, 1873-06-22
One Of the Parties Badly Cut with a
Knife.
SKuLl..SMASHlNG.

FATAL FIsT-FI6HT.
| On Friday evening a fight occurred On Archer
avenue, between two respectable men, which
ended in tho death Of one Of them at S o'clock
yesterday morning. The encounter wns nothing
more than an ordinary fst-fght, and originated
in dispute about the ownership OF q twenty
five cent rule. From thu circumstances of the
fight, it is very probable that both parties would
have been satisfied X the results Of it
had been nothing more serious than
four bunged up eyes or two swollen
faces. There is~ little doubt TINT neither OF
them intended to kill They used no deadly
weapons. They both very likely esteemed q
human life rs being Of far more value Than q
world full Of twelye-inch rules But what we're
their intentions when they began tho encounter
.is only important IN fixing the degree Of punish
ment which ahRll be inflicted upon the -unfor-
tunate man who struck the fatal blow, whose
unhappy condition is hardly less enviable
than that Of his Ifoless victim. The
veloped 1t the Coroner's inquest yesterday af-
ternoon, makes brief statement of the facts at
tending the deplorable combat, ell that is nocca-
sary. :
TIE FACTS.
It appears that, Oh Thursday evening" man
named John J. Gardner, a sign-hanger, went
into the hardware store of ". q. silebotham, at
No. SO Archer avenue, to purchase piece Of
store-pipo- While thero he laid an ordinary
carpenters rule On the counter, and. according
to Ills statement forgot to pick it up. On
Friday evening no wont back after it,
and, seeing q rule lying on the
counter, which he supposed to be his. ho put it
into his pocket and walked back home. When
Mr.. sidebotham found that Gardner h1d taken
the rule, he sent word to him to either return it
or come down and SEQ him. Gardner returned
of the rule and finally called one another liars.
This brought on blows They fought but d few
minutes. After the combat, neither Of them
seemed to be seriously injured. a1r. Side
botham kept his stora open until the usual
time for closing, and then went upstairs. He
after q night Of severe 5ufering, died at 5
o'clock yesterday morning from compression of
the brain, produced By fracture of tho skull.
THE VERDICT.
The Coroner's jury rendered the following,
verdict, after deliberation Of some length:
90 That the said William Il. Sdobotham, now
lying dead at No. 50 Archer avenue, in the City
Of Chicago, came to his death Juno 81, 1873,
from compression OF the brain, produced by the
rupturing OF the middle miuingal artery. which
WAS caused by fracture of the skull and, from
the evidence, we find that the aaid fracture
was caused by d blow from the fist OF John J.
Gardner" 49,
eidebotham was an Englishman, and leaves
wife and one child. He has been in this country
for some time, WAS 33 years old, and much eft
teemed By his neghbors. Gardner, the unfor-
tunate prisoner, 1e 81 ign-hanger, and is large,
powerful man. he is orderly person, and
not 1T all brutal in his appearance. He has
wife and two children He is greatly grievcd at
the fatal result OF the encounter. He was ar
lodged IN the County jail. The following Is the
evidence elected at the Coroner's inquest
JOSEPH BARTu:
I reside at No. SO Archer avenue. I am 18 years
Of age. On Thursday night last man by the
Sidebotham at No. SO 4rcher avenue. work
there It was about g o'clock when Gardner
camo in. He asked for some stoye-pipe. lfr.
6idebotham told me to cut joint in two. Gard
ner paid for the stoye-plpe and went out. Yes
o'clock. I was in the store. Blr. Side
Gardner asked for bis rule, saying
he had left it there, the night before. was
MIS-. G Ga1dner to wait on him, and I would look
for the rule. 4 rule WAS laying bohind tho
counter. It was new one. Gardner said "tlis
is my rule and picked it up end won't away
with it. When Mr. sidebotham came home,
told him about NJ. Gardner taking tho
rule. .Ho said for me to 80 to Gard
ner's house On Butterfeld street, near Nine
teeuth, and get the rule or ask Gardner
with me. sidebotham said to Gardner, s' It is
nice to steal q mans rule" Gardner said,
{: That is my rule" sdcbotha1n said, Your
rule is an old one, and did not see any figures
on it." Gardner said, :: I left my rule lying
ySs, r11fv r711a IN
said, " You are id liar sidobotham had
Little chlld in his arms, and lie gave it to his |
vito. The two men then began to
fight. At last Gardner struck Side
walked up to Gardner and said, at is enough |
uow." Gardner struck mo on the nose, causing |
it to bleed. Gardner then walked away, and |
sdebotham Went into the store. About fifteen |
minutes after o'clock, closed the store. He |
looked pale IN the face. I saw Gardner strike
once on the left side Of the head. Gardner did
not strike or kick: ::sidobotham when ho was down.
Deceased did not strike his head on the aoGr or |
anything else, Did not complain Of his head.
Did not SEQ anything in Gardner's hand There
we're no blows struck in the store. The fight
WAS on the sidewalk. Before tho fight Gardner
gave up the rule. did not sce any rule in the
store belonging to him. If ono had been loft
here would have found it, AZ sweep out and
ix up the store every evening. I did not see
my there last Thursday evening.
HANNAH E1DEBoTHA3.
am the wife OF the deceased. with tho OK
;opuon Of the following, the woman's testimony
Was the Same as that given By the c1o-L in tho
sto1e:] When Gnrdner came in, my husband asked
aim why he did not wait until ho vas in the
:tore; t, NY husband said "conld you not SOC
:hat this is now rule, aud yours was dirty, and
50" you put it into Eour pocket7" Gardner
;1ld ;7n 80 can swear loft it on your counter"
will swear to lie. Gardner said if nv hus-
band said that, .he was id lnr." Gard
aer then repeated it, as he went out on the side
6alk. Ny husband then handed me tue child
md followed him tried to pull my husband
pack. He jerked away, and I ran back
nto the house. About half-pnst nine o'clock
ny husband closed up tLo store. Whom he came
upstairs, he said ho was cold, md asked Tor
,uiIt, and ihon for drink. He said his head
'ained him very much, and said he thought his
kull was fractured. He said the man had struck
i'm on the forehead. sent for DR.. A[cWilI-
ans, but when he came my husband wns insen-
'le. He said the man had struck him on the
load, but did not BAY what with. About
at an hour after the fuss, the same
aan passed the store again, and said
O my husband, "Tn have satisfaction yet"