The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-06-13
ATTEMPTED MURDER.
Esquire FaHn, OF Knight Township,
MuFderOusly Assaulted by
two Rufians on Fri-
day Night.
He gives one Of his ASSISTANTS three
Terrible Wounds with q knife.


that a man wanted to see him in the
road. few yards from the house.
Mr.. ", not anticipating any trouble,
went out, and when in the road. a
man named John G. Handley, who
was seated in a wagon, asked Mr.
Vann question and was answered in
the affirmative. The answer being
disagreeable to both men. Broadherst
knocked the Squire down, and Hand
ley, leaping from the wagon, joined in
the assault until they had knocked
him down i've times,
When down the fifth time. Handley
threw himself upon the Squire and
was beating him about the head and
face, when Mr.. Vann succeeded in get
ting out his knife. and drove it into
the villains throat just under the Jaw
bone, inficting a wound that may
prove fatal. 1t appears that this cut
was not sufficient to drive off the
ruHian, when three more cuts were
inflicted, one on the lower lip and two
on the left leg. One of those on the
leg cut completely through all the
muscles, cords and blood vessels ofthe
lower part of the calf. to the bone,
the other making a wound about
four inches long, about three inches
above the ankle. The wound on the
lip is insignificant.
The rufian then relinquished his
hold, and, bleeding at fearful rate,
was helped into the wagon and taken
to the house of Samuel Granger, about
a quarter Of mile distant, and an
order procured from the Township
Trustee, for the service of the County
physician, DR.. Mageniss. who reached
him and dressed his wounds about
eleven o'clock that night.
While Squire Vaun was being
beaten he called loudly for aid, and
his wife, seiziDg a gun, rushed out and
was.about to FIRE on his assailants,
but by that time he had got free from
them, and he prevented her from
shooting, lest she might hit the
young man who drove the wagon, and
who was innocent of any part in the
attack.
Mr.. Yam says that the villains
were making every effort to get him to
gutter about two feet deep by the
roadside, with the evident intention
of drowning him.
| The public will wonder, of course,
what was the cause of this apparently
unprovoked assault, and the wonder
will be dispelled. when whisky" is
given as the explanation.
| Several days since. Broadherst and
Handley wentto the house of neigh
Dor named Knapp, and gave whisky
TO his FIVE little motherless girls, the
oldest only ten years old, plying them
with liquor until they were all drunk,
which 50 exasperated their father,
who, as soon as he learned of it, took
a gun and started out with the avowed
intention Of shooting both of them,
but failed to execute his threat.
On Friday Broadherst and Hand
ley, who are brothers-in law, were
seen lurking about Kuapp's house,
but, it is supposed, on learning that
he was away from home, they came
into town, where Broadherst is said
!, TO have beaten a man who, a week OF
two before, had given Handley q
beating, sitter which he engaged in q
wrestling match, by which he wor
ten dollars. Elated by their success
thus far, the pair proceeded to gel
: drunk.
Having heard during the day that
Squire Vann had said he would have
done as Knapp threatened to do, had
the children been his, they laid out q
programme to be carried out on their
way home. wherein Squire Vann and
Mr.. Knapp were to get beating
and, as a preparatory measure, each
provided himself with jug of whis-
ky. Meeting a young man with a
pair of horses and wagon belonging
to Mr.. Samuel Granger. they made
him drive them about until they goi
ready to go home. he fearing to refuse
on account of the desperate charac-
ter of the men.
Broadcast was arrested on Satur.
day morning by Sheriff Miller, and
after an examination by Justice
Walker, he was committed to Jail on q
, charge of assault with intent to muir.
der.
r Handley was removed to Broad.
: herst's house on Saturday, where By
q the kindness of DR.. Mageniss, 9
e JOURNAL reporter visited him yester.
day.
de found him suffering from severe
pain from the wound in his throat
n which is quite likely to prove fatal
: having severed one of the branches
/, of the carotid artery and penetrated
g close to the windpipe.
: Both men have sustained the repu
g tation of desperate fighting and drink
i ing characters. Broadcast, who il
?, an i'll looking dog, is said to hav,
IT served term in the penitentiar,
s. FRONT Jefferson County. Handy i
said to be hard working man, VIII,
does we'll enough except when unde
" the influence Of whisky and his broth