The sun., 1908-04-19
STATESMEN QUICK 40 FIoHT.
SSMs stIrrInE Events at Washington Half
- Century Ago,

~ Century AgO.
Sensational episodes happening at the
national capital in which Congressman
were the leading figures was the topic In
which number Of gentlemen participated,
says The Washington Post, when an old In
habitant broke In with the remark that
he considered the attack upon Senator
Sumner OF Mass lchJsetts by Representative
Preston s. brooks Of South Carolina as the
greatest incident ~ the character that was
being discussed that ever happened In any
hall OF legislation
lit WAS more than dtty years ago said
the old gentleman, when this unhappy
circumstance occurred. TO be more exact,
II took place in the latter part Of the month
Of May, 1856, That would make II flfty-tWo
years ago next month, | remember the
event very well, for I was In the Senate
Ghamhsr soon after lrOoks made his assault
and saw pieces Of the broken gutta percha
cane HiIh which hc struck the Senator
l.. lying near Mr. Summers desk.
'Of course thC"n was intense excitement
I and II eTtendci all oyer the civilized world. {
In many quarters great indignation was
expressed, and particularly In England, !
where Mr. sumner, because OF his well 4
I known championship of the abolition Of ]
/ slavery. was a great favOrite Brooks was
arrested and taken Geiore Justice Hollings-
| head, one OF the most prominent OF the
Washington justices.
! -'rhe District courts did take some action,
! however 4 short time after tho assault V
! Mr.. Brooks was taken before Judge CraW-6 <
/ ford, who incl him in the sum Of $500.
! THE intense excitement did not die out
| for some time Mr. Summers colleague
| in the Senate. who was Henry Wilson,
! afterward Vice President during the second
administration Of Gen. Grant, made q
! speech in which he characterized the at
/ tack upon Sumner as larbarous and ruffianly
/ and used other language OF character
! that induced Mr. Brooks to challenge him
| TO fight a duel. Wilson however, was averso
! To the code aud declined.
/ -Anson Burlingame. also OF Maa8a- [
! Chusetts, made speech in the Houe9 OF (
| Representatives in which he cited the hll- ,
ing-ti 0hrf%by Cain and said Brooks smote
| Sumner as Cain smote his brother. This
! L. Brooks to challenge Burlingame, who
! said he would meet Brooks and negotiate
| things on the Canada side Of Niagara Falls
! Brooks was ready to fight and wiling to
/ 20. hui several friends who we're willing i
that he should fight did not think he should :
! 20 so far north for the purpose and he was
| prevailed upon not to GO As understand
| il, he was persuaded against his own will
to follow the advice OF his friends, and
the end Of this phase ot the matter was
| that both Of these gentlemen were put
| under heavy bonds not to fight.
This period Of the year 1855 was full
| Of sensational incidents. Ii was in the same
month that Brooks caned Sumner that
| Representative Herbert Of California shot
and killed a waiter at Wizards Hotel whoss
name was Keating, There had been some
| sharp talk between Keating and the Con-
gresham while the latter was breakfasting
and a conversation which was carried on /
in rather low tones at last broke forth in
a violent and certainly on the part OF the
Congressman undgnified quarrel. Then
there came a sCuffle and Herbert shot the
waiter He was of course arrested and
tried. He had two trials in fact, for the
Jury st first disagreed, but on the second
trial he was acquitted. | think a witness
esiifed that Keating was holding Herbert
under the dining room table and was pound
ing him, and q case Of self-defence was
thereby created At this time the Amer
ican, or Know Nothing party was prominent
in the land. Now Keating was an Irish
man aud a rather popular man. His friends
attributed his killing 10 race hatred and
denounced Herbert and all his friends in
unmeasured terms.
sThere was something akin 10 an inter-
national question that grew out Of this
tragic circumstance. IL appeared that
the testimony OF the Minister from The
Hague, whose name | do not now recall.
was desired by the United States Attorney
for this district to testify in the case, but
the Minister declined to accede 10 the at
torneys request. He had been witness
TO the occurrence in the hotel dining ROOM,
aud with the exception Of friend Of Mr..
Herbert was the only witness. However,
the Minister declined to 60 to the court and
give evidence on grounds Of international
law, but he would go TO the State De-
partment, he said. and testify TO the truth
in the matter. Mr.. Marcy. who was then
the Secretary Of State. did not like the y
position taken by the Minister and Accord
ingly requested the American Minister AZ
The Hague to refer il to the Minister OF
Foreign Affairs at that capital. All the
members of the Diplomatic Corps in this
CITY took sides with the Minister from The
Hague. The result OF all the correspond
ence. &c. was that the Minister did not
testify in the case
There came near being duel between
two well known lawyers Of this city during
the course OF PROCEEDINGS in the Herbert
trial One Of these gentlemen was Daniel
Ratclihe and the other Walter DenoI.
IenoX at one time had been NlavOr Of the
city. Both were rather hotheaded and
both favored the duello in certain circum-
stances. They had war Of words in the
court room and the lie was passed. Now
among a certain class Of gentlemen in this ,
community thai meant fight at that period.
These prominent lawyers actually did have
q collision in the court room, but we're sep
arated Before arrangements for a meeting
on the field OF honor however. both were
arrested and required to give bonds not to
engage in duel.
aThere we're other sensa ional events
about this time, one o. which was DIM
Guilty between Mr. Sherman, sfterward
Senator Sherman Of Ohio, an1 Mr., Wright
OF Tennessee, both distinguished members
OF the House Of Representative Sher-
man threw a batch OF waters into WHghts
face and the Tennesseean made an attempt
to strike his opponent. There were wide
spread ruInoTs Of duel 20 be the outcome
OF this. but the reported meeting was
flash in the pan. In fact there was no
challenge from either gentleman.
1T was in this same year that President
Pierce refused to recognize further Mr..
Champion as the British Minister because.
as IL was declared. her Majesty's Govern
ment was endeavoring TO recruit soldiers
in the United States for service in the war
against Russia There was naturally much
excitement but diplomacy managed TO set
tie the difficulty peacefully
Nice Distinction In Parental Discipline.
Ill