The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-06-21
EDITOR ATTACKED
A Sensational Episode on
Middle Street.
While in Paroxysm Of Rage over an
Imagined Insult W. W. Clark
Assaulted C., L. Stevens.
(New Bern Journal.)

IL. w. bdley yesterday Hi"i % 40
front of G. N. Ennetts book store
The cause of the alteration was tho
| publication in the New Bern journal
| of Saturday morning of a caro- sign
ed by l.. G.. Daniels and also the ed1-
torial in the same paper.
Mr. Clark appeared before mayor
| Ellis in the police court Saturday all
! ternoOn and plead not guilty TO the
charge of assault with deadly weapon
Messrs. G.. n. Emmett and a. e. Hio7
| bard testified that after brlef con-
versation between Messrs. Stevens
and Clark which they did not under
stand, they saw the latter slap the
former and then hit him with M"
| fist. Mr.. Stevens made an attempt to
| defend himself and at that time Mr..
| Bailey, who had been attracted to the
scene, struck at him. Clark then
| picked up a music rack and hit Mr..
Stevens with it, following up the res
treating editor with a slap or hit
which made Mr.. Stevens fall through
| Mr.. Hibbard's show window.
| Mr.. Stevens then went :nto the
store and Mr.. Tom Waters got hold
of the lawyer and took him away.
Mr.. Clark spoke i'm his own defense
and said in substances:
This morning while at breakfast l.
noticed as | read the New Bern Jour
| nal a communication signed by l.. e.
| Daniels and also read an editorial
| which l thought reflected on the
| Democratic delegation to Greensboro
as we'll as myself.
When l got to my office | found
my father in the office reading the
same paper and shortly after, Mr..
| Thomas Daniels came in. We talked
| over. the card and the editorial and
l said | was going to the Journal Of
- nd 1cly AH
them to go along with me for L
wanted some witnesses to the CONVEX
sation.
Father said that would not be wise,
for if any violence should occur the
presence of witnesses would make
1t appear like premeditated assault
l left the office and upon reaching
Middle street l saw the editor stand
ing in front of Mr.. Ennett's book
store. AS / passed Waters store l
spoke to some men in the store to
come out on the walk. l went on and
when / got up with Mr.. Stevens l ask
ed if he was the author of the edi-
torial in this mornings paper; he
said he was. l asked him if-@Ae had
any personal references, and he said
he had none in particular l then
asked him If he had any in general,
and if l was one he said yes, and d,
few others. / slapped him with one
hand and hit him with my other ifs!
and as he retreated l hit him again.
| picked up a music rack which was
standing in front of the store and
struck at him and he fell through
the window. / don't know whether l.
struck him hard enough to push him
through or not, but it didn't seem to
me as if / did. When he got himself
out and started into Ennett's store,
Tom Waters came and pulled me
away.
He made references during his tes-
timony to Mr.. Daniels and Mr.. Ste
vens which was merely an expression
of not relevant to the case at all.
Mr.. Num-, who conducted the
prosecution for Mr.. Stevens, asked
the defendant in cross examination
what it was that he took objection
| to. He said it was. the entire editorial
but more particularly that part in
which it said that the delegates would
go to Greensboro without character
or influence.
Mr.. Tom Waters was the next wit
ness and he asked if he might cor
| rOhorate the essential parts of Mr.
| Clark testimony, but this was over
ruled as incompetent. He gave the
testimony much the same as those
who had preceded him.
One incident occurred during the
| cross examination of Mr.. Waters
which as Mr. Mum explained at frs
| was not allowable he would ask it in
order to bring out a fact which he
wished to be known. He then asked
| the witnesses Of knowing what Mr..
| Clark's political reputation was This
| brought out a vigorous objection from
| the attorney who seemed pit rufffed
| that his political integrity should be
assailed i'm so rude a manner. He
i 81 Nv. hn "a
outside he would show him what his
! political reputation was and that
| every one in the room who was ac7
quainted with him knew what his
| politics are. Some verbal parrying
was then INDUCED in but the mayor
called them down.
There were several witnesses for
Clark but he did not call any but
| Waters to the stand.
| The case was submitted without ar
gument and the mayor deciding that
the attack with the music rack WaS
an assault with a deadly weapon. He
! bound the defendant over to superior
| Court in the sum of $50 which was
| furnished by Mr.. Thomas Daniels, Sr,
The case of Mr. d. w. Bailey thu
other man who assailed Mr.. Stevens.
| the defendant pleaded guilty and
made no attempt at a defense. He
! regretted his action and said 1t Was
purely an act of his impulSlVe nature,
and while he felt "sore" on account
of the editorial he had no intention of
taking it as a personal insult. Judg-
ment was suspended and ne Wa>
| taxed the costs.
The attack was an extremely
vicious one, inasmuch as Mr.. Stevens
was not well, having been confined
to his room the greater part OF two
days the past week and sufferlng very
| greatly from weakness. The caro- was
over the signature of man well
| known in this community.
His place of business is on a thor
oughfare easily accessible TO Mr..
Clark, but instead he makes the edl-
| torial a cloak for his coWardlce, not
| daring to make any assault on per-
| son whom he deemed his physical
equal.
The lawyers references IN the court
to his political character can De re-
butted in the court of the great DEM
| ocratic party of New Bern.
New Method of Securing PoiItlcal
Recognition.
w. w. Clark, of this city, IS tne m
ventor of a new method or securing
political recognition. just where MI