Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1880-01-20
ATTEMPTED MURDER.
TOM CLARKE, AN ENGINEER OF THEW T. B. B.
ASSAULTED AND BEATEN IN VIRGINIA CITY
THE OUTRAGE SUPPOSED TO HAVE
BERN PKRPRTkATED by AENBERs
OF TIE MECHANICS UNION.

and while the crowd at the depot were waltin.
for it, q dispatch received to the etfec
that the train was delayed on account of ar
assault having been made on Tom Clarke, the
engineer. In "a few minutes all sorts OF
rumors were flying about the city, the gen
eral tenor Of which was that Clarke had been
nearly killed by members of the Mechanics
Union in Virginia City. When the train ar
rived Clarke brought his engine to a stand
still and got off He was bleeding from a
hardly able to walk He WAS anxious to take
his train to Reno, but Superintendent Yering-
ton ordered him to go to bed at once and lay
of until he was better able to be on his legs.
CLARKE's VERSION OF THE ASSAULT.
An APPEAL reporter interviewed Clarke
yesterday morning. He found him with his
head bandaged and looking considerably the
worse for his recent experience, but able to be
about He gave the following version of the
! assault
81 was passing down Union street to 60 to
my engine about a quarter past o'clock. As
| passed the Sacramento saloon q number Of
:nen stepped out behind me. l took no
notice of them, when suddenly blow on the
side of the head knocked me senseless. When
| came to there was a crowd of men about me
kicking and beating nae. Two jumped on my
chest There must have been about a dozen
men endeavoring to get near enough to kick
ME. In the midst of the crowd l noticed
Charley buff and Pat Judge fighting in my
defense. Huff got me to my feet and helped
me away from the scene of the trouble. He
was stabbed in the row with an ice pick.
When | got to nay engine there were about
thirty men, most Of whom | recognized as
meMb ers of the Mechanics Union, alongside
of it. A nan named Peter Fitzgerald pulled
a six shooter and said l should not get On the
engine | was unarlned and in condition
to resist anybody. l did not get on the
engine, but went back and boarded the coach.
The weapon used was made of iron about an
inch in thickness and nearly two feet long.
Nv left ear was severed SO that it barely
hung. 1t was sewed up in the railroad office.
My principal injuries are about the chest.
HUFF and Judge 1 think are able TO identify
the m an who struck Inc. Just before the as
sault | saw Wilkin, who until quite recently
was President of the Mechanics Union, walk
ing just ahead The police were a few rods
away on the street, but made no attempt to
assist me. One WAS standing by and saw
Fitzgerald draw a six shooter on me but made
no attempt to arrest him. l shall continue to
run nv engine as soon as | am able.
YERIEGroN INTERVIEWED.
Superintendent Ysrington went up to Vir
ginia City in the morning and on his return
last evening he was interviewed by an APPRAL
reporter. He said:
81 was in Virginia City yesterday and |
found that there had been no arrests. Neither |
the city nor county authorities seemed to know
who were the perpetrators of the affair. 1t |
was cowardly attempt to XIII Tenn Clarke land |
was the result of his refusal to Join the Ne
ehancs Union. 1t seems strange enough that
a man can be set upon in the open street in
broad daylight by gang of rufhans and
nearly killed and yet be no arrests. If this
country is to be ruled by mob violence, it's
time We knew it, Here the interview ter
minated by the appearance of Clarke, the en-
yinssr.
FEELING ON TIE CoMSroCK.
The following is from the Chronicle of
asst evening: "After the departure of the
rain there was considerable talk and much
excitement over the occurrence 1t was open
y asserted BY some of Clarks's friends that it
vas deliberate attempt upon the part Of the
Mechanics Union of Storey county to assas-
innate him, while few who profssssd to know
more of the matter limited mysteriously that
was an affair in which the locomotive engi-
,eers of Carson were interested. Clarke said
10 never saw any of the men before, and he
vas positive the attack could not have been |
he result of personal antipathy. The only I
eason he could assign was that he did not
tand well with the protective labor associa
ions
CLAExE AND THE MEcHAFIc's UEIoI. :
The reason for connecting the name of the 4.
1echanics Union with this cowardly assault 7
pom Clarke, is that in August last the Union :
I'd the railroad company had difficulty on g
is account. Clarke WAS at that time the only /
ngineer on the road not member Of that
rganizatien, and he was publicly Informed by .
1s Union that unless he became a member
y a certain date he would not be allowed to