The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-20
Williams STRIKES
WHEN CALLED LIAR
Democratic House Leader
and MIR. DeArlnond
Fight in House.
MISSOURI MAN
WAS OFFENSIVE
Rivals for Democratic Leader
ship Come to Blows in Dispute
as to Assignments Of Mis-
souri Members to Com
mittees-Botll Make
Statements.
Times Dispatch Bureau.
Munssy Building

+ 4 /.
Times Dispatch Bureau
Munssy Building. N sS
Washington d. c.. Dec. 10.
Representative John Sharp Williams.
leader of the minority OF the House of =
Representatives. has rather raw face.
and Representative DeArmond, of Mis- q
souri,. bears no mark Tonight. as the
result of tistic encounter between, 81
tho two on the floor OF the House i'm
nediately following adjournment this
afternoon. ~ dozen blows passed be-
fore friends succeeded In separating
the combatants. SO far as could be #
oscertained only the first two licks
were effective Liar" applied by Mr.. #
DeArmond to Mr. Williams caused all
the trouble. II am Mssissippian',
was the explanation offered by Mr..
Williams OF the blow which he struck
his first lieutenant. for that Is re-
sardcd as the position occupied by Mr..
DeArmond on the Democratic side.
The row arose over committee ass
signments, which are made for tl,c
Democrats by the minority leader in-s
stead OF by the Speaker who selects s
the Republican members of the. stand
ing committees. Representative jones'
OF Virginia, a warm friend of both Mr..
Williams and Mr.. DeArmond, made as
determined effort at the beginning of
the present session to take away from
the leader the privilege of naming
Democratic committee members, hut
less than half a dozen members OF the
caucus supported the resolution There
have not been any other fights as re-
suit of the naming of the COMMITTEES
members by Mr.. Williams, but there is
much very hard feeling manifested. and
there may be more trouble.
| Mr.. Williams Worsted.
| The spirit OF rivalry that for five
years has alternately smoldered and
blazed between Mr.. Williams ard Mr.
| OeArnond. of Missouri. eliminated in
the fist fight to-day in the House.
/ The blows of Representative DeArmond
caused blood to flow down the fac. Z
of Representative Williams, and oniys
| the forcible intervention OF friends
cut tho combat short. Mr.. DcArmond
bore away no mark.
The Immediate cause OF the fight
was the passing of the lie by Mr..
DeArmond to Mr. Williams. resultant
| OF u complaint by the former that tho
minority leader had broken faith In :
'burying' Representative EBooher, of
| Missouri. by recommending his ass
| stgnment by Speaker Cannon to tho
Committee on Coinage, Weights and
Measures. According to the statements
of the principals, Mr.. Williams defend
ed his action by declaring he had been
| sentative LLOYD. OF Missouri. that the
committee assignments would be satis-ss
| factory to Mr.. Boohcr. Mr.. DeArmond
bluntly questioned the truth OF the
statement, and. after the failure OF
an effort on his part to transfer the
scene OF Impending battle Mr. Will
liams struck Mr.. DeArmond IN the
face with his closed fist.
| House Had Adjourned.
| nidant y,ot Ia. I
set down in the official records of the
1 proceedings of the SiXtieth Congress.
| for the House had been some minutes
/ adjourned when the first blow was
struck. But there was no lack OF Wit
nesses. The organization of the House
! had been completed BY the ANNOUNCE
| .nent CT tho Speakers assignments ri
members to committees. the Republi-
| can committeeman having been se-
/ lected. by the Speaker and the Demo-
| cratic by Mr.. Williams.
Groups of representatives We're scat
! tered over the floor discussing the :,
appointments. the causes. perhaps, he-8s
hind them and the effects. maybe. 70 81
| follow. In the overlooking galleries
loitered a score or SO OF women and
four times that many men, viewing the
| aftermath of an Interesting session.
Mr.. Williams. relaxed from the LONG
/ strain OF allotting preferment AMONG
1.-The 1877 fellow-D emocrats whose minor
itv strength he officially leads, was e
seated at ease at the desk OF Repre-
| sentative Wallace, of Arkansas. on the
centre aisle on the Democratic side
Eof the House, 93ss
I NIr. De.trmond approached, greeted
! him, ana took tho adjoining seat. Az ts
once they engaged each other In earn-
est talk but pitched their voices so 8loWss
Ithat afterwarl only one! or two mem, Z
bcrs who were very close to them could
recall anything they had said
Fight Dazcs Spectators.
They had been thus in converse for
no longer than a few minutes when
both men sprang to their feet, showing u
their chairs back, and the gentleman
iron Mississippi struck the gentleman
Ifrom Missouri glancing blow on the
Iinose. Some Representatives cried CUT i
F"I.ook Look at the fight"
| Everybody looked. hut so startled S
were they by what they saw that no.
| ono seemed for the moment to think
Eot rushing forward and stopping u.
Meantime AR. Williams and Mr.. pe-y
Almond, wedged between two rows az {
desks, We're still exchanging blows
blood was flowing down the face Of the q
Leader of the minority. while Mr.. De-
! Almond was endeavorinS 10 grasp hisi d
opponent by the throat, at the same
time receiving and vigorously return
Ing blow for blow Then everybody
awoke to the unseemliness OF the scene 4
and crowded in and made an end OF Il. N
Alr, peArmond was seized and HIS
1 arms pinioned. Mr.. Williams was
pushed back against desk and laced
about with deterrent arms. Thus res
strained, ha relaxed his aggressive at
titude: but his adversary struggled in
/ th,. embrace Of his friendly caDtOrs H
/ and tried to lash out Then Mr.. De-
\ Almond ineerrogated Mr.. Williams as
Ito what he was excited about. Mr.
/ Williams, slnilingly, though tears of
i Imortifcation stood In his eyes. denied
i that he was excited. and took our ~ "