The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-05-11
AN EDITOR ASSAULTED.
A Man Hires Two Mercenaries and At
tacks Philadelphia Editor - PusilIa-
nimity of the Attacking Party.

Man Hires Two Mercenaries and At
tacks Philadelphia Editor = PusilIa-
nimity of the Attacking Party.
tFrom the Philadelphia Times.l
Philadelphia was thrown into a spasm
of excitement this morning by an assault
upon Col. Alex. Mcclure, editor of the
lines, by Nat Mckay, whom the Times
has repeatedly denounced as a plunder-
ing naval contractor. The assault took
place on Chestnut street in the middle of
the day, when that thoroughfare was
thronged with people. Col. Mcclure
was walking along with ex-Gov. Curtin,
entirely without apprehension of danger
Neither of them noticed the stalwart
form of Mckay until he had come square
up alongside of Col. Mcclure. His face
flushed and paled as he said, with some
profanity: 81 will settle with you now,
myself" AS he spoke he drew from his
breast a small plated leather whip, and
drew it to strike Col. Mcclure, but his
awkwardness and cowardice so unnerved
him, even with two hired ruffians at his
heels, that, before he could bring his
whip down, Col. Mcclure sprang upon
him, seized him firmly by the throat
with both hands. and held him as if in
a wise. Mckay gagged and struggled to
extricate himself, but in q few seconds it
was manifest that he was entirely help
less, and that he must speedily fall at
the mercy of the man he had assailed.
All this was the work almost of an in
slant, and the two hired "pals of Nc
Kay at once rushed in upon Col.
Mcclure, and, in less time than it could
be told, one who gives his name at the
magistrates as John Conlan struck Nc
Clure strong blow on the back of the
head and followed it with another on the
left ear. Apassing citizer seized the fellow
called Conlan and held him from
further blows. While Conlan was
striking Col. Mcclure from behind an
other opal" of Mckay rushed upon
Col. Mcclure in front and struck him
over the left eye with some instrument,
probably blackjack, and was about to
repeat the blow when he was thrown
back by ex-Gov. Curtin, and in the
crowd he made his escape without being
identified by any one present. In the
meantime Col. Mcclure held Mckay by
the throat until he was released by the
interference of the crowd and the officers.
Mckay and the so-called Conlan were
taken in custody by the police, who
asked Col. Mcclure what he wanted
done with them. He answered that the
hired rufiians should be held, but that
he could settle the matter with Mckay
1t is evident that Mckay had worked
his courage up to an attempt to horse
whip Mcclure, believing that, as he was
much the more rugged of the two, he
could master Col. Mcclure and degrade
him by at public whipping, but, consult
ing his fears, he employed two ruffians to
aid him in case he should fail, and thus
save himself from getting fogged instead
of fiogging the hated editor, His one
who gives his name as Conlan,
is a New York rough, with his profess
sional card covering his whole face. He
was unnoticed in the affair until he
sneaked up behind Col. Mcclure and
struck two rapid blows on the back of
the head and ear. 1t is evident, also,
that thieving was one of the purposes of
McKay's "pals," as ex-Gov. Curtin's
was torn from him and Col.
was torn off also, and neither
of them had been in position to have
their chains taken by accident, and
the fact that neither of their chains were
found proves that they were taken by
the thieves. Both saved their watches
by the neck-chains breaking few links
from the stem.