The record-union., 1894-06-29
JOHN BUCKNER'S DISASTROUS JAG.
1t Caused Him to Assault a Street Car
Motorman,
And Now He is Held to Answer on q
Serious Charge-John Strain
Was Acquitted.

John Buckner and John Strain, who were
arrested on charges of assaulting }. Il.
Williams, a motorman on one OF the
electric cars, on Tuesday afternoon and
evening.
The charge against Shinglefinger was
disturbing the peace, but that against
Buckner and Strain was assault with
deadly weapon.
The evidence in the case Of Single
finger, who was the principal figure in
the afternoon affair, was to the effect that
he annoyed the carmen in the vicinity of
Twenty-eighth and P streets by throwing
off the trolley-pole, ringing the bell, etc.,
and that ne refused to sit down and be-
have himself He also used vulgar Ian
guage during the trip.
Shinglefinger testified that the con-
ductor told him to sit down, and he re-
fused. He could not find his transfer
ticket. The conductor caught him by the
throat, and someone struck him on the
head. He afterward found his ticket.
He denied using bad language.
The court found him guilty and he will
be sentenced to-day.
When the case of Buckner was called,
Williams. the motorman-who appeared
ages-testified that he and the conductor
had trouble with Buekner and Single
finger at Twenty eighth and streets in
the afternoon, and that the former had
made threats of doing him up.
About o'clock that evening, when the
car got to the depot, witness went through
the car with his controlling hammer"
and as he got to the front platform Buck
ner jumped on the car and struck him in
the face. Witness defended himself with
the hammer, and they fell down on the
platform. Some of Buckner's friends
helped him to get on top of witness, and
he then beat witness over the head with
the hammer and reverse handle, striking
him a number of times and cutting his
head so that the gashes had to be sewed
up.
Frank Waxon, the conductor, swore
that when the car got to the depot he pro-
ceeded to change the trolley TO the other
end of the car. He heard a racket and
tried to get the trolley on the wire so as
to light the car. He hurried through the
car and met Strain, who stood in his way
and asked him what was the matter. He
was apparently helping Buckner. Wit
ness heard and saw Buckner strike Will
Jams three times with the reverse handle.
When witness caught hold OF Buckner
Strain also caught hold of him. and they
pulled him OFT Williams. Buckner and
Strain then hastened away.
Waxon testified that when the difficulty
occurred in the afternoon Buckner said
he would settle with Williams in the
evening.
A young lady, who was on the car dur
ing the difficulty in the afternoon, swore
that Buckner turned off the overhead
switch. When he sat down near her in
the car he said he was going down to the
depot, and she understood him to mean
that he was going to have fight.
Eddie Schummer, messenger boy,
heard some man cry out in the car and
saw two men struggling on the front
platform. He saw Buckner pulled off
the car and Strain took him down into
the adjoining nursery.
L. L. luke saw Buckner and Strain
leave the car and heard Straih say, 1--WE
had better get out of this-you may have
done that man up" They then went
away.
At the afternoon session Buckner took
the stand in his own behalf. He said he
was a freIghs conductor on the Central
Pacific, aud went TO the depot on Tues
day night 10 see if he was wanted to go
out on his train. He got on the street
car to go up town, and the first thing ne
knew Williams struck him on the back
of the head with some heavy weapon,
cutting him badly. He grappled with
Williams and got him down, when some
one pulled him of.
The witness said that Williams, the
motorman, had some kind of implement
in each hand. There was no light in the
car. He had no recollection of having
struck Williams with any weapon. The
blow he received from the latter dazed
him so that he could hardly tell what oc-
Cured.
Here the witness exhibited the shirt
and vest he wore on Tuesday night, which
were saturated with blood. Buckner de-
MED having gone to the depot for the
purpose of assaulting Williams out of re-
venge for the latter having struck HIM in
the afternoon, and said that he did not
know it was Williams car when he got
aboard.
On cross-examination he admitted hav-
ing told Williams in the afternoon that he
would meet him at the depot and settle
their difficulty after Williams would be
of duty.
He did not remember, while waiting
for street car to go up town, to have re-
marked that one that was approaching
was not No. l0S (William's car. He
wanted to go to the Hoffman saloon. at
Seventh and j streets, but could not ex-
plain why he got on a P-street car.
When he got on the front end of the car
someone struck him on the head, and at
the second blow he thought he recognized
member telling his friend Strain to let
him 60 and he would kill the --."
He did not see Strain until after the row
was over. He did not rememb Der hearing
Strain say to him, Come on and get
sway from him-you may have done that
man up % Neither did he remember
having said in saloon up town that he
had done up the motorfnan with whom
he had the difficulty in the afternoon. He
thought the blood on his shirt came from
his own and not Williams wounds.
Lemuel Strain, also railroad con-
ductor, testified that he was going to the
depot on Tuesday night and found Buck
ner and Williams engaged in a struggle
in street car at the depot. He jumped
on the ear, recognized Buckner, and
pulled him of Williams, who was under
meath. He led Buekner away.
This closed the testimony, with the eX-
ception of that of District Attorney Ryan,
who could not be present 1t was ex-
pected to prove by Mr.. Ryan that he
overheard Buckner make threats against
Williams.
Justice Devine said the testimony
against Buckner was sufficient, without
that of Mr.. Ryan. to warrant him in hold
ing Buckner TO answer. lie then remanded
the latter TO the custody of the Sheriff,
with bail fixed at $500.
The court did not think there was any
testimony TO show that Strain was i'm
plicated in the assault, and he was or
dered discharged.
ADJUSTMENTS
Fr,a-- i