Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

Report of the Committee of Privileges, to whom was referred, on the 16th instant, a Motion for the Expulsion of Roger Griswold and Matthew Lyon, Members of this House, for riotous and disorderly behaviour, committed in the House. Ordered to lie on the table the 20th February, 1798.—
Published by order of the House of Representatives
(Concluded from yesterday's Gazette.)

Mr. Gordon's Testimony.
No. VII.

I, William Gordon, do testify and say, that on the morning of the 15th of February instant, about the hour of eleven, I went to the hall of the house of representatives. Very soon after I had entered, I observed Mr. Griswold come with a cane in his hand. In the course of a few minutes afterwards Mr. Lyon also came into the house, and immediately went and placed himself in the seat which he has usually occupied, nearly opposite to the chair of the speaker. He had in his hand a cane, which as he seated himself he placed behind him. On seeing him I immediately threw my eyes upon Mr. Griswold, but could not discover that he saw or took notice of him. At this time the speaker was in his chair and writing, as is usually the case at that hour of the day, but the house had not come nor had it been called to order. Few members, comparatively speaking, were within the bar. In the course of a very few minutes after Mr. Lyon had seated himself, I saw Mr. Griswold with his cane in his hand, advancing from the floor to the left of the chair of the speaker, with a very quick and strong step towards Mr. Lyon. As he advanced he raised his cane, and uttered an exclamation of rascal, or coward, or of the like import. Before Mr. Griswold reached him, Mr. Lyon, according to the best of my recollection, had partly risen up, from which I conclude he had discovered Mr. Griswold approaching him. As soon as Mr. Griswold was within such a distance from Mr. Lyon as to reach him with effect, he instantly applied his cane with great force to his back and shoulders. As soon as Mr. Lyon was able to effect it, he made his way from the seat into the floor on the inner side of the seats, then quickly advanced towards Mr. Griswold, apparently with intent either to catch hold of his cane or to close with him. Mr. Griswold seemed to be aware of his intentions, stepping backwards in such a manner as to keep Mr. Lyon at a proper distance for the use of his cane, rapidly applied it to his back and shoulders. As soon as Mr. Lyon had got to the line of the passage behind the speaker's chair, he instantly attempted to escape that way to the opposite side of the house. Mr. Griswold pursuing him, gave him three or four blows across the back. At this time I observed Mr. Lyon turning, it appearing to me that he was prevented from passing any further in that direction by the crowd that was advancing towards the scene of action. After he turned he seized the tongs by the fire side, and Mr. Griswold then being very near to him, struck him with them. Mr. Griswold laid hold of them, and they immediately closed in with each other. After a short struggle Mr. Griswold threw Mr. Lyon on the floor, and fell upon him. They lay some little time in this situation, Mr. Griswold attempting to disentangle himself from the grasp of Mr. Lyon in order to pursue his chastisement further, and had nearly effected it and placed himself in a situation proper for that purpose, when two or three persons laid hold of him, and drew him off from Mr. Lyon. While down, he gave Mr. Lyon one blow in the face, and wrested the tongs from his hands. When separated, I saw Mr. Griswold go towards the outside of the bar, I suppose with a view to take some water. Shortly afterwards I saw Mr. Lyon making towards that part of the house where Mr. Griswold was. He approached Mr. Griswold, who was standing at the entrance of the bar, and struck him with a cane. Mr. Griswold's cane was instantly handed him, and he was making again towards Mr. Lyon, when there was a loud call to order for the first time: this was instantly repeated by the speaker: I laid hold of Mr. Griswold, sundry persons threw themselves between him and Mr. Lyon, and Mr. Griswold instantly retired and took his seat.

WILLIAM GORDON.

The foregoing sworn to and subscribed, the 17th of February, 1798,
Coram Reynold Keen.

Mr. Elmendorf's Testimony
No. IX.

On Thursday morning last, having been engaged in writing in my room until I thought it very late, I entered the house of representatives with some surprise, at not finding it engaged in business. The speaker at (I think) writing in his chair, as I crossed the floor to the letter box; and on returning to my seat, I saw Mr. Lyon in his seat, in the posture of writing, or reading papers lying on his desk before him, having his hat on, and not appearing to perceive me to pass him, although very near him. From my seat, which is the second in the third row, almost directly behind his, which is the middle seat in the front row, I observed him in the same posture immediately before I heard the first blow of a cane; upon hearing which, I observed him still sitting, with one arm in the position of covering his head and warding off blows, and the other in feeling, as I thought, for a cane on the floor beside or before him. I saw Mr. Griswold at this time on the open floor directly before him, beating him with all the strength and dexterity apparently in his power, with a cane of the stoutest kind of American made hickory, and repeating his blows as fast as I thought he could make them. Under this pressure, Mr. Lyon, in a defenseless state, made out of his seat side way, being hemmed in before and behind by the desks and seats, so that it was wholly out of his power to escape a single blow, or to interrupt Mr. Griswold in the act of beating him. Immediately, I myself, for one, rose in my seat, and loudly and repeatedly called out to the chair for order. I heard the same call from different parts of the house; but I did not observe or hear any effort from the speaker to restore it, or any personal attempt by any one near to interfere and prevent the attack. On the contrary, I think I distinctly heard the speaker's reply, that the house had not yet been called to order, as a reason for not interfering at all. As soon as Mr. Lyon had got out of the row of seats, he made towards Mr. Griswold and made every effort to close with him (as it appeared to me). Mr. Griswold on his part, avoided this by holding him off with his left arm, stepping back, and continuing to beat Mr. Lyon with his cane, as before, until in this way they both got to the fire place, to the left of the speaker's chair. I then heard the noise of the tongs, and immediately after saw them have hold of each other, and Mr. Griswold's cane falling out of his hand.

