Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-01
Physical Encounters in
Congress
BY John T. BOIFEUILLET

house, in which blows were exchanged and
the whole deiberative assembly was thrown
into confusion and excitement.
The house has frequently been the scene of
| similar occurrences, and several times they
were accompanied with serious results anu
consequences. Not very long ago, for
mer Georgia member was a principal in two
difficulties on the floor, while the house was
in session, one of which barely missed pelhS d
most grave affair.
Representative Lyon, of Vermont, and Rep
resentative Griswold, of Connecticut, hold the
record for having the first fight that ever oc-
Cured in congress. 1t was in 1898, the 1tth
congress, about 1875 years ago. During a
heated discussion Lyon spat in the face OF
Griswold, and later Griswold walked over to
Lyons seat and beat him over the head with
a stick, Lyon defending himself with a pair
of tongs which he obtained from nearby
fireplace
Congressman Was Killed
The whole nation was profoundly stirred IN
1888 by a fatal duel between Representative
Cilley, of Maine, and Representative Graves,
of Kentucky. The field of honor" was near
Washington. Cilley was killed,
According to narrative by champ Clark
one of Tom Marshall's brightest witticisms
was at the expense of Colonel Graves, who
slew Cilley Marshall and Graves were OPP
posing candidates. Graves asserted that Mar
shall was an aristocrat, born with silver
spoon in his mouth, while he himself was the
son of a cooper; therefore he urged that
Marshall should not be elected. Marshall
grew weary of that. SO one day when Colonel
Graves had repeated his formula he sat down
close to Marshall to rest. Marshall arose and
said Fellow citizens, Colonel Graves boasts
that he is the son of a cooper and appeals for
votes on that account. The, elder Graves, no
doubt, was a good cooper, but he put blamed
poor head in his whisky-barrel! at the
same time clapping his hand on the head of
the astonished Graves. Clark further stated
that folks who knew MarshalIs bibUlous hab-
its deemed that the finest joke of the season.
There Were Several Near-Duels
Duels were narrowly averted between Con-
gressmen Breckenridge and Cutting, and Rep
resentatives Potter and Pryor meeting was
only prevented by the strenuous efforts of
friends.
When Senator Hefin, of Alabama, was
member of the house, he and Representative
Norton, of South Dakota, had a round or so
with their flying fists.
Representatives Richmond Pearson Hobson
and Oscar w. Underwood, both of Alabama,
INDUCED in the hottest kind of verbal pyro-
technics one day about personal matters, and
the house momentarily expected a physical
clash between them, but the storm passed
over without fight
A Georgian in Hot Scene
It was with great difficulty that Represent
alive Martin J. Crawford, of Georgia. and
Representative Thad Stevens, of Pennsyl-
vania, were kept out of each others hair. 1t
was a hot scene. The clash took place in the
thirty-sixth congress during the eight weeks
of turmoil incident to the election of speak
er. The house was "a regular r1ngslde, so
numerous were the occurrences in which diff
ferent members shook their angry fists under
noses.
So heated did Representative Branch, of
North Carolina, and Representative Grow, OF
PENNSYLVANIA, become in discussion with each
other that the latter was challenged by the
former to duel. Grow was defeated can
didate for speaker, receiving torty-three
votes. However, he was chosen speaker of
the succeeding house, 1861-63. Grow did not
Rranch'S invitation to put himself up
as a target to be shot at on the duehng
ground.
While Representative Haskin, Of New York,
was gesticulating wildly in a verbal combat,
a pistol dropped from his breast pocket,
struck heavily upon the floor and fired with
a resounding crack that was heard through
out the capitol. Intense excitement was Gre
ated, as many thought for the instant that the
New York member had deliberately fired the
weapon with murderous intent.
RevOIVers and Bowie Knives
SO tumultuous was the general scene that
it seemed at one time as if the entire member
ship of the body would burst into blaze of
physical attacks. Senator Grimes, of Iowa, in
writing of the situation, said: 1.-The represent
atives of both sides are mostly armed with
deadly weapons, and it is said that the friends
of each are armed in the galleries" Senator
Hammond thus expressed himself: II be-
leve every man in both houses is armed with
a revolYer-some with two and bowie
knife" Representative Morris, of Illinois,
scenes and we shall hear the crack of the re
volver and see the CLEAN of the brandished
blade"
All this turbulence was provoked by the
battle over the speakership of the house for
1859-1860. The Republicans were in the ma
jority and they we're divided between John
Sherman, of Ohio; Grow, who figured in the
affair with Branch mentioned above, and
others. The storm ragged around Sherman s
head. Grow retired from the race after the
first ballot On the first ballot Sherman re-
ceiyed sc votes, and upon the retirement OF
Grow Sherman got on the second ballot 107
votes, nine less than the requisite number to
elect. On the fortieth ballot Sherman with
drew, and on the forty-fourth ballot eX-Gov-
ernor Pennington, of New Jersey was elected,
having been placed in the contest when Sher-
man retired.
Georgia Senator on His Mettle
While the tumult over the speakershtp was
raging, Senator IversOn, of Georgia, declared
himself in the following manner on the floor
of the senate:
eff I had control of the public sentiment
the very moment that you elect John Sher-
man, thus giving to the south the example OF
insult as we'll as injury, 1 would walk every
one of us out of the halls of the capitol, and
consult constituents; and / would never
again enter until was babe to do so by those
by those who had the RIGHT to control me- Sir,
would go further than that. L would coun-
sci my constituents instantly to dissolve ali
political ties with party and a people who
thus trample on our rights"
Representatives Kellogg and Logan, of IL
Iinois wanted to climb all over each other
during one of the stormy days of the speaker
ship fist-pistol-bow knife hurrah.
It will be remembered that recently as
the year 1919 Representative Flood, of Vir-
ginia and Representative Walsh, of Massa-
chusetts, narrowly missed serious physical
encounter.
II connection with those dueIs and near