Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-30
FATAL CUTTING At A BALL.

White Tough 1t . Colored ball in west
Liberty Deals . Death Blow to samuel
Garrett. of This city.
from here, men and women, with Scurry's
quadrille band, went to West Liberty, Logan
county, about % miles north on the Ohio
Division of the |. B. h W. Railroad, last
night to attend ball given by one, Tom
Smith. a prominent coiored citizen of that
place. The affair was in the town ball,
which was crowded with dancers and specta-
tors, and everything passed along happily and
| pleasantly, one dance succeeding another,
until about IL O'Clock. Before that large
crowd OF young white men had forced
their way into the hall and blocked up the
entrance conducting themselves in disorder
| ly manner and making remarks which the
colored young men resented, although still
seeking, it would appear. to avoid any seri-
| Gus trouble. Some Of the unwelcome and
unbidden guests, late in the evening, were
pretty well filled up with bad liquor and
ripe for a regular row, which became inevita-
ble. 1t came about the time above named,
hot words ending in the drawing of knives
and revolvers, with which the West Liberty
crowd seemed well supplied. One OF the
Springfield party named Sam. Garrett, we'll
known here, q light-built, medium-si1ed
mulstto and not q lighting man at all
became involved person ally with one
OF the white men named CLARK, and
TO be saloon-keeper. During the racket,
when weapons appeared, the women set up q
terrible screaming and retreated behind the
scenery on the stage. Just how the cutting
occurred cannot be very definitely learned,
but the party from here, who returned on the
a. N. train, state that as Garrett passed
around by the plaee where the intruders
were massed he was assaulted and cut with
knife or razor, the ghastly wound laying
open his head from above and through the |
right ear and half around the throat The |
crowd of whites instantly parted and let the |
man who did the cutting pass through, down |
the stairway and outdoors, blocking the way |
to all pursuit with weapons in hand, and al |
lowing nobody to leave the place for some |
minutes. About the same time, it is supposed,
the light in the big lantern over the entrance
was extnguished. Finally doctor was sent |
for and examined Garrett, who had been
raised from the floor to . couch hastily made
Of chairs and shawls, while the blood poured
from his neck and formed Q pool where i;e
had lain on the floor. The Springfield party,
fearing for their lives ALSO had left the hall As
soon as possible and returned to the depot,
hind the others. reported that Garrett was
dead, and that the doctor had SO pronounced
him. None Of them say, however, that they
saw him dead. Sam. Garret, is a brother of
Ed. Garrett, employed in Geo. s. Pla.tenburg's
furniture store and roomsd with him.
He was, for time, bar tender
for Hubbard George in the latter's
saloon on Center street. His reputation was
not that Of . Quarrelsome man. During the
melee in the hall several shots were fred and
Tom Smith, the man who gave the ball, was
wounded in the arm. The above particulars
are based on the statements of come of the
Spring6elders present at the fight, who nat
urally lsbored, and still do, under great
deal Of excitement. The circumstances all
indicate, however, that they are true, and that
the West Liberty toughs were the aggressors,
starting in with an evident intention OF
breaking up the dance and "doing up" some
Of the colored men.
LArER-Ed. Garrett, brother of the
man, was notified Of the affair and
left on the midnight express for West Lib
erty. He telephoned his employer, Mr.. Plat
tenberg, about the middle OF the forenoon,
that Sam. was alive but in such precarious
that he could not be moved and ar
had been made to have him
cared for at West Liberty for the present.
The man who did the cutting escaped and, so
lar as known, is still at large. Ed. Garrett
expected to return here by the afternoon
train, indicating. that his brothers death is
not expected to occur soon. In fact there is
4 prospect of bis recovery.