Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-09
BIG GUNS CUNNING.
Judge Rucker of Denver slaps
the Face of Col. John Atkins.
He is Arrested. Jailed and Fined.
Trouble Grew Out OF the Blackburn
Rucker Controversy.
Judge and Editor, Each Tells His Tale-Further
Trouble Looked Tor at the Next Meet
ing of the Gentlemen.
A DENVER SENSATION .

A DENVER SENSATION.
Special to the Gazette
DENVER. COL, Feb. S.-Early this
morning a sensational encounter occurred
between Judge Rucker and Col. John
Atkins, manager of the News, which but
forfhe prompt interference of friends
would in all probability have resulted in
blood shed. At 10 clock this morning
Col. Atkins, Senator Elect F.. O. Wal
colt aud Chief of Police Brady were
standing at the bar of the Jones saloon
on Curtis street between Fifteenth and
Sixteenth streets, when Judge Rucker
entered and walking up 10 Atkins with
outsaying word slapped Atkins face,
knocking his hat off on TO the bar. For
n moment Atkins seemed stricken
dumb with amazement and before
he could recover Judge Rucker step
ped back few feet and with the remark
- You take that, and if you are man Of
courage you will resent it - he placed
his hand upon his revolver. Chief Brady
at this point interfered and placed Rucker
under arrest, and after disarming him ),
marched his distinguished prisoner over
to the patrol box and called for the patrol
wagon. The judge was seated in the
g hurry-up Cart ana taken to the
station, where he was
LOCKED UP IN A CELL
charged with carrying concealed weapons
and creating a disturbance. He remain
ed in the lookup about three hours when
released Tins morning anticipating the
appearance of the Kentucky statesman
and the editor of the News q large
crowd assembled in the police court.
However neither of them appeared and
when the name of ga. w Rucker''
WAS called no one responded. In the
absence of Judge Rucker, Chief Brady
took the stand and very briefly stated the
facts. Judge Campbell thereupOn i'm
posed fine of SO and costs in one case
and Sc and costs in the other. It is I'M
derstood that Judge. Rucker will appeal.
The "scrap' this morning grew out of
the famous Blackburn Ruoker dnel i'm
broglio. While this long winded affair
was in progress Col. Aikens made a visit
to New York city While there he told
reporter that Judge Rucker would not
fight, that he was not of q fighting stock,
etc. To this Judge Rucker replied that
Atkins was neither gentleman, scholar
nor Democrat and he publicly said at
that time he would settle with Atkins
when he was through with Blackburn
It is feared further trouble viii result
upon the next meeting of these gentle
men.
ATKINS STATEMENT.
In an interview to-day upon the affair
Col. Atkins said: 'EI'u tell you ali about
it as briefly as possible. Senator Wal
coot, Chief Brady and myself went to
Il l. lNo-, I fcIo
We stood there talking for some little
time, when the first thing L knew was
that some one had hit my head
knocking my hat onto the counter. I
picked it up and looking around found
Rucker 6ourishing a nickle plated pistol
l want to say right here that man who
carries nickle plated revolver would
not fire it on anybody, and you can pub
lish that as coming from me. Well, as
soon DIS Rucker hOurished the pistol Brady
caught hold of his arm, when Rucker
said 81 have hit him and am satisfied. >
Brady told Rucker that he
was under arrest and that he
would have to go with him
whereupon Brady hurried him out of the
door. When the rest of us had recovered
from the surprise of the affair we went
out and found Brady at the patrol box
with Rucker in charge waiting for the
Hurry up wagon. l told
Brady not to arrest him, but the wagon
arrived and he was taken to the station
Now, these are the facts IN the case and
I suppose that Rucker and his friends
will attempt to make ont that we were
all drunk, when in fact we were cheated
out os the only drink of the evening -
MIR. RUCKER IS STATEMENT
is as follows: SIN company with my
friend, Judge A. j Gunnell of Leadville,
l had just finished taking a Turkish bath
and we were walking around when the
judge suggested that we step in and get Q
cigar. L had long ago formed mental
determination to slap John Atkins i'll the
face the first time we should
meet, and this being the occasion
l proceeded to do So did it simply be-
cause of his intrusion in my affairs at the
time Senator Blackburn and were hav-
ing our controversy over the interview
with President Cleveland. l saw Atkins
as [ say and cuffed his ears l then
stepped back and said: You take that
and if you are man of courage you
will resent it.. al then stepped back TO
give him a chance, but he failed TO take
advantage of it. Chief of Police Brady
who was in company with Atkins then
asked me if I had gun and 1 replied in
the affirmative. He told me to hand it
over which l did,. l lay in cell at the
city Jail for two hours and l had some
very severe thoughts.