
Der Of the Attorney Generals party at the
time 10 be wholly without foundation
There were To blows struck by the Attor-
ney General. and no reference was made by
any one TO the trust question. Exactly
what did happen is given by this gentle
man. who. though well known in Washing
ton. declines to allow his name to be used
The Attorney General and Mrs Knox
and their daughter, with two other la
dies and two gentlemen, were taking din
Fer at one of he large hotels. They occu-
pied seats at round table near the en-
trance. They had about completed their
repast when three men entered and took
places at table near the party. These men
had evidently been drinking heavily and
were particularly noisy and offensive in
their conversation. They. however. said
nothing 10 the Attorney General or his par
ty. or about them.
The Attorney General summoned a waiter
and requested him to inform the men that
their conversation was not suited to the
presence Of ladies. and to request them tC
cease This was done. At this time the
trouble makers were recognized as men of
wealth. one of whom was at one time at the
head OF steel manufacturing concern.
The request sent through the waiter met
with acqu!escence only for a moment, when
the loud talking again began. The head
waiter was then requested to have the con-
versatiOn stopped Upon his appeal to the
men to cease their loud talking they be-
came more noisy, and the Attorney Cen
eral and those with him arose and started
to leave the place.
AS he was about to go out OF the door
the Attorney General exclaimed to the men
that they were lot of blackguards AT
this one of them sprang at him ard seized
hold OF his coat, evidently preparing Ia
strike. Just at this instant a gentleman in
the Attorney Generals party landed a stiff
right-hand blow on the chin of the aggres-
siye steel magnate. The walters caugh,
him as he went down and prevented any
further trouble. The Attorney General md
his party departed TO their hotel.
BRYAN OUT OF IT.