The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-05-10
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
LETTER FROM YORK, PA.
A Baltimore County Dentist Convicted of
Assault-The Liquor Question-Body-
Snatching, &c, &c.

YORK, Pa, May 9Th, 1884.
Mcssrs. Editors The jury in the Austin Bar
ton case charged with assault and battery, brought
in sealed verdict of guilty. The judge fined the
defendant S25 and also to pay the costs of prose-
cution. There is some theory about this case out
side of the evidence of the prosecution which
persons can't harmonic with the evidence. 1t
may not be out of place to refer to it. 1t is this
The prosecutor, Mr.. Abraham Austin, charged
the defendant, DIR. Barton, with committing upon
him an assault and battery. The indictment con-
tanned two counts: the one charged an aggravated
assault and battery, and the other simple assault
and battery. The aggravated assault count was
abandoned by the Commonwealth, so the case
went to the jury upon the simple assault and bat
terry count. The prosecutor testified that the de-
PENDANT (Barton) came to his place last summer
and stopped in the road. He was in his buggy
and called Austin out of the house and demanded
o bill for work dentistry he had done for some
of his family. Soon words followed this demand
and the lie was given, followed by a blow being
struck, taking effect the cheek bone of Austin.
This, Austin alleged, defendant did without any
cause or provocation, but admitted that Barton
was not out of his buggy. Barton denied the
story of the prosecutor, and stated in his testimo
ny that the prosecutor (Austin) assaulted him
whilst in the buggy, and in defense he struck him.
knocking him away from the buggy, and then
drove away towards his home. Now the theory
we spoke of is this: The testimony on both sides
put Barton, the defendant, in the buggy in the
road, and Austin in the road out of harms way.
Now how could this collision have occurred if the
prosecutor did not assault or attempt to assault
the defendant, as he testifed. This doubt and the
verdict of the jury don't seem to agree in the
minds of many who heard the case.
Body snatchers were after the body of John
Coyle, Jr., which was buried under an apple tree
on the place of old man Coyle, q few nights after
To; pfo Tha oil noti ~
tempt would be made TO steal the body, kept
watch, and discovering several men about the
grave at night, fired load of shot into them,
which caused them to decamp without accomplish
ing their purpose
The liquor question is being agitated again in
Pennsylvania, with view of obtaining additional
legislation at the next session of the Legislature
looking towards the suppression in part, at least,
of the liquor traffic in this State. Philadelphia
has is~-a hat Fl va and six thousand licenses.
Berks county nearly 500, Lancaster county the
same number or more, and York county about 200.
A number of propositions have already been sub
mitted, one of which is to reduce the number and
raise the license and the bond, with damage
clause for results from drunkenness. A place like
Shrewsbury, which now has four saloons, would
have but one, and its license would be $3.50 for
State, the Government license to be added, and
his bond would be 5000 instead of 50 900, it
now is. There is no doubt that some plan will be
dBTeeu upon lOT u ulll tudI Will UecOm0 u law,
looking towards better control of the business
and diminishing crime resulting from the illegal
sale of intoxicating drinks.
Our farmers are shipping great many fat cat
tie to the Baltimore market. We have the finest
beef cattle in the country, and they are eagerly
sought after by city cattle dealers.
City buyers are after what is left of our tobacco
crop. Prices are looking up for good leaf.
The lateness of the season has put the prices of
grain and nOtatoes up. K.