The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-10-07
A False Claim for Public sympathy.

A False Claim for Public Sympathy.
very lugubrious appeal has been made
forthe lastfew days, in ourstreets, by awound-
ed candidate forpublic sympathy, andvotes to
heal broken head. From the card we pub
lish below, it is evident that the exhibitor
o. a patched brow has no just claim to pub
lie pity. He is himself a peace officer, but
it was he who first gave the insult, and by
his violent conduct came near raising
general fight in large crowd; and this was
prevented only by the fortunate presence of
several of the township and city eenstables.
If the statements made to US of Mr.. Nc
Brides conduct be true, he deserves the cen
sure, rather than the commiseratiSn, of the
community, and the less he stigs the matter,
the better for his interests.
Men who will engage in street alterations
are unGt to be guardians of the public peace
and if Mr. &scitt has been as guilty as Mr.
Mcbride they shoEld beth be discarded by
statement, some of the signers Of which are
members of the city police, wEo were pres
ent active and successful in their efforts to
prevent a more serious disturbance, cxhon-
crates Gayitt from blame. It is an Old
and sometimes successful game-on the eve
of an election to get up cry of persecu-
ton or broken head to enlist the personal
sympathics of voters. Mr.. Holden was
defeated, two years ago by similar q af-
fecting incident
STATEMENT.
We were present and witnessed the oc-
currenccs that led to the assault upon Deputy
Sheriff Mcbride on Friday evening last
and we are convinced that the whole diff
Guilty was induced by the insulting language
and conduct of Mcbride himself. He first
assailed Mr.. Burke in insulting language
because he had expressed himself for Gavitt.
He then very insultingly shook his fist at
| Gavitt. In this language and manner,
he was encouraged and stimulated by his
friend Paul Evans, who in his turn insuted
Mr. Gavitt aud cndeavorcd in various ways
to provoke him to fight
| Mr.. Gavitt, Notwithstanding these insults,
acted with calmness and self possession, and
seemed anxious to avoid difficulty with
them. When Mr.. Mcbride was struck, Mr..
| FitzyiliamS had hold of Mr. Mcbride to
prevent fight, and was standing face to face
with him, and the blow that fcled Mcbride
came over FitzwilliamS shoulders, from be-
hind, as Fitzwilliams states and they fell
together. Who struck the blow is unknown
Gavitt was at some distance from Mcbride
at the moment. As he fell, Gavitt went to
his aid, and helped him up, and denounced
the act rs n mean and cowardly assault
Mr.. Mcbride was accompanied by several
friends, one or two of whom appeared to be
bent on fight, The persons who were with
! Mr.. Gavitt were respectable citizens, who
had casually met, and were on their way
home and stopped for q drink where they
met Mcbride and Evans. As far as we saw
the companions of Gavitt were active in at
tempts to prevent, rather than excite, diff
ficulty. JAMES FITzwILLIAMs.
\. W. MCBLUTcHAET
JOHN BURKE
ARTHUR MCCUTmN.
i VIZ. ". MERCER
We are informed that after the knock.
down, Mr.. Mcbride and his hacker, Mr.
Evans, paraded the street tourshing pistols
and threatening the rascal WHO struck Nc
Bride, in manner very unbecoming peace
officers. We make these statements upor
those who say they were impartial witnesse:
Of the scene
| n Re-ehforc ement.