Fulton County GaArchives News.....Slashed by Jones February 10, 1891
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Linda Blum-Barton http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00003.html#0000645 March 9, 2006, 11:40 pm

The Weekly Constitution February 10, 1891
Georgia Evangelist Attacked by Palestine's Mayor.

He Wrenches His Cane from Him and Wallops Him Until He Does Not Know What's the 
Matter with Him.

Palestine, Tex., February 3-- Mayor Word, of this city, is laid up with a 
number of severe cuts on his head and face.

In fact, his face looks like a piece of raw beef.

The drubbing was administered by Rev. Sam P. Jones, the great Georgia 
evangelist, who wrested Word's cane from him and walloped him with merciless 
severity.

The Origin of the Trouble.
Last November, Rev. Sam P. Jones conducted a number of meetings here.  He paid 
his usual respects to lukewarm church members, easy-going preachers, tattling 
women and gossiping men.  All these classes took their doses of billingsgate 
with lamb-like meekness; but when the preacher touched the toughs, there was 
blood in the air.

The reverend gentleman arraigned the enforcement of the law and the 
faithlessness of public officers.  The men who sold liquor as well as those who 
drank it were roundly denounced.  The county officers were hypothetically 
accused of many derelictions and even the mayor of Palestine was included among 
those who might smell hellfire if he did not mend his ways.

The mayor, Hon. John J. Word, was absent from the city at the time, but when he 
returned he was told all that had been said, with some unavoidable 
exaggerations.  Now, the mayor is a Texan, and hot-blooded, but he determined 
to lie low for Jones--but not half as low as the sequel called for.

Jones in Town Again.
Last night Mr. Jones was in the city again, and addressed a full house on the 
familiar topic, "Git Thar."  He got there with his audience, and he got there 
again at the depot this morning, while he was bidding adieu to some of his 
admirers, preparatory to taking the train for LaGrange, where he is to repeat 
his talk of last night.  The mayor advanced toward Mr. Jones, but instead of 
extending his hand in love, administered his cane in hate.  Then it was that 
the true Georgia inwardness of Jones asserted itself.  The Bible admonished him 
to turn the other cheek, but Georgia grit inspired him to "close in" on his 
antagonist.  It was the grapple of a moment, a wrenching of the cane, and when 
the men parted through exhaustion, Jones held the cane!

The Tables Turned.
And right there the fun began.

With fire in his eye and with nerve in his arm, Jones raised the cane and 
admonished his adversary warmly.  As blow after blow descended upon the head, 
face and shoulders of the mayor, the latter awoke to the conclusion that he 
tables had been turned. 

"I always did despise a coward," said Jones, as he turned away from the 
thoroughly chastised mayor.  He dictated a telegram to some friends in Georgia, 
which read:

The one-gallus mayor of Palestine tried to cane your Uncle Jones this morning 
at the depot.  I wrenched the cane from him and wore him out.  I am a little 
disfigured, but still in the ring.  I criticised his official career last 
November.  It needed criticising.  Sam P. Jones.

The People Indignant.
Though Mr. Jones left immediately for LaGrange, the sensation remained behind 
him.  The people were indignant that the mayor of the town should be guilty of 
such an act, and a meeting was at once called for tonight to take action.  The 
principal mover of the meeting said it would demand the resignation of Mayor 
Word and his brother officials.  He says-though the friends of Mayor Word deny 
it-that the mayor attempted to draw a revolver on Mr. Jones.  Word says that he 
carries a revolver, as a public officer, but that he did not attempt to use 
it.  Both combatants bled profusely.

The Mayor's Mistake.

Palestine, Tex., February 4--A large mass meeting of representative citizens 
met last night at Butler Hall, to condemn the pusllanimous conduct of Mayor 
Word in assaulting Rev. Sam P. Jones.

All Classes Present.
The meeting was composed of all classes of citizens, and was noted for the 
presence of the best element of society.  The following is a report of the 
committee on resolutions, as adopted by the unanimous voice of the assembly:

To W. D. Young, Chairman of the Citizens' Mass Meeting:  We, your committee, 
beg to report for adoption the following preamble and resolutions:

Whereas, We have heard with unfeigned regret, of the assault upon Rev. Sam P. 
Jones, by Mayor Word this morning at the passenger depot, and 
Whereas, The citizens of Palestine feel that they should give to the world an 
expression concerning the same, therefore be it
Resolved, That we unhesitatingly condemn the act of Mayor Word in making such 
an assault and request him to resign the office of mayor of Palestine.
Resolved, That in making this demand we believe it to be to the best interest 
of the citizens at large, and required to preserve the good name of our fair 
city.
Resolved, That in the board of alderman we recognize men who have the good of 
our city at heart, and will do their duty in the line of having the law 
enforced.  We, therefore, urge them to invetigate the conduct in office of the 
mayor and other officers of the city, and if there has been malfeasance in 
office or dereliction of duty attaching to any one, that said board of alderman 
adopt all necessary means to correct and purify the city government.
Mayor Word Writes a Card.
St. Louis, February 6--Mayor J. J. Word, of Palestine, Tex., today comes out 
with a card in which he says the trouble between Sam Jones nad himself was on 
account of personal matters and not because the evangelist criticised his 
official actions.  The mayor says:  
While Mr. Jones was here, he took it upon himself to refer in the most 
insulting language to my private life and habits before my wife and children; 
hence my attack upon him.  As for my official conduct, that is open to the 
scrutiny of right-minded men. 

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