The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-02-21
Booty LEGISLATORS SCRAP.
IN INCIDENT OF THE CLOSING
HOURS OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
4 Senator a:ld q Representative Eave
a Knock Down and Drag Out At
fray n the Nain Lobby OF the State
House.

House.
Columbia, February 19.-The ten
sion between the two houses Of the
general assembly over the dispensarv
situation was not entirely free f.em
a mark of violence after ALL The in
cident, though for a time it looked as
If it would result seriously passed off
finally without attracting much atten-
ton in the city. In fact it was trace
able more to the direct internal ap-
plication of the dispensary than to
any psychological condition brought
about by varying opinion as to how
the wlliskey pro5ler2 should be solved
for the commonwealth at large. 1t
vas q case OF spontaneous combus-
ton. The clash was in the nature Of
a fist fight in the main lobby under
the dome sl<ly'ight in front of the Ii
Srary doors between senator and
member Of the House, and happened
about 8 o'clock Sunday morning
(though the Legislative clock was
standing dutifuliy at a. few minutes to
midnight as a result of the sergeant
alarms frequent application, Of his
long pole to the hands) Both were
bit "woozy'' and therefore not entire
-, o.., >,.;Lro &c VOC tho condition
of a number Of other members who
had taken bracers against the cold
wave while waiting to ratify the last
batch Of acts
There had been more or less loud
talking, stumbling round and brag-
ging about the relative astuteness and
wisdom of the two Houses when the
senator applied a vile epithet to the
member of the House, who promptly
knocked him down. The representa-
I've is tall and powerful, but he is not
Frequently placid and dignified; in
fact his feelings are easily and pro-
fouadly stirred by his own oratoTy
)r that of other members Of the house
~ senator had not finished his in
;..t when the representatives long
rm shot his ist-under the senator's
nose with the impressive force of a
locomotive driving rod. But the SEN
s.:or's friends did not have to pick
n:2, up; he was on MS feet in a jiffy
;unging at the tall one, who was
p-s.. cling about with a dozen members
swinging to him. They were dragged
apart, but they could not be Quilted
mi: they had been taken out OF Zach
others view.
After their friends had labored
with them about an hour, pacifying
them and pumping them full of ad-
vice and patriotism and other things
the belligerents were brought togeth-
err again for a peace conference. But
it would have taken more than Roose-
welt to get those two together. The
negotiations had hardly opened be-
fore the senator punched the repre-
sentative in the nose. hopping UP to
get to him. That dreadful long arm
went cut again and the senator caught
the blood from his mouth and nose in
his hand The sight Of it enraged
him, and his shouting for "a pistol,
a pis-ss, everything I've got for a pis-
toll" as he danced about to get his
hands into the hip pockets of those
holding him would have made the
gentleman VINO got famous for offer
ing lis kingdom for horse look ike
q house local option bill trying to get
through the Senate. He wanted to
shoot and also kill the blankety-
5.aaz-hlank. and the alanketybiank-
Bank was prancing to get at him.
R.:t they are both good and useful
citizens and no good is to be accom-
plish45 by holding their names Up to
the public gaze. McCaw.