Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-15
A FREE FIGHT.
Tho Row Began When a Western Cowboy Refused to Apologize to a Young Wom For an Insult - Two Pennsylvania Towns Were Considerably Stirred Up.

Refused to Apologize to Young Wom-
 For Insult - Two Pennsylvania
 Towns Were Considerably Stirred Up.
 SHAMOKIN, Pa, Feb. 15.-A bloody fight ill which several Shamokin and TrcvOrtOn persons were terribly cut and bruised, DC cured at Fishers hotel in the latter place. The furniture of the hotel was stained with blood which had been drawn from broken heads, aud the Earroom mirrors were badly shattered
 With the possible exception of Harry Lewis who received frightfu knife thrust in the neck, the rest will recover. A list of those most seriously wounded is as follows:
 Mrs. Zeph Fisher, head and arm cut: Ephraim Jones, ear cut off; Harry Lewis, head and neck cut; Richard Lytle, face cut and body bruised; Spriggin Williams, face cut and shoulder dislocated; John Win ters, face badly cut.
 Several sleighing parties from Shamokin were quartered at the hotel at the time of the fight. It began over an insult offered to a young woman of this place by a Mis- souri man, Dick Lytle, who is a cowboy nome on a Visit. 4$&&
 Western Cowboy Started It.
 The latter refused to apologize, but of fered to show the boys how they fight out west. As he drew a bowie knife he Sham. okinites were not backward ip accepting the challenge, and pitched ba,,le cnaued. A number of TrevOrtOn men jOiIird hands with the Missourian, and chairs and bar fixtures were used as weapons.
 As the barrOom furniture became CX- hausted the disputants crowded into the dancing room, where the piano and chairs received rough handling While Lytle was chasing Spriggin Williams through the sii- loon Landlord Fisher jumped over the bar and grabbed the cowboy by the throat. The latter easily shook him off and attack. ed him with bowie knife Fisher grabbed his man for the second time, and the Mis- sourian made vicious jab and had it not been for Mrs. Fisher a murder would have resulted.
 She had been attracted to the scene on account of fears for her husbands safety, and seeing his peril she pushed through the infuriated mob and thrust her body be tween the knife and her hu> band.
 Although his wife was hurt, the landlord again plunged into the fight. Spriggin Williams, from Shamokin, was battling with four men against the side of the bar when the cowboy mistook him for a friend and aided him in reaching the door leading to the street entrance. Here Williams was again assailed, but he managed to jump into sleigh and escaped.
 Vigilance Committee Formed.
 Harry Lewis had been felled and lay senseless in corner, with blood gushing from number of wounds. He had tried in vain to secure the deadly bowie knife and as a result was the most injured of the entire crowd.
 Messengers were dispatched to many homes requesting citizens to appear and quell the disturbance, as the two officers in town could do nothing. A vigilance committee was formed and men were posted at convenient places. They had hard job in cleaning out the saloon, and the fighters then resumed the struggle on the sidewalk, where Lytle, the cause of the disturbance. was knocked senseless with a brick
 Persons friendly to the Shamokinites se- cured their sleighs, and placing them in an obscure street led the now thoroughly worn out combatants to the cutters and started them homeward.
 Before they got out of the town, how ever, dozen enraged Trevortonites pro- cured sleighs, and a lively chase ensued, but the latter having slower horses soon abandoned pursuit.
 Officers from Trevorton came to Sham okin and served warrants a number or the participants in the deadly struggle They will be taken to the late scene of con hict for hearing. All those who were in the Trevorton faction are also under ar rest. No pistol shots were exchanged dur ing the struggle