The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-26


In recent issue, the Slreator Free Press
attemps TO prove that the blood Of Mike
Campaske rests not upon his own head, but
is dyed upon the hands of his Hungarian
fellows. The evidence collected by the free
Press, if true, should furnish the sheriff of
Livingston county with at the least a cl W.
1t is this:
'Campaske with eight or ten of his coun-
trympn, had been drinking and carousing in
DOWNS saloon on South Sterling street on
Tuesday evening, and quarrel had arisen
between Csmpaske and a couple of the No,
Huns. About nine o clock the whole party
left the saloon for No. 3 shaft and stopped on
the way at the home of Mary Barslck, on
Peanut Hill. Here the quarrel was renewed
with increased energy. Finally the two men
who were quarreling with Campaske left and
started for the shaft, vowing to wait and "do'
the stranger in case he made his appearance.
The rest Of the party struck out in another
direction Kolar, who was arrested, was one
Of the latter party. This was about 10
o'clock. At two O'Clock the body of Cam.
paske was found at the bottom of the shaft
Where he was and what happened during the
intervening four hours, is not known"
A fellow miner Kolar, was arrested by
Deputy Sheriff John Reese Of Pontiac, and
temporarily placed in the city Jail at Strea-
tor, but as no support is alleged to have been
given him by the sheriff Reese released his
prisoner without even ascertaining his true
connt ction with the affair Others allege
that Kolar was one of the party with whom
Campaske quarreled While in jsl Kolar's
silence was 80 thick that it could not have
been cut with a knife. Therefore Kolar
knows more than he will tell and means
should be found to cause MIN to divulge. This
might be done if he were asked certain ques-
tons by court, as his refusal to answer
would perhaps give him chance to reflect
behind the bars, which, by the way, are
sometimes found to be very effective mind
invigo-ators.
Mrs. Mary Barsick appeared at the police
station while Kolar was under arrest, and
asserted his innocence, at the same time in
mating knowledge of the names of the two
men who are alleged to have been with HIM
in his last hours and materially aided him in
discovering the bottom Of the coal shaft. She
also minated that they had decided to 60
away as No. 8 shaft had sort of ghostly
look just now.
Now, what is the conclusion to be drawn
from the evidence collected by the Free Press
and the reasonable comment above? Either
the sheriff Of Livingston county, made indif
ferent by reason Of the frequency Of crime
among the Hungarians, and their evident
disregard for human life, has concluded that
dead Hungarian is a good Hungarian and
that the more numerous the good Hunglr'
ians the better or Livingston county and will
not make an attempt to unravel this case, or
the city officials of Streator in order to slps
the alleged good name of the citys having
another murdered mans blood smeared
across the still radient strains already there,
are indisposed to assist the sheriff Of Livings'
ton county either by word or act
True, Mike Campaske was 'only a Hum"
but human life, be it even that of FIJI Is
lander, should not be considered with less
concern trgu a case of chicken thievery-for
this is VIVA it has arrived at in Streator.