The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-09-25
A sTABBING ARRAY.

For some months Mankato has been
free from startling tragedies and from
flow of gore, but the spell was broken
Monday night by one of those results
which come from ian innocent game of
cards" and too free indulgence of
spirits.
About twelve O'Clock on the night
mentioned, an alteration took place,
which may result fatally to the injured
party, the particulars of which, as We
CLEAN them from Policeman Blake are
these:
Nick Steinbach runs saloon on Front
street, between Washington and Spring,
in the old stand formerly occupied by
Jno. A. Arnold. Anton Hartung and
Wenzel Huettl were in the saloon during
the evening playing cards and drinking
an occasional glass of beer. Fred Kroe-
ger came in and was invited to ''take a
hand" Finally it was agreed that a
game should be played for the oysters,
in which Kroeger lost. But oysters
without beer would be like sauerkraut
without seasoning, so another game was
played for the beverage. This expense
was saddled upon Hartung. But when
he found that it included a party of four
or five he objected. Out of this there
arose the usual dispute, and finally Kroe-
ger settled the bill. 1t being high
twelve, Steinbach informed the boys
that they would have to vacate his
premises, which they did. When out
upon the sidewalk, other words follow
ed, and it is claimed that Hartung step
ped out into the road and picked up II
stone, intending to lay Kroeger out. But
X. clinched his man and downed him.
lie let him up without assaulting him in
any way and Hartung again attacked
him. He was again placed upon his
back, and the boys standing around, evil
IDENTITY waiting to see little "fun" told
Kroeger, that AZ the fellow was bound to
fight to "pummel' him. But Kroeger,
to his credit be it said, refused to listen
10 them and again let his antagonist
arise. In the squabble both dropped
their hats, and in gathering them up,
the right man got the wrong one. Hart
ung had started of when kroeger, no.
ticing the exchange, called to him to
come back and get his own hat. Hart
ung returned, and AZ he came within
reach of Kroeger struck ut him with an
open knife, the blade penetrating his
person just inside of the left hip, emitting
very serious cash. He also struck him
in the left breast, but fortunately the
blade did not cut sufficiently deep TO
cause any harm. About this time police
man Blake came upon the scene and de-
handed to know the cause of the dis
turbance, but being told that it was moth
ing serious, and knwing the parties i'm
plicated to be peaceable, allowed them
To depart, notifying them that they
would be expected to appear for trial
next morning.
After walking few rods, young kroe-
ger tainted from loss of blood, and was
carried home. A physician was dis.
patched for and upon examination the
wound was found to be of very serious
nature, whereupon Hartung was taken
into custody and locked up. He was
brought before Judge Porter Tuesday
morning, waived examination, and was
bailed i'm the sum of 81 ,0O0-John Maho.
valid and Geo. Kreutzer being the sure.
ties.
The parties implicated in tins unfor.
tunate affair, are well known and re-
spectacle. 1t il the first case Of The kind
where either of them has ever had any
trouble, 30 far as we can learn, and al
the time of the fracas neither was under
the influence of intoxicants to any ex.
tent. There is lesson in this from
which others of the young men of Man
kato may profit, if they will but heet
the admonition of Monday nights occur
renee.
LATER.-As we go to press we learr
that Kroeger il considered out of dan
ger, and with no new complications ari
sing he will come out all right in few
weeks.