CONGRESSMEN FIGHT.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9071, 11 February 1908, Page 3

CONGRESSMEN FIGHT.

New Tort, December 19. The session of the House of Representatives to-day was enlivened by a spirited pugilistic encounter on the floor of the. House between two picturesque western Congressmen — Mr Williams, of Mississippi, and Hide Armond. of Missouri. Mr Williams. who is the Democratic leader in the House objected to some personal reflections"made iu!]a speech by Mr de Armond during the morning. As soon as the House adjourned for lunch Mr Williams walked over to Mr de Armond’s desk and called him a liar. Mr de Armond retorted with another epithet, and Mr Williams thereupon struck him on the nose, drawing blood. The two men, who are very powerful in build, then garppled, and they fought fiercely for several minutes in the presence of many Congressmen as well as a number of visitors who applauded them from the gallery. When the attendants finally separated the two combatants, Mr de Amond’s nose had been badly battered, while suffered from a damaged eye, and the clothing of both was torn and soiled. Mr de Armond was taken away to a chemists’s by some friends, while Mr Williams went away to get a gun. The r quarrel arose over, the part alleged to have been played in a recent political trausatcion by Mr Williams.