The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-05-04
BRUTALLY BEATEN.
Strikers Assault One of the Pa.
eifie'S New Employees at
st. Louis
Because His Testimony at the
Gibbons Inquest Did Not
Suit Them.

Sl. MAY "A
was committed on switchman yesterday
on Seventh street, near the mouth Of the
tunnel. At about } o'clock in the afternoon
Officer Macdonald came upon W. J. APP
pleton, switchman in the employ of the
Bridge and Tunnel company, in the act OF
9uarreling with striker whose name has
not transpired. The men were on Spruce
street and the immediate cause OF the dis.
turbance was n protest on the part of the
striker against Applet IN carrying a re-
volver. Macdonald arrested Appleton, who
was the worse for liquor, though not drunk.
The latter had plenty of sense to produce
for the officers inspection his permit for
carrying concealed weapons, whereupOn
his revolver was restored To him, aud he
was told to go to the Four Courts or to his
home. He declined to follow this advice
and walked III the direction of Seventh
street with his revolver stock sticking
rather conspicuously ont of his pocket
The striker, first referred to, was then re-
enfo ced ty three others, and the four
gave him rather smart thrashing with
out injuring him severely. Appleton was,
however, throEn to the ground and the
striker whO first complained OF the revolver
took that weapon from him forcibly. BY
this time considerable crowd hal col
lec.ed. and Appleton walked down Sew
enth street N company with the ring lead
er in excited alteration. When about
twenty yards from Poplar street the men
closed and half dozen sympsthizers with
the striker came To his assistance. APP
pleton was on the ground in moment and
got a severe drubbing. His assailants then
stood back and allowed him to rise. His
face was covered wi h blood and he seemed
half dazed. He stumbled round the COR
ner to the left aud was followed up by his
original antagonist, who hurled n sharp
rock in his eye with great force. The cry
of "scab" by that time got pretty general,
and switch engine with two cars coming
along a shout was raised, "chuck the d
scab on the track" Appleton, who was
lying in the mud in semi-conscious state,
was speedily hurled toward the track so
close to the passing cars that he seemed to
some of the spectators to have gone under.
By this time the mob had swollen to the
number of 200 or 800, nearly all uf whom
joined in cursing the unfortunate Apple
ton, who dragged himself with difficulty a
few doors along the street and finally
found resting place on door step.
A passer by. who suggested that one
striker was enough to fight one scab, was
mobbed, amid cries of "No scabbing,"
"Don't forget Gibbons" "Give him anoth-
er dose" and other similar observations.
Officer Kennedy who was on duty in Elev-
enth street, was the first policeman to ar
rive on the scene After leisurely ascer-
tanning the nature of the row, he left APP
pleton and proceeded to call the patrol
wagon. During his absence another train
of cars came along and the crowd was
speedily driven from the track. On the
arrival of the wagon Appleton was sent to
the city dispensary, where his eye was at
tended to by DR.. Dorset. The cut had
penetrated the pupil, and of so serious
nature are the injuries that the eye will
probably have to be removed.
Appleton is strong, well-built man,
abaut feet, ii inches high, and in q fair
fight would be able to give very satisfsc-
tyry account of himself. He was
one of the witnesses at the coron-
er's inquest in the morning on Glib
bons' body and attributes the attack in part
to that fact. He is q native of Toronto,
Canada, and was working as a svitchman
at Chicago until the 10th of April, when
he entered the service of the Bridge and
Tunnel Company. He is married man,
80 years of age, and his family are still at
Chicago, but are expected here to-day. II,
was very communicative as to the fracas
and accused Macdonald of having improp-
erly arrested him, and also with having
threatened to kill him at the frs! opportu-
nifty. Macdonald was present when he
made this statement and treated il with
contempt. The names of the assailants
were not learned, but the police are &C
nnainfed With the chief culprif. who will