Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-07

- 9SSAAAS N+4aN NAADAC udu nEGn hOlllC III
feeliug between Meehan and Gibbons, oeca-
stoned by quarrel and fight some four or
Eve weeks age, and that Meehan had
boasted that he was able to whip Gibbons.
On last Saturday night, between nine and
ten o'clock, Gibbons was playing cards in
ShaGer's saloon, when Meehan entered, &C
oompanied by two young men, named John
Root and Michael McGue. They entered the
saloon for the purpose ofdrinkiug, and appa-
rently Meehan had no intention or expecta-
tiOn Ofmeeting Gibbons. Immediately ON see
ing him, however, he approached the table
where he sat, and addressed him (accordine
to the evidencs,) as follows: 'I've heard
that you said that you could lick me.
Gibbons answer was deprecating: 81
thought that that was all settled, Michael.
If you have no hard feelings, haven't" A
few further words passed, when Meehan
declared that he could whip Gibbons, on
which both of them took off their coats and
commenced 4 fight. Shaffer attempted to
separate them, but was attacked by Nee
hans companion Root, aud q fight ensued
between them also. The scene was, of
course, an exciting one, but the struggle
between Shatfer and Root, in which chairs,
Jumps of coal, &c, were freely used,
attracted most of the attention of
the crowd present. At this moment, As
Gibbons house is next door to Skaters
saloon, his mother, hearing the noise of the
affray, rushed in to see if her son was en-
gagged ir it. She found Meehan and her
son fighting on the floor, Meehan upper-
most, and flew to the rescue, pulling
Meehan away. The two Immediately
clinched again, however, and fell against
a window, which was shattered, and the
fragments of which gave Gibbons several
cuts on the back of his neck. Iu the melee
Gibbons shirt was torn from his back,
leaving him no clothing but his pantaloons
At this point Meehan broke away from
Gibbons and ran out of doors, followed by
Root, and almost immediately by Gibbons,
and the tight was resumed in the street
rod or two off. Several of the witnesses are
uncertain whether Meehan or Root was en-
gagged with Gibbons in the fight outdoors,
but one is positive that it was Meeban.
Mrs. Gibbons followed and endeavored un-
successfully to separate the combatants.
After moments struggle both fell to the
ground, Gibbons uppermost. twas doubt
less at this moment that Gibbons received
his DEATH wound, at the hands of Michael
Meehan, for he rose almost imm ediately,
snd Immediately fell again to the ground.
4 bystander, named Callahan, went up to
him, and on raising him to his feet,
discovered that he was unable to stand,
but supposed that this was the result of in
toxieation. At the request of Gibbons he
was placed on Shaffer's stoop, where he sat
for moment, and then suddenly fell for
ward on his face-dead. The whole affair,
from the entrance of Meehan into the
saloon to the death Of Gibbons, occupied
less time than we have taken to record it.
Itwas over in ten minutes. Gibbons was
carried into his fathers house, close by,
where he lay during the night, no one sup
posing, however, that he was dead or even
stabbed, and attributing his rigid inseDsi-
bihty to intOzication and the stupor result
ing from his beating. His mother con-
tjnued to bathe his head all night, and un-
til his father arrived at home, at seven A.
", from his night watch, it was not known
that he was dead
Immediately after Gibbons wa, stabbed,
Meehan and Root left the spot. They
still retained, 1t appears, some riotous spirit,
for one Of them proposed TO return to the
saloon and "clean out shaffer." They
were advised to go home, however, and
did so.