The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-09-16
ALMOST A MURDER.

Last Sunday evening about s o'clock some of
the Italians working on the Northern Connotton
Railroad and camping on the Lesher farm some
four miles north oftown, got into a fight which
nearly ended In murder. It seems that OF late
some person living in that vicinity has been sell.
Ing hard cider to these Italians and to the cider
the whole trouble is attributed. Some forty Of
them were engaged in playing some italian game
and wanted one OF the number to play on the ac.
cordeon for them which for some reason he refus
ed to do This refusal enrsged some of them and
three OF the humber murderously assaulted him
two with knives and the third with club. In
parting the combatants Mr.. Gaffney, the interpre
ter and foreman Of the gang was cut slightly
ABOUT the face. With all possible haste the
wounded man was brought to Canton but owing
to the fact that 1t was necessary to hunt up a
farm team 1t was fully o'clock before he was
Drought 10 DR., JohnsOns office and received med.
lcal attendance The Doctor examined the man
ana found deep stab IN the abdomen which for.
tunately severed none of the intesines but slight.
ly cut the perltoneum, the outer covering of the
stomach. Inflammation had already slightly set
In. In addition to this he had stab on the hip
Which penetrated to the bone and his head was a
mass OF quiveflng flesh, which had been cut and
slashed terribly His wounds were dressed and
about 9;45 he WssIemOved to the Stevenson house
The wounded mans father who was a witness TO
the entire scene remained all night with his son
The names Of the parties cannot be learned as
they cannot speak word Of English and are
only known by numbers The wounded mans
number was g. As soon as the affair was report.
ed to the Mayor, police officers Rigler Lothamer
and Beterman In company with the Interpreter,
Gafney, started to arrest the implicated parties,
They only succeeded In getting two of the three.
the other one having escaped The two arrested
are number rs aud 49, Contractor Sullivan
who was called while the wounded man lay at
DR.. Johnsons office, was strong in his dsnuncia
uons OF the person who sold these men hard cider
1t being about the same thing as selling whisky to
Indians. This is not the first quarrel which they
have had Last Friday while at work, they had
an alteration about the loading Of a wagon and a
general light ensued in which shovels, picks,
knives and reVolVers were used. 1t was only with
difficulty that bloodehed was prevented. As they
cannotspeak any English whatever It Is utterly
impossible for the bosses to settle any difficulty
between them. II is thought that the wounded
man will recover
The TWO parties arrested had their preliminary
hearing before the Mayor Wednesday after.
noon, and, as 1t was not concluded 1t was con.
unued over until to day. From the testimony of
Interpreter Gafney OF the arrested parties was
about to rush into the fight when the second party
caught him around the body and held him back
AS they did none Of the cutting they will In all
probability be discharged, No H. the par,y who
did the cutting and escaped, is lingering round
their encampment somewhere, having been seen
on several occasions by different parties. A de.
tachment Of fremen was detailed to-day to try
and ferret him out.