The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-26
FIRST CAMPAIGN FIGHT
PULLED OFF At SALUDA
A BEG CROWD AND A BIG BLEASE
DAY.
Governor Receives Big Ovation-Sher-
iff Samples Brother Knocks Down
Evans Supporter.

Saluda, July 24.-The first fight of
the campaign, big Blease crowd and
big Blease day, and the favors Judge
Jones won from undoubtedly hostile
audience, were the points OF interest
IN the campaign meeting here today.
The Blease sentiment here was strong
er than in any Blease county hereto
fore visited.
The crowd which attended number
ed about 1000, the largest of the cam
paign SO far.
The whole county seemed to be rep
resented There were men, women
and children and a baby show in the
court house after the meeting.
The first fight, strange to say, was
not connected with the tension exist
ing between Jones and Blease, and
stranger still, the only person hurt,
was. not one of the contestants in the
campaign; but an outsider, a friend of
B. B. Evans, one of the candidates for
attorney general. The fight brought
bouncing to the stand a score or so
of men. It looked at this juncture like
it was to be dead men in rows" a
condition that had been frequently pre-
dicted for this campaign since its be-
ginning.
But fierce as are South Carolina s
. contests on the stump there is no rec
objection of killings on such occa-
sions.
Governor Blease took 10 new turn in
his speech today. He referred to sew
eral pardons and paroles granted to
persons in this county. He declared
that J. W. Thurmond, campaign man
ager for Judge Jones, had asked for
!, clemency in several of these cases.
augusta Slush."
Il have seen a letter, said the gov
ernor, 'from Ben Tillman. Tillman
remarked that he was neutral in this
contest and will remain so unless
Z they prove something on me. Tillman
also declared in the letter that the
sIush brought in Augusta had won
thousands of votes for me-;
The governor received big ovation
!, at the close of his speech and was pre-
sented with flowers.
,Igdge Jones was interrupted several
!. times during his speech and especially
when he referred to the record of Gov
ernor Blease. The Interruptions, how
ever, grew less and less rls he proceed
ed and his come backs at his Interrupt
tors found favor with the audience
and he made a good impression, not
withstanding the fact that the crowd
was clearly hostile to him.
An Exciting Moment.
Gunplay between Evans and the
Sample brothers may Or may not have
been Imminent for an instant during
the State campaign meeting here to-
day. Whether or not J shooting af-
fray was impending is a hypothetical
question now, because the blundering
interference Of a drunken bystander
at the critical moment converted a
situation containing elements of trag-
Jedy into a burlesque; though the
aforesaid drunken bystander probably
saw NO humor in the incident. since it
brought him an ugly bruise on the
temple from the hard first of one of
che principals. Evans himself denied
afterward that he was armed, but 9th
er persons in the crowd on the stand
wore pistols unconcealed and one eag-
ier partisan came scrambling over the
rail with an open 4-inch knife in his
hand. No pistols were actually drawn.
Evans had just repeated grave
charges which he had elsewhere made
on the stump against B. Frank Sample,
sheriff of Saluda county, when he was
suddenly confronted by Sheriff Sam
pie and his brother, George Sample,
H.Are you referring to me-? asked the
sheriff. But Evans appealed to the
presiding Office. "Mr. Chairman he
said, 81 am making this speech. If he
wants to see me, let him come to me
afterward" By this time spectators
were On their feet and hasty persons
of beiligerent aspect were climbing to
the platform from all four sides. Ev-
.~ens and the sheriff were facing each
other in pugnacious postures, though
L L. ~ ,{,,,Ir