WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1831-1832
202
To the Hon. Andrew Stevenson,
Speaker of the H01,t$e of Representatives: Sir: I was waylaid in the street, near to my boarding house, last night, about 8 o'clock, and attacked, knocked down by a bludgeon, and severely bruised and wounded, by Samuel Houston, late of Tennessee, for words spoken in my place in the House of Representatives, by reason of which I am confined to my bed, and unable to discharge my duties in the House, and attend to the interests of my constituents. I communicate this informa- tion to you, and reqm:st that you lay it before the House. Very respectfully, yours, William Stanbery, Member of the House of Representatives from Ohio, April 14th, 1832. District of Columbia, County of Washington, to wit: On this 14th day of April, 1832, William Stanbery personally appeared before me, the subscriber, a justice of the peace in and for the said county, and made oath, in due form of law, to the truth of the facts stated in the foregoing letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States. D. A. Hall, J. P. Interrogatory. Do you admit, or deny, that you assaulted and beat the said Stanbery, as he has represented in the letter which has been read, a copy of which has besn delivered to you by order of the House? Answer. [Houston] The accused denies that "he assaulted and beat the said Stanbery as he has represented in the letter which has been read." He admits that he felt great indignation on reading in the National Intelligencer remarks there stated to have been made on the floor of the House of Representatives by the said Stanbery,' imputing to the accused, by name, a gross offence, of which he knew himself to be innocent, and the dis- semination of which throughout the country, by such publication, was evidently calculated to affect his•honor and character. Under these circumstanc€s, the accused was induced to inquire of said Stanbery, in respectful note, whether the report of what he had said was truly set forth in said paper; to which inquiry, thus
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