Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-20

lions. her beauty and her personal
popularity gave her the highest pres
tige.
Joshua Brown addressed a letter to
Mrs Wise requesting that an invita-
ton at once be sent to Miss Greene for
the next of the assembly dances. A
dozen other gentlemen wrote similar
letters. At the next meeting of the
committee Mrs. Wise read these letters
and gave her reasons for being I'M
willing to comply with the requests.
These reasons were such as would in
jure Miss Greene's social position.
When the story reached her ears she
sent for her grandfather, Colonel f.
w, Skinner, aged 78 years of age, who
went to New York from Richmond to
take her part.
Colonel Skinner, on his arrival IN
New York, called on Mr.. Wise and
said: Il have called to ask retrac-
ton from your wife for words spoken
against my granddaughter or to de-
man satisfaction from you" Mr..
Wise expressed the utmost ignorance
of the affair and said he would speak
to his wife about it. He did so. Mrs.
Wise wrote Colonel Skinner letter of
explanation which only succeeded in
making the matter worse. Colonel
Skinner, who was an attache of the
American legation at Paris during the
reign of Louis Philippe, and who was
the principal in two duels while So
journer at the French capital, then
asked Leslie Bruce, editor of the TURF,
Field and Farm, to act with him IN
the matter and to be ready, il need be,
to play the role of second. Mr.. Bruce
proceeded next day to Mr.. Wise's Of
fee with a letter demanding further
and complete retraction of the words.
Five separate times Mr.. Bruce carried
this letter to Mr.. Wise's office and was
refused. The last letter contained
formal demand for an ample apology.
In a published interview Mrs. Wise
afterward declared she had no apology
to make. Then DIR. George Harrison,
Miss Greene's physician, took part IN
the controversy and said:
Matters have now gone so far that
Miss Greene friends are at a loss to
see how they can be kept from going
further Col SINNERS demand for an
apology from Mrs. John S. Wise or sat
isfaction from her husband has been
formally put forth and the old colonel
with his fiery southern blood and chiV-
alrous conception of honor, Will be shot
full of bullets or slashed to pieces pc
fore he will withdraw from champion
ing the cause of his fair granddaugh-
ter"
But John S. remained true to his
card published in the Richmond Wing
in 1884 and bravely declined the Skin
ner as he had the McCarty cartel,
after which the gallant old colonel re-
turned sorrowfully to his dear Vlr-
ginia; his granddaughter took her
medicine in misanthropic doses; the
Mendelssohn assembly dances went
gayly on, with the viVacious Mrs. wise
at their head, and the Hon. John Sar-
gent Wise took his chablis and blue
points, ct ceteras, at the Union League
club. and ,if still living rejoices over
the fact that he will never be killed
nor murder a human being in duel.
Also during April, 1891, there TOOK
place in Tennessee. one of the most
law-abiding states in the Union,
serious disturbance between Congress-
man Phelan of Memphis and Col. John
M. Fleming, editor of the Knoxville
Sentinel 1t seems that in replying TO
some criticisms by Fleming on Phelan
school history the congressman SAID
the criticisms were due to pique, be-
cause Fleming had not been given an
advance COPY. This Fleming Denied
and Phelan wrote an apology to Flem-
ing's paper and also to the Memphis
Commercial, in which paper he had
made the same charge Fleming re-
fused to accept an apology, and In
letter to the Commercial intimated that
Phelan had practiced deception from
the start Phelan did not see this let
ter until his return from South Caro-
lima on the 9Th when he sent the foi-
lowing message:
"John M. Fleming: When I wrote
from Aiken 1 had not seen your letter
to the Memphis Commercial. You are
liar. a coward and a scoundrel. wan