Soon after they both fall, having hold of each other, Mr. Griswold partly upon Mr. Lyon. At this time, I got to the place where they were engaged, and called out to part them. I heard the same cry from behind the chair, and I also heard the opposite cry from others not to part them. Mr. Havens and myself each took hold of Mr. Griswold's legs, and I think, together drew him off from Mr. Lyon. At the same time, I think, I saw others having hold of Mr. Lyon. When the speaker observed Mr. Havens and myself taking hold of Mr. Griswold, he with apparent warmth, as if thereby to prevent our interfering, called out, in substance, as nearly as I can recollect, "What! take hold of a man by the legs—that is no way to take hold of him." Notwithstanding I persevered, and I think Mr. Havens aided me in drawing Mr. Griswold apart from Mr. Lyon. Mr. Lyon went direct from that place to his seat, where he got a small cane, and went from thence out of the bar, where I saw him and Mr. Griswold soon after meeting, and Mr. Lyon making up to him. Mr. Griswold retiring from Mr. Lyon, and Mr. Lyon making a blow at him with his cane, which Mr. Griswold, I think, received on his arms or shoulder. The loud cry of order from all parts of the house, and from the chair, here put an end to the affray. Mr. Griswold's cane was delivered to him by Mr. Sitgreaves, I think just as he stepped within the bar, which he took from thence, I think, direct to his seat. Mr. Lyon without the bar, and thus the affray ended, remained and the house proceeded to business.

LUCAS ELMENDORF.
Sworn and subscribed the 17th of February, 1798.
Coram
Reynold Keen.

No. X.
Mr. Stanford's Testimony

When the riot commenced in the hall of Congress on the morning of the 15th inst. between Mr. Griswold and Mr. Lyon, it was about twenty or thirty minutes after eleven o'clock. Prayers were over, but the house not called to order. Sitting in my chair, I was attentively reading some letters I had just received. In an instant the sudden bustle arrested my notice. Not having observed either of the parties enter the hall, I then saw Mr. Griswold on the area of the floor, with an apparently heavy stick, making a blow (perhaps not the first) at Mr. Lyon, who was between his desk and chair in an half rising position. This blow, I think, he received on his left arm and shoulder, and a second as he was disengaging himself from among the desks and chairs.—Once possessing the floor, he essayed to join Mr. Griswold, who evaded him by a retrograde step and a third blow, which fell upon Mr. Lyon's head, his hat being off. Then leaning back a little to the left of the Speaker's desk as Mr. Griswold approached, repeating his strokes, Mr. Lyon again attempted to close in with him, but failed, and made suddenly behind the Speaker's desk, which, with the crowding members, for a moment intercepted my view. Then instantly again I saw Mr. Lyon with a pair of tongs elevated for a stroke at Mr. Griswold, which seemed, to be somehow parried, so as not to be fully made. A collision, I think, of the stick, tongs and persons now took place, Mr. Griswold about this time lost his stick; thus clung, they came down both together; the fall I rather think I did not see, from these intervening members, but when down they appeared to be grappled about the head and shoulders, and Mr. Griswold rather uppermost. The confusion of the house was great, and the cry, "part them," pretty general. Thus while some gentlemen were disentangling their hands, others had Mr. Griswold by the legs, and were pulling him away, which was effected. The Speaker standing on the steps of his desk, said, that it was either unfair or ungentlemanly to take a man thus by the legs. Gen. McDowell then observed, that he (the Speaker) had acted his part in the business, and the Speaker asking what he said, Gen. McDowell repeated his observation, and the Speaker answered, what could he do, the house was not called to order, he could not help the event. The General replied he supposed he could not.

The parties having been separated and left at large, they casually met again after a small space, at the south water stand without the bar, when Mr. Lyon, as soon as he appeared to discover who it was, raised his stick, which he had got hold of in the interval, and struck Mr. Griswold on the shoulder or arm. The stroke was quite light, being hastily made, and with a stick not very large. Mr. Griswold then beat back to the entrance of the bar, where some one, I think Mr. Sitgreaves, ran, and met him with a similar, or the same stick which he had lost in the first rencontre. Mr. Lyon also, after striking, stepped back from the water stand, elevated his stick, and stood in an attitude of defence. Now it was that the Speaker called to order, and no other conflict ensued. Mr. Griswold presently returned to his seat, and Mr. Lyon remained at the water stand. The above detail is as correct as my memory serves me to give of so unexpected a fracas within the walls of the house.

R. STANFORD.
Sworn and subscribed, the 27th of February, 1798.
Coram, Reynold Keen.