The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1878-04-11
Communicated.

EDITOR STAR:-I trust you will do
me the justice to publish the facts In
the case you referred to, last week, In
your paper-the Browne assault and
battery matter.
This matter has been referred to in
four different papers that 1 have seen;
but none have given anything like q
correct statement of the facts; though
none have attempted to do me any in
justice, except the Clarion. Inasmuch
as the matter has now been decided In
court, may be permitted to state the
facts without being charged with at
tempting to influence court of justice.
will state not only what occurred,
but what led to the occurrences:
On the morning of the 18th of March,
DIR. Browne came into my Office; and
finding me alone, commenced vile and
abusive talk, with threats of personal
violence, and after trying to provoke
me to strike him, and failing, he COM
menced the assault on me by attempt
ing to strike me In the face, which blow
wardcd off, when he clinched me,
and endeavored to twist me down. In
the struggle that ensued, he seemed for
time to have me i'm his power; one of
my arms and shoulders being so disa-
bled by wounds that it was worse than
useless In such conflict. But fOrtu-
nately, In swinging about the room,
Browne to my back, arms clinched
around me, came I'm reach of quart
bottle, partly filled with ink, which
reached with my well hand, and bring
ing it over my left shoulder, happened
to get down OH his nose. This partly
staggered him, and came near break
ing his hold and getting turned to face
him; but he resumed his hold and strug-
gle to get me down, and finally coming
In contact with chairs and making an
effort to get out of his grasp, l tumble,i
over the chairs and kicked him off.
He made another charge, but the kick
ing was too vigorous for him, and he
paused to say, "God d-n yOu" TO
which said, If you had not known l
was disabled, you never would have
dared to pitch on me in this way. BY
this time he realized that his nose need
ed repairing, and finding that had re-
gained my feet and still held the bottle,
he made hasty retreat (having left
the door open when he entercd).
He Is now wearing scab OH his nose,
and evidently don't want any more
b0ttling.
Well, if he had went out and told
the truth about the matter, the pros
pcct of glory i'm civilized community.
would not have been very fiattering,
aud ii Is not very strange that he should
NJ nd I.tit m a oil
u man who WAS seriously wounded and
disabled, and had actually got him
down and cholSed him, or, (as he some
times tells IT. that he Knocked him
down and kicked him; or, rs he states
it since his arrest, that lie (BrOwne)
was not the attacking party at all.
l can only give synopsis ofthe cause
that led to this cowar,lly attack; the
details may be given in future. The
papers say "it WAS all about the baby"
Well, yes, in short, that was 1t. Browne
had not succeeded as well as lie had
hoped in keeping that dark transaction
from the public, and WAS apparently
mad ut every body who would not help
him to cover up and hush up the scan-
dial.
But he had to stand it. People would
not "hush" worth cent, and all the
men he had attempted to bulldozc were
two-fisted fellows, and he thought it
not safe place to show his courage, or
"spirit," as the Clarion calls It. But
OH hearing, or pretending to hear, of
cripple who had repeated some of these
things, he seemed to think the grand
opportunity had come. Now he could
make All attack in safety, and strike
terror into the whole community, and
make people "hush" OH the baby ques
ton, and public opinion take new de-
parturc. JOHN q. PATTERSON.
1--WE give place to the above for the
reason that we like to see both sides
have fair showing; and further, be-
cause we have no sympathy with this
lawless, reckless spirit which seems to
pervade some of the communities up
here In our new country. Because we
live in the woods, it does not follow
that We are to live and act like outlaws,
or that we should uphold a jug-handled
sentiment which administers rebuke
or punishment to one class of violatOrs
of the law, and applauds others who
are to all appearances guilty OF VIOLA
ton of another law.-ED.
n n l..