The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-01-20
POLICE PATTER.
Two Blueooats Have "a Turn with Each
Other.

Two Bluecoats Have "a Turn with Each
Other.
An unfortunate affair between two of
OF our city police is here chrOni"led and
Is submitted without comment, Just as
heard from the Mayor and witnesses.
On Wednesday night the policemen of
MassillOn were giving dance, and, as
is customary, invited the Canton force
over, and consequently ten of the city
men went OYER, accompanied by Mayor
VIM. j. PieTO and his clerk, Theodore
Ballard, a young man who Officiates in
the office. The Mayor says officer An
drew j. LOthamer was under the intlu-
ence of liquor, and when in that cOndi-
tiOn, is very obstinate and perverse.
During the dancing, said officer made
some insulting remarks to a married
lady, and a gentleman of MassillOn
spoke to officer Lehnis, and requested
him to inform LOthamer that an apollo
gy was required. Lehnis so delivered
his message, and was met with a
storm of prOfane language that
made him turn away without
reply. Mr.. Lehnis, in company
with two other officers took the a. m.
freight train for Canton, and LOthamer
returned on the 7:4 a. IN. express, and
went directly to the Mayors office, where
he found Lehnis cutting kindling- wood,
to start the fire. Both men are on day
duty)
LEHNIs's STORY.
Mr.. Lehnis says: l was cutting wood
in order to start the fire and had the
door half open, when | heard a man
come up. 1 looked down and saw it was
LOthamer. He came in and said, now
I've come to settle this matter with you,
and will get the revenge failed to
get last night" l noticed that he was
still drunk, and tried to get past him,
saying that | wanted to build the fire
and wanted some paper. He said, you
will never get by me alive" | said if it
comes to that l will live as long as you
live, and then he pulled out
THIRTY-TwO CALIBRE REVOLVER
and stuck it under my nose so that
could almost smell the powder. There
upon clinched with him and took the
pistol away, and after a tussle, l threw
him on chair IN the corner of the office.
then said that would take the TeYOlv-
er to the Mayor and tell him all about
it, which l proceeded to do, and L had
arrived at the Mayors residence at the
southwest corner of TuscaTawas and
Poplar streets, where 1 found the
Mayors father, Mr.. +. l. PieTO, sweeping
off the snow from the pavement. l
asked him if the Mayor was up and he
said that he was, and that he would go
around and open the door from the in
side. Just then LOthameT came along,
and without saying a word, clinched
me, taking me by the throat, and after
wrestling some time L threw him back
down, over low fence in front of the
house, and if his leg had not caught be-
tween mine he would have gone COM
pletely over. Then the Mayor came out
and ordered me to the office to complete
my morning duties and told LOthamer
to go into his house, as he wanted to see
him.
MAYOR WIN. PIERO
was interviewed and said substantially
as above, and that LOthamer was intOx
ieated, and that he promptly suspended
him. The reporter thought it was sin
gular that he could form judgment so
quick aud asked his Honor why he did
not suspend both, but no tanswer was
given A second query was put why it
was that ten out of a dozen policemen
could be allowed to go to police dance
leave the city unprOteotedp The reply
was thRt four substitutes were put on.
"Substitutes," especially green ones
are nice custOdians of the peace, when
icy paVements are the rule, hotels being
robbed and danger of fire imminent to
the great risk Of our wives, mothers, sis
ters and children being sacrificed, be-
cause a salarled force go to a MassillOn
dance and neglect their duty.
ANDREW J. LOTHAMER.
A reporter braVed the icy sidewalks
and went up on North Plum street yester-
day and found Mr.. L., who was in bed
at the time of the visit. He came down
shortly, thOwever, wearing look of
pain, and with his hand placed on his
side, where the fence had wTenched his
back. He greeted the visitor kindly,
and was much affected by the circum-
stances.
He acknowledged that he had indulged
rather freely in fluids, but upon inquiry
said that Lehnis was very important and
aggressive, and that they had had dis
agreements long before. In reply to
the mayors court scene the next day, he
said when he came up the stairs, Lehnis
said don't you talk to me" and made
several passes at him with the hatchet
that he was chOpping kindling wood
with, and not until then did he draw
his revolver, and even then with no in
tentiOn to shoot.
Mr., LOthamer felt bad, but he has the
good wishes of many friends, who de-
mand full investigation.