The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-03-25
HE WAS SLAPPED
But mot by a Sedalia Man This
Time.

St. Louis, March 19.-There WAS
great excite ment amorg local demo-
Gratis yesterday. Early in the day
news was received of Ed Noland's
arrest at Jefferson City, and la;e in
the afternoon Mr.. Thomas Conner,
of Joplin. Mo-, slapped ex-Secretary
of the state M. K. McGrath's face
till it assumed raw and beefy hue.
1t was not what the English would
call a smuggling match" On the
contrary, Mr.. Conner was cool and
self p ssessed, and patted the cheeks
of tue Poo Bah of Missouri democracy
more for humiliating than of injuring
him. All of the blows were struck
with Mr.. Corners ght tand, and
landed on the ex-secretary of ate's
left cheek, which shortly a ter the
trouble presented an infamed and
swollen appearance, while bis right
cheek was the color Of first-quality
whitewash.
The little difference between the
gentlemen had its origin in da'nag-
ing story which has been circulated
about Mr.. Conner. connecting him
with ex-State Treasurer Ed. I. No
lands poker-playing. Mr. Conner
was very much worried about the
matter. He is probably one of the
.wealthiest and best known men in
Southwest Missouri. His reputation
and standing are very dear to him
and be resented an imputa.ion that
he had played cards for money with
holland or any one else. Some Of mis-
friends and number of democratic
politicians are open in their ate
ments that while McGrath wrote a
letter in which he said that Conner
had won money from Mol md. yet
they believe that he was used by a
well known democratic politician,
who, up to within sort lime ago,
stood high in the party councils and
who is the real author Of the story.
WHY HE STRUCK HIM.
Mr.. Confer knew that MeGra b
had written about the report, and, "a
he was d=sirous o. getting at the facts
in the case AMI placing tie blame
where it belonged. he seized the OPP
portunity to demaad al explanation
of McGra,h.
They met in front of the Laclede
Hotel yesterday afternoon. McIrath |
it is said, first d,ni d living written
the letter referred to, but subsequently |
admitted il. The deni i aDgered Con-
ner so that he denoun ad the ex-
Secretary of State as a liar aud slap.
ped him several times.
Mr.. Conner was seen by a reporter
at the Laclede Hotel He said
"McGrath wrote letter TO H. III.
Gregg, of Joplin, Ne, stating that
had won $4,000 from Ed holland.
The letter was marked confidential,
but was being shown to my friends
there. His statement was false, and
he knew it to be false when he wrote
it. | have not seen holland but once
since he became State Treasurer, and
that was but for minute few weeks
ago at Joplin, at the time of the
Geath of his mother. | never played |
cards with him in my life never
knew or heard that he played until
after toe Treasury troubles.
WHO WAS AT THE BACK OF IT?
l"When | heard of the letter writ
ten by McGrath Twas surprised that
he should circulate such a SANDER,
and believing that he wrote it at the
instigation of some one else, L defer
mined to find out who was the author
the first time / saw hin, and unless he |
told me from whom he got the state
ment, to slap his face. [ met him.
Yesterday at the Lacede Hotel, and |
he reached out to shake hands with
me. Ideclined to take his band, and
remarked that | would not shake
hands with a dirty dog like him. L
asked him why he wrote such lying
letter to Gregg, aud he denied writ |
ing it. told him he lied, and L
slapped him two or three times with
my open hand. He then admitted
writing it, and said he did it for fun.
I then asked him who got him to
write it, and he said no one, and L
told him he lied and slapped him
again, and just then policeman took
hold of me. intended to learn who
was the author of the statement, and
would have done so had not police
mansappeared."
Have you and Mr.. McGrath been
friends ?"
Eyes, I have always supported him
when q candidate for nomination, and
was very much surprised to learn
that he had lied about me"
,,,op.rurs STopy