Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-05
.FIENDISH BEATING.
The Alleged Minneapolis Indecent Ex.
posture Man.
VINDICATION WITH A CLUB.
Ambushing His Accuser, He Pounds
Him With an Axe Helve.
GUILTY PARTIES UNDER ARREST
And They Claim 1t Was All in Self.
Defense.

al last the man VINO mas been reported to
have taken improper liberties with young girls
and made proposals to young ladies of nature
unfit for publication, has brought himself be-
fore the public in a manner that warrants us
in making the facts public. First of all. the
name of the accused is John Durham, whole
sale grocer, doing business on Hennepin ave-
nue.. His chief accuser is Josiah Town. Last
evening Mr.. Town and Ed Lamburn, by re-
quest of Durham, called at the latter's store
for
AN INTERVIEW.
At the store were John Durham, his son
Frank, man named Barber, and another
whose name can not be learned. As the men
entered the store, Barber, young Durham and
would not let him follow Town into the
private Office. Town, not suspecting suoh
base treachery, stepped into tho office, when
Durham locked the door, caught up an az
handle and commenced pounding Toron on the
head with the strength of
AN 1NFURIATED DEMON.
The blows fell thick and fast, and
before the assaulted man could
make his escape he had his head and
face terribly mangled. He was conveyed to the
Office of DR.. H. H. Kimball, who dressed the
ture. There are eight or ten wounds in all, the
| worst being over the right eye, where
THE FOREHEAD IS CRUSHED IN.
The injured man was taken home, where he
has remained ever since.
Durham and his crowd Immediately dis
persed. Warrants have been issued, and the
police department. Immediately turned out and
commenced securing the town for the rufianly
gang.
There are, of course, two sides to the story.
One is that Durham is the most low-lived,
LEcHERoUs OLD SINNER
that ever disgraced the community, and that
the parents of the young girls who have been
insulted should have had hi m drawn and quar-
tered, or at least put through to the fullest ex.
tent of the law. The other story is that the
scandal was started for the sole purpose Of ex.
torting blackmail. Which Of the two are cor
only are given, and the public may draw their
own conclusions until such time as the law
shall mete out justice and the matter thus be
settled.
Frank Durham and II. R. Barber were ar
rested at the house of MIR. Durham on First
avenue by Detective Hoy and Chief Munger at
8 o'clock. On being brought to the police sta
ton they at first refused to say anything about
the affair, but later when the officers arrived
with John Dunham, the party who committed
the assault, the two conversed together and
finally Mr.. John Durham made the following
statement of the affair:
DUNHAMs STORY.
Messrs. Lamburn and Town came to my store
at $3.50 clock, and came into the back office.
commenced conversing with MIR. Lamburn by
charging MIR. Town with making false state
ments Of what said in a private conversation
with him (Town). One word brought on an
other until Town raised heavy cane which no
had with both hands as if to strike me, at
which picked up a stick, and as he tried to
strike me, in self-defense, knocked the cane
out Of his hands. He then drew a revolver
and knocked him down and had tussel with
him. Mr.. Durham then said that he pounded
him (Town) until he satisfied that he could
do him Mo more harm; but here Mr.. Fl. r. Bar
Der, who had ably assisted Mr.. Durham in his
statement. and III fact made nearly the whole
statement, said that that part had better be
left out. According to the story told by Dir.
Durham, the clubbing was done in self-de-
tense, and the fact that there was an unknown
man who took part in the beating is denied.
At IL O'Clock bail obtained for John
Durham, his son Frank. and Il. r. Barber
N. B. HARDWOOD and Wyman & Mullen becoming
bondsmcn the amount of bail being fixed st
$4,000 each. for their appearance at 8 O'clock
this morning.