Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-01-28
Country Dance Terminates
in Promlscuous PUN =.
melting.
BLACK eyes were NUMEROUS
Fracas Results in Fine of
Four Offenders on Charge
of Assault.

At country dance at the house
of Henry Foss in the town of Nor
rill, last Friday night, disgraceful
row occurred, which resulted in sew
eral men being badly hurt. Our
Morrill, correspondent writes us as
follows:
Jan. pa disgractful row and free
for all fight occurred at a dance which
was given by Henry Foss