Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-09-21

4 TERI;IHLE AFTElV.

o"e iaf'r Assaults hu"tn.r with - uatrhct.
Yesterday afternoon fight, which may
| result IN murder, occurred ~ tho fair
| grounds. Charles Bryan aud Samuel
| Spronl are the names Of two fakirs who
hayo been at the fair siuOo its opening
| Tho former had an amusement known Us
the baby racket - and the latter had
" French plates, Some time duung the
afternoon Bryan was standing in front q.
! Sprouts place OF business when tho twr
became engaged in quarrel. Sproul
| picked mp hatChtt auI struck Bryan a
| terrible blow on the head. The assault
was made 80 quicEly that none of tho many
! bystaudUrs had time to interfere. Bryan
! iel t. tne ground uuC ,uscious,
| DR.. Muhlcnborg, who was on the ground,
was sent for aud he took charge oi tho
man, going with him to the hospital. Il
was found that his skull was badly fraa
tuIed. Tho head was trepanncd and the
man has beon in n critical condition ever
! since. His death was looked for last
| night and il may yet occur at any moment
His antC-mOrtem statement was taken
las, night by Alderman Barr, in which ho
said that he had q fow words with Sproul,
when Tho latter took 4 hatchGt from box
which he had, aud struck him on the head
without any provOcatiOn whatever. Soon
| hlltI lUt dttlItlI DpitAi " - sulNNl ~
| Officer Steinwandel aud taken 10 the
lookup. To the reporter who spoke to him
lac stated that he had struck Bryan in self
! defense. 4 gentleman, who happened t0
| be at SpgOuI's stand when the lracaS Oc.
| Cured, tells q story ui it which can bo
relied upon. He says that Bryan, who
| looked as though ho had been
| drinking some, went over 10 SprOnlS
stand tn, two had some words and
| Sproul began calling Bryan all the bad
names that he could think Of The latter
demonstrated, saying that 40 ought not T.
abuse him IN that way, aud finally walk
ing over 10 SprOul cLught him by the
sleeve of tho shirt tearing II. Sproul at
once walked back aud opened chest from
which he took a hatchGt, or small axe and
walked towarks Bryan. The latter SAID
"You won't hit me 80 Sproul dropped
tho hatchet for an instant, bat quickly
raising it and using tho words, " hos, ---
- you will, ;" aud struck Bryan a ter
rible blow. The bystauders did not think
for an instant that SProul intended {"
strike as he had been given no reason FOR
40 doing.
The two men reside in Baltimore whero
Bryan has a wife who was telegraph
ed for last night. Both go from one town
to another whore fairs arc being held aud
| put up their games. There II salu 10 nave
been an old grudge between thom. Bryan
is about so years of age and Sproul To-,
a brother of the injured man arrived ia
this city from Baltimore, having been tol
egraphed for last evening. lie found his
brother much improved since last night
ho is now conscious and able to talk.
| Although his wound il q terrible one,
seven pieces of bone having been taken
from lis head by the physicians, he may
yet recover. The brother from Baltimore
says that he was not surprised upon hear
ing of tho assault he know that the men
were on bad terms and had an idea that
they would come together some time NO
says Sproul is very treachcrous no
thought he would do his brother harm:
| Sprou still claims to have acted
in self defence he says that they
had not been on good terms the ilIst
quarrel occurred long time ago IN Balti
more. Sproul, as he says, had some kihd
Of gambling arrangement and Bryan was
| his "capper." 1t was agreed that Bryan
should bs allowed to win two dollars in
order TO induce others to try their luck
| Bryan did this and kept the money. Since
| that tho feeling between the two has been
unfriendly, and yesterday Bryan made IL
worse by standing near Sprouts game
and telling people that they could not pos.
| sibly win at 1t.