The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-07-02
PROBABLE MURDER.
4 Man Horribly Beaten and Burned by
b. Three Biac kSmithS--HiS RecOY-
err Considered Doubtful
[From tn Chicago Tribune June 2Oth.l


A most brutal outrage, the is sue of a
petty political dispute arising between two
parties, resulting In horrible and very
probably fatal injury to an innocent man
was enacted at half past one o clock. yes
terday afternoon. The affair occurred on
the sidewalk opposite a blacksmith
shop I79 State street, the proprietor of
which is John Trainer, the principle In
the affair whose arrest and Imprisonment
and good prospect for deserved punish
ment Is a source of great satisfaction.
The victim, James Elliott, a cattle dealer
who resides with his family at l39 twenty
third street. The two had been friends
for a number of years, and Elliott was
known to exert himself greatly to
the advantage of the other in a
business way, I Yesterday afternoon he
called at the blacksmith and soon
came IN conversation with Iraner-
They were then on exceedingly friendly
terms, as was readily evinccd by their
manner. Politics became the theme in
few minutes and TINS differed .erein
Trainer being confirmed copperllead and
Elliott being L confirmed republican, the
dispute waXe1 dangerously warm, until
the former, it is said, applieda coarse
epithet to his companion Nh Il theF 'th
ceased talking. 1t this time a colored
man rather we'll dressed appeared upon
the scene in buggy and stopping at the
shop aiighted. Elliott spoke to him i:i u
geutiemaHiy manner, and with emphasis
evidently intended 10 reach the ears and
understanding OF Trainer. This action
on his part was the crisis of the diatribe,
and the blacksmith boiling over with half
suppressed wrath, rushed at him with a
heavy cane, and dealing him hlow on
the head which knocked him down. At
this juncture, and By reason OF d siginal
given by Trainer, a number of men en-
ployed III the shop armed with hammers
and other implements of the trade, and
at once commenced be-laboring poor Ell
lott. Rendered almost desperate by
| the agony OF being authorized by the hot
| Instruments OF torture, he fought his
way through the crowd and ran into the
! saloon Of q. NJ Smith No, 1895 State
street for protection. The fends fol-
/ lowed him, and one of them by crnsh-
ing blow with a hammer on his head
| felled him to the floor rendering him
! completely senseless. Several men IN
the saloon inteterred upon witnessing
/ the state of things and dragged the un-
/ cQncious victim into a back room out of
/ the way of his assailants. An alarm Tor
I the police Was given, and IN short time
/ d number OF officers were on hand, but
/ not IN time to arrest the ruins, Tor they
precipitatoly fled at the first. symptoms
Of opposition A wagon was procured
| and Elliott, still unconscious, was placed
in it and carried to his home Surgeons
We're promptly in attendance, and upon
examination of his body which was from
head TO foot mass of blackened scared
and broken fe-h pronounced his condi-
ton as very critical, and gave no hope
for his living through the night:
Later IN the afternoon Trainer was ar
rested in front of his shop, but none of
his accomplices could be found The
reason given for his not absenting him
self is that he thought that as he did not
actually participate in the latter part of
the atfray, he was not liable to arrest.
He was lodged in the Armory to await
further developments in the case.