Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-12-23
WILL SAVE HIS EYES
ATTORNEY P. H. LYNCH RECOV-
ERING IN MILWAUKEE.
VICTIM OF CARBOLIC ACID
Young Oconto Lawyer Assaulted by
A Woman Expects Soon to Go
Home to Testify-Mrs. Sharp, a
Widow Editor, Under Arrest
Lynch Tells His Story.

Milwaukee Dec. 17.-Attorney P.
H. Lynch of Oconto, who had carbolic
acid thrown in his eyes by female
assailant on the evening of Dec. l,
and who has been under treatment at
St. Joseph's hospital in this city since
that time, is doing remarkably we'll
and expects to be able to go home
shortly after Christmas, to testify in
the hearing of Mrs. Lesa A. Sharp,
who has been arrested charged with
the assault DR.. Schneider, who is
in charge of the case, says that Mr..
Lynch is doing better than he had
hoped for and that he will save the
sight of both eyes, though at present
he is unable to say whether the sight
OF the left eye will be permanently
affected or not The patient is gain
ing every day and can see better each
day with both eyes.
Until yesterday, the condition Of
Mr. Lynch was so bad that he was not
permitted to have visitors, except his
| close friends, and every precaution
was taken to keep him free from ex-
| element of any kind. Mr.. Lynch
is perfectly satisfied in his own mind,
ne says, as to the identity Of the wo-
man who committed the assault upon
| q, and he has little doubt Of his
ABILITY to to prove the case against
! YER.
Mr.. Lynch's story of the assault is
Is follows:
about Nov. 10, l received a letter
IN some unknown person, mailed
D.. Chicago, warning me that l had
bitter enemy in Oconto, and that
the person would seek to do me great
injury, also that the plot was about
ripe, and that if one means failed,
others would be found. The writer
urged me to be on my guard in order
to save myself from any unpleasant
consequences of that kind. I gave
little heed to the letter thinking that
it had no foundation yet I mentally
summed up my personal relations in
an effort to discover who could be
my enemy to such an extent that
there might be personal danger to
me. The first person l thought Of in
that category was Mrs. Sharp, pub
Usher of the Oconto Enquirer, for l
knew she was not friendly to me, but
1 had no idea that she could be med
}oft hot ,irrI
in anything more than an unpleasant
situation. I thought of other people
| who had been in litigation in some
| closely contested cases that I had
| won. In such cases I new of no one
who would in their anger take such
gested. The conclusion I came to
was that somebody was trying to
have some fun with me and I dropped
the matter entirely from my mind.
"a few days later, I think it was
Nov. 16, I was walking in the evening
toward one of the stores of the city
to see friend who clerks there,
when I met Mrs. Sharp on the corner,
accompanied by her little boy. AS
she passed me, she threw red pepper
in my face and a little of it went into
one of my eyes. I turned about and
asked her what she meant by such an
act, but she made no answer, and the
boy, who was almost crying, took hold
| of her dress and said: Come along;
do not stop any longer or something
to that effect. I did not know what
the substance was that had been
the effects of it, I went into a drug
store and showed the druggist some
Of the powder on my coat He said
at once that it was red pepper and
washed my eyes so as to remove it
from them.
After that, whenever I passed her
lace Of business, she looked very
Ugly at me and l kept proper dis
ance, 1 can assure you. Matters ran
along until the evening of Dec. 1,
street, thinking of a business matter
and almost oblivious OF everything
else, l saw a woman, accompanied by a
small boy, coming along the cross
street at the corner and a short dis
lance away. 1 simply noted that she
had her head muff1ed in something
that made me think of the Sisters of
Charity, and the 10y had a parcel in
his hand. 1 gave them no farther at
tention, but just before they reached
the corner, heard the woman say
something in a low tone to the boy.
to pass behind me, the woman turned
and threw something in my face that
blinded me and made me cry out with
agony. She then started away, but in
what direction I did not know, as
could not see. A friend who was at
tracted by my call for help came and
led me to a doctors office, where I had
what attention could be given to me at
that time, and then I took the first
train for Milwaukee to have treatment
for my injuries.
Mrs. Sharp is a woman Of perhaps
IS to SO years OF age and I am % years
old. l went to Oconto to engage in
law pratice two years ago last spring,
into partnership with Mr..
Morrow. At that time Mrs. Sharp was
The Enquirer, her husband |
having died some time before, and as !
It was the democratic paper of the city |
and we were both of that political |
faith, we gave it our patronage. At |
times both Mr. Morrow and myself /