Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01


1erred, owing to its being enclosed In q pieca
Of paper, which he had swallowed with th@
> drug
A MOTHER case OF the thriller" type is that
related by DR.. F. Regis Noel in the records
Of the Columbia Historical Society, in which,
he tells of the trial and conviction of the noted
American. Gen. Samuel Houston, who later was
President of the Republic of Texas.
1t seems that during debate in Congress,
according to DR.. Noel, MIR. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
member of the HouSe-"stated that the Secre4
tary of War had frauduiently given the de-
PENDANT, using the name of Gov. Houston, thu
contract for Indian rations, and his statement
was published IN the National Intelligencer.
The Governor wrote to Mr.. Stanbery, inquirinG
whether he had specifically mentioned his
name and received an evasive reply, which 50
angered Houston that ne threatened that He
would right the wrong wherever 1t was given
even were it in the Court of Heaven and un-
dertaking to do so in the House
Each party provided himself with pair Of
pistols and dirk, although it was in evidence
that when the clash the Representative
was armed with single pistol and the Cover
nor with young hickory walking-stick. Thus
armed, the parties accidentally met about hal4
a mile from the Capitol on Pennsylvania ave.
nue., April 1. Mr.. Stanbery crossed the ave.
nue. from his lodging and, as he stepped up On
the pavement. the defendant inquired his iden.
tity, which was admitted. Then said the
defendant, you the damned rascal and
struck Mr.. Stanbery with his cane, who stag
gered back and lost his nat, while the aggreSsoR
followed up, striking him. After receiving sew
eral severe blows, the Representative turned 70
go, but the defendant sprang upon him from
the rear, tripped him and continued to beat
him while lying on the ground. Mr.. Stanbery
attempted to pull the pistol from his pocket
and shoot the Governor. but the pistol would
not kad Frov,a ~ t,av@
he was beaten until he ceased to speak and lay
50 still that a witness thought he was badly
hurt, perhaps killed.
Mr.. Stanbery addressed complaint to the
Speaker of the House. and Governor Houston
was arrested and admitted the facts, although
he denied that he intended to commit or did
commit any contempt toward the House, any
breach of its privileges or of the privileges Of
any of its members. However, he was found
guilty, was reprimanded by the Speaker, and
then discharged from the custody of the SER
geant-at-arms
THE question before the Court upon crini-
nal charge afterward Brought, was whether
the conviction and jud yInsnt of the House Of
Representatives were bar to the prosecution
for assault and battery, and the court held
that they were not and. considering the situa-
ton of the parties, their high standing in
society, the original provocation the deliberate
revenge, the great outrage. upon the public
peace, and severity OF the battery and the miti-
eating circumstances, imposed fine of $500 on
the Governor
Gen. HOUSTON, during part OF the time
he served in Congress. resided at 21O7
Pennsylvania avenue, in one of the six Build
ings,' the one into which the Navy ONCE was
moved in 1900. He born at Timber Ridge
Church, near Lexington Va, March q 1898,
and died in Huntsville, Tex, July %, 1868.
He served in the United States House of Rep
resentatives from 1923 to 1927, Governor Of
Tennessee, 1927 to 1929. when he resigned; first
President of Texas, 1886 to 1888, and 1841 to
1874 When Texas was admitted to the Union,
Houston was chosen one of its United States
Senators and served from 1916 to 1859, when he
became Governor of that State, and continued
as such until March Is. 1861. when he was de-
posed because he refused to take the oath Of
allegiance to the Conf:dera States. He is
buried in lakewood Cemetery, Huntsville Tex.
Evidently the beating Mr.. Stanbery received
had no bad effect upon his health, for we find
that, although he was born in New York IN
1888, he did not die until he had passed his
eighty fourth milestone, and then in Ohio OUT
living Gen. Houston by nearly a full decade.
The reformer rarely ever finds it easy
matter to improve conditions to his liking, and