The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-20
 DeArmond Called Will liams a Liar. AND BLOWS FOLLOWED IN VERY RAPID SUCCESSION The Sergeant-at-Arms Separated the Two Men. Ercited Spectators In Galleries And Consressmen on Floor of House Watched Battle While It
 Lasted But Did Not
 Interfere.

Washington, Dec. 19.-The spirit of rivalry that for five years has alter nately smoldered and blazed between John sharp Williams of Mississippi. leader of the minority. and David A. DeArmond of Missouri. leader of the minority opposition. eliminated in q list fight on the floor of the House Of Representatives.
 The blows of Representative -DeAr- mond caused blood to flow down the face of Representative Williams and only the forcible intervention of the Sergeant-at cut the combat short. MT. DeArmond bore away a scuffed nose. The immediate cause of the fight was the passage of the lie by MT. De Arr mond to MT. Williams, resultant of a complaint by the former that the mi nority leader had broken faith in "burying" Representative Booher of Missouri. by recommending his assign ment by Speaker Cannon to the Com mittee on Coinage. Weights and Meas ures. According to the statements of the principals. Mir. Williams defended his action by declaring he had been told by Mir. ,Booher's colleague, Repre- sentative Lloyd of Missouri. that the committee assignments would be sat- isfactory to MT. Booher. Mir. De Ar mond bluntly questioned the truth of
 
 the effort on his part to transfer the scene of the impending battle. Mir. Will Hams struck MT. De Armond in the face with closed fist.
 Not on Records.
 The exciting incident will not be set down in the official records of the Six tieth Congress. For the House had been some minutes adjourned when the first blow was struck: But there was not lack of witnesses.
 The organization of the House had been completed by the announcement of the speakers assignments of mem bers to committees, the Republican committeeman having -heen selected by the Speaker and the Democratic by Mir. Williams. Groups of Representatives. were scattered over the floor discuss ing the appointments. the causes per- haps behind them and the effects that may be to follow. In the overlooking galleries. loitered a score or so of wo- men and four times that many men, viewing aftermath of an interesting session.
 MT. Williams relaxed from the long strain of alloting preferment among the 167 fellow members whose minor ity strength he officially leads. was seated at ease at the desk of Repre- sentative Wallace of Arkansas. on the center aisle, on the Democratic side of the House. MT. De Armond approach
 
 ing seat. At once they engaged each other in earnest talk; but pitched their voices so low that afterward only one or two members who were very close to them could recall anything they had said. They had beer. thus in converse no longer than a few minutes when both men sprang to their feet. showing their chairs back and the gentlemen from Mississippi struck tho gentleman from Missouri a. glancing blow on the nose.
 Some Representative cried out: Look. look at the fight.
 Everybody Was Startled.
 Everybody looked; but so startled were they by what they saw that no one seemed for the moment to think of rushing forward and stopping it..
 Meantime. MT. Williams and MT. DeArmond wedged between two rows of desks. were still exchanging blows. Blood was flowing down the face of the leader of the minority, while MT. ~DeArmond was en6eavorIng to grapple his opponent by the throat, at the same time receiving and vigorously returning blow for blow.
 Then everybody awoke to the un- seemliness of the scene and crowded in and made an end of st. MT. De- Armond was seized and his arms pin toned. MT. Williams was pushed back against a desk and laced about with deterrent arms. Thus restrained. he relaxed his aggressive attitude; but his adversary struggled :n the em- brace of his friendly captors and tried to lash out. Then MT. DeArmond interrogated MT Williams as to what he was ex- cited about. MT. Williams smilingly, though tears of modification stood in his eyes, denied that he was excited, and took out a handkerchief to stanch
 tn cheek. Presently MT. Williams was led away in one direction and both were released. When Mir. Williams was released. he went immediately to the Democratic cloakroom at the rear of the chamber, and while removing the stains of the combat, made the following statement of the trouble:
 WIIlIams's statement.
 The disagreement arose over committee assignment. MT. DeArmond called me to book for recommending his colleague, MT. Booher, to no more prominent committee than that on Coinage, Weights and Measures. I replied that I had been given to un- derstand by him that MT. Booher would be we'll satisfied with the assignment. MT. DeArmond answered to the effect that I could have gained such an idea only by the operation of my imagina- tton, or Dy oeitoerdte WISH to Hisun- derstand. l suggested to him that the floor of the House was no place for quarrel or scene, and asked him to de- sist His answer was that he had new CT had any such understanding with me about Mir. Booher, as had declared, and he added that my subsequent ac-. tion was the result either of error or untruthfulness. I again suggested that the House was no place to settle a personal difficulty of opinions. He retorted that it was not matter Of opinion, but of veracity, and said that he did not believe had merely made mistake. then struck him. and we exchanged blows. It Is most reEretta- ble that the floor should be selected for so unpleasant an affair"
 Mir. DeArmond remained in the House for some little time after the encoun- ter. and then left the chamber, but he