The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-25

KNOCKED DEBOY DOWN
The Difficulty Grew Out Of Differences
in Politics in the Third Ward, in
Which Both Men Live, and the
Blows Were Precipitated by
DeBoy Giving the Lie

Last evening shortly after, seven
O'Clock personal encounter took
place on Wilmington street in the rear
of the market house between Police
man S. n. Leason and Mr.. Nick DeBoy,
the affair growing out of differences in
city politics. The two gentlemen en-
gagged in conversation con-
corning the candidate for alderman
from the First Division of the Third
Ward, and some remarks made by Of
ficer Leason We're objected TO by Mr..
DeBoy, and as the discussion grew
personal, Mr.. DeBoy gave Mr.. Leason
the lie, when the latter struck Mr.. De-
Boy with his billy several times,
knocking him down, and when Mr..
DeBoy offered Resistance Mr.. Leason
threatened to shoot him. Mr.. DeBoy
was not seriously injured, but carries
several bruises on his face and shout
derS.
After the ARRAY both parties SUBJ
mitted to the chief of police and Mr..
Leason was laid over until this morn
ing at 10 O'Clock, giving the mayor
and chief of police time to investigate
the case.
When seen after the affair, Mr.. Lea
son made a statement as follows:
Il have been sick for several days
been off duty. l started on duty again
tonight, and when 1 got on Whining
ton street. back of the market some
one spoke to me- and when 1 turned
saw it was Nick DeBoy. He asked ms
If | had gone back on him, and l re-
piled no, that / was a through and
through Stronach man, and that / was
and had always been in favor of good
and honest men in office. He said he
understood that l was against George
Harden as alderman from my ward
and told him that I knew every man
from the ground up, but the situation
had been discussed among the mem-
bers of the police force, and ii had
been decided that they should not mix
up or NEEDLE in politics, and | had
stuck to this stand until 1 found out
that there were c)iqueS and rings or
ganzed to have certain men elected
as aldermen. which was not right ana
i thought / should be allowed to vote
for whom ] thought was right, and
when / said that men had been put ir
the field to accomplish wrong things,
he said that whoever said that lied.
told him not to call me a liar. He
then said | was q -. liar and /
told him L would not take that from
anybody and struck him with my billy
not to hurt him, but to let him know
that l was in earnest. He then threw
something at me which / thought were
knucks, and then l knocked him down
and struck him several times on the
ground. He jumped up and ran to an
old colored man and grabbed a large
stick three or four feet long, and as
he did | said: L have a gun in my
pocket and if you attempt to hit me
with that stick III shoot you, so help
me God. l then went up to the sta
ton house and submitted to the chief
and DeBoy followed me and called
me a liar before Chief Miflin. but the
chief made him hush. / told the chief
that l was at his disposal and that /
was perfectly willing for the people to
decide whether L was right or wrong
i'm the matter, and that because
1 was an officer, / should not be com
PEELED to forget my manhood and take
down lie. The Chief told me to come
back tomorrow morning at 10 O'Clock.
am sorry for the occurrence. but I
won't let any man call me a lie De-
Boy and L had always been friends,
and L don't know why he caused this
difficulty"
Mr.. DeBoy was also seen and made
the following statement:
Il met Leason behind the market
on Wilmington street u little after z
o'clock, and we began talking about
politics in the third ward, and he
made remark about a candidate for
aldermen running in the interest OF
certain people. | told him that was
not so, and he said it was, and that
he had heard it from other parties.
Then / remarked that he was wrong,
and that / had spoken to the candi-
date, and the candidate had said he
was running for nothing except what
the people of the third ward wanted
Then Leason said this was notaso, and
/ told him that whoever said that
about my candidate was a liar. Lea
son drew his billy, and asked if |
meant to call him liar. and 1 re-
piled yes. if he said that about the
candidate. He hit me two or three
times with his billy and knocked me
TO The ground. l looked around for
Something with which / might pre-
tect myself. and saw a negro with
stick. / ran for the man and tried
to get tae stick. Leason following me.
When he came up he said that he had
pistol il: his back pocket. and placed
his hand on his hip pocket. and said
he would shoot me if l should hit
him. Charles Hinton, a clerk in Il
store on Wilmington street. jumped
between us. and separated us. We
went before the Chief of Police. and
the Chief relieved Leason from duty
till 10 o'clock this morning"
Others seen in regard to the affair
stated that Leason had said that there
was a combine formed in the third
ward to defeat him, and that it was
trying to do him all the injury it