Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-26
A VICIOUS ATTACK.
An Actor Stabbed While Defending
His Manager.
Clarence Mart Drives an Ugly Knife
Blade Into the Lung or VIM. Chat
terton---An Ugly Afrray Christmas
Morning.--Other Police Matters.

| '@eJ ONNaiiSu iAOul vi luC NUN le4duu
house on the advent OF Christmas day
yesterday morning. Clarence Mart, a
Moline painter, formerly of this city,
plunging knife into the lung of VIM.
Chatterton, leading man of the Hamlin
Comedy company. who was in the act of
defending his manager, Paul G. Hamlin.
Chatterton was carried into the hotel,
blood pouring from his wound, while
Mart rushed down West Seventeenth
street TO First avenue, and took the
railroad track for home. He was
arrested in Moline hstless an hour later
and returned TO this city. He is now in
the county jail awaiting developments in
his victims condition. Mr. Chatterton
was attended by Drs. Garter and Cowden,
who at first thought the wound extremely
serious. The blade entered little
above the left breast and penetrated the
lung. The patient stood the shock adj
mirsbly, however, and this morning was
much better, his physicians announcing
that there was every prospect for his en-
tire recovery, though he will be disabled
for two weeks at least, and relapse is
still not entirely without the range of pos
siblity
The trouble had lbs origin in game of
| dice in the Rock Island house saloon
shortly before midnight. when Chas.
! SHIRLEY, one of the hotel bus drivers,
was talking to Frank Bowman, head bar
tender, and Mart, accompanied by Jerry
Woodin. of Moline, and John Woods
berry, of this city, entered. SHIRLEY and
Mart after exchanging few words en-
Gagged in game of dice SHIRLEY won
25 cents which the latter refused to paw,
and angry words ensuing Mr. Bowman
ordered sll out of the room stating that
no quarreling would be allowed in the
house and that it was nearly midnight
and shutting Up time anyway. The me
went out on the walk and continued their
angry dissertation, SHIRLEY demanding
the quarter which he had won and Mart
and his companions refusing to acceie.
At this time Mr.. p. G. Hamlin was
standing near by talking to Maj. Boards.
ley, the topic of conversation being the
bloody murder of james Jackson on
Market square by Geo. Erbst three years
ago last night. He was attracted BY the
threatening talk of Mart and his COM
panions toward Shibley and stepping M
interposed as peace maker saying, give
man chance, three on one Is not fair"
One of Mart's companious-whicho one is
not knOwn-resentei this friendly adj
vice on Mr.. Hsmlins part, and stepping
up to him said in threatening way:
What do you WANT"
Il want nothing but fair play: three
men on one is too many" was Mr.. Ham,
Inns reply.
We'll. Wen give you all you want
too came the response OF the one who
had first approached Hamlin, and as he
N sde this last remark he came towards
him.
Stand back demanded Hsmliu,
don't put your hands on me-"
BY this time Cna,terton, who was re
firing, heard from his room Hamlin say.
three on one is not fair and thinking
his manager in trouble rushed down stairs
and out into the street without Goa. or |
vest on-snd as he came out OF the door |
Mart was getting around back of Hsmlin |
with knife in hand Chatterton struck |
Mart heavy blow which felled him. As
he arose he hit him again, and again, and |
then one OF Mart's companions seized !
Chstterton's arms. and Mart rushing at
him plunged the knife into him Chat !
terton exclaimed:
Look out, p. G., they've got a
knife; am cut. and cut bad"
Mr. Hamln then assisted Chstterton |
into the hotel and Mart, without Stop
ping to get his hat, fed.
This is Hamlin's story of the affair, and
he also says that just as Mart stabbed |
Chatterton, citizen near by drew re-
volver and kept him back. and that as he
entered the hotel with Chatterton, Mart
struck him in the back of the head.
Mart, while acknowledging the fact
that SHIRLEY had won a quarter from him
and that he refused to pay it. says that
when Hamlin approached he (Hsmlin) |
told Shible7 to make the - pay |
it, and that then SHIRLEY struck him
(Mart)
Mr.. Hamlin confesses that he was to /
blame for meddling with the quarrel, but |
he insists that he only did so US peace
maker, and that as he expostulated. said:
Let this drop before there is another such |
a tragedy as there was over there on the |
square three years ago tomorrow night"
but that Mart and his companions scorned
bis entreaties for peace.
Yesterday morning the knife with |
which Mart did the stsbbing was found |
on the street near the scene of the trou |
BILE. and turned over to the police Mart |
denies being the possessor OF it, hut the |
police say they have found it on Mart's |
person on numerous occasions when they
have had him in the station. Mart
has been locked up several times within
the past few years, net only for assault
and battery, but for assault with dead>
1ySxespon, and it is about time that he
was taught by the law that such tactics
must be discarded. No matter what
the circumstances of this last and most
serious affair, his attack was murder
us and cowardly,
POLICE POINTS
Gust Peterson and John Peterson, of
Moline, were fined respectively, S. and
SO and costs by Magistrate Wivill Tues
day night for creating disturbance on
street car