The Saint Paul globe., 1896-11-30
OFT LOST ONE EYE
DISASTROUS RESULT OF A MID
NIGHT sQUABBIE IN A Bill
LIZARD HALL.
ALLEGED THEFT OF A DOLLAR
PRECIPITATES A FIERCE FIGHT
IN A TEMPERANCE BILLIARD
ROOM.
TWO NEGROES ARE ARRESTED,
But They Claim That August Oft
.g Was Struck by His Son
Henry.

There was a mix-up In the billiard
room in the rear Of the barber shop
operated by Andrew j. Young, on Uni
versity avenue, between Maekubin and
Kent streets, Saturday night, and Au-
gust OFT, of 458 Sherburne avenue, re-
ceived a blow which will result In his
losing the sight of his left eye.
In the rear of the barber shop is
what the police, and also the proprie-
tor, call a temperance pool and bill
lard room" Saturday evening August
OFT, fifty years DID, and his son Henry,
young man of twentythree, visited
the barber shop and then stroiled into
the billiard hall. c.. J. Sullivan, who
is employed by OFT as teamster, was
in the place and was somewhat under
the influence of liquor. According to
the police at the Rondo street station,
who have investigated the affair, Sull1-
van was ordered either to stop using
obscene language or leave the place.
Young warned Sullivan several times
to keep quiet and not use vulgar Ian
guage, as he did not care to have his
wife and family, who live in the rear
of the billiard room, hear such talk.
Sullivan made a strong talk and said
that Archie Peterson, colored youth
who was in the room, had stolen a dol
lar from him. The Otis took up the
argument with Sullivan and contended
that the charge against Peterson was
all right. Peterson denied taking the
coin, and for time the thing was for
gotten. Shortly before midnight
there was another fuss, and this time
Henry OFT rushed to the rack in which
the pool balls are kept and commenced
to throw the missiles at the other oc-
cupants of the room. The supply Of
pool balls soon became exhausted and
young OFT then grabbed a cue and be-
gan to play lacrosse, using the heads
of those present as a ball. The next
few minutes were quite exciting to
those present, and there are as many
different stories of what took place as
there We're participants. After a few
minutes there was Iull in the battle,
and it was then discovered that Au-
gust OFT had been struck by something
in the hands of some one and seriously
injured. Blood was streaming from
his face and he complained of terrible
pains in his left eye. DR.. A. r. Toll
vim was sent for and found that the
elder Otis left eye ball had been rup-
tured and the lid of the eye terribly
cut. The blow, which seems to have
been from a billiard cue or club, had
also cut his left cheek and bruised his
nose. Harry Thompson, a negro bar
Der, who is employed In the shop in the
front part of the building, was arrest
ed, as was also Archie Peterson, but
up to last evening the police had been
unable to find the other persons who
were in the room at the time the row
occurred Peterson and Thompson
claim that the blow which the elder
OFT received was from billiard cue in
the hands Of his son. This is denied
by the young man, who says that he
saw Thompson seize cue and strike
his father DR.. Tolyin, seen last even
ing. said there was no chance to save
Otis eye, as the eyebaH had been rup-
tured, and while the eye might not
have to be removed the sight was
gone.
Andrew j. Young, the proprietor of
the barber shop ana Temperance"
pool room, according to the police, for
merly kept a, saloon on Thomas street.