News Observer Chronicle

Drunk Again.

Col. J. Hampton Hoge Strikes an Editor.

Some Hot Words Pass Between the Two Men, Which Results in a Slugging Match—The Editor Gets the Worst of it.

By Southern Associated Press.

Roanoke, Va., May 26—Col. J. Hampton Hoge, late consul to Amoy, China, but who was recalled before he had completed his alleged trans-continental jag, made another sensation in this city, his home, tonight by striking an editor of an afternoon paper whom he claimed had been publishing slanderous articles about him.

The editor in question was Chas. I. Stewart, of the Evening World, a prominent young Democrat, being a member of the party's city committee. Since Col. Hoge's flop to the Republican ranks the Evening World has, in reporting the political speeches of the Colonel, and by editorial comment, made numerous allusions which apparently did not set well upon his conscience. Tonight the two men met in front of the Times' office for the first time since Col. Hoge's return.

Col. Hoge was discussing with a friend the result of Thursday's election in which the party with which he had just allied himself had been so nearly victorious, while Stewart was walking by conversing with the city sergeant. Mr. Hoge's friend pointed Stewart out as the editor who had been using his name in a political football fashion, and the Colonel thereupon called to him and a brief conversation occurred.

Col. Hoge remarked that Mr. Stewart had been using his name in a manner offensive to him, all of which he had patiently borne, but in the future he would hold him personally responsible.

Mr. Stewart's reply was: "I am responsible sir."

"Yes," replied Col. Hoge, "and you are responsible for that which you have published, nine-tenths of which were damned lies."

The colloquy ended here. Stewart, white with rage, raised his fist in the direction of Col. Hoge's piercing black eyes, but the blow fell short, being parried by Hoge's right, while his left swung up with force and rapidity and landed upon Stewart's under lip, cutting it badly.

Before Mr. Stewart had a chance to strike again, his friend, the city sergeant, seized him and called for some of the spectators to hold on to Col. Hoge. The latter however made no further attempt and after struggling for a few seconds Mr. Stewart too quitted his fighting proclivities and the Colonel finished by expressing his opinion of the belligerent young editor in no complimentary terms. The two then walked off with their friends and Col. Hoge afterwards paid his respects to a number of others who have been in dastardly cowardly manner using my name behind my back, not one of whom has the courage to come forward and say anything in my presence."

"I denounce," he said, "all such utterance either public or private as the saying of miserable, recreant cowards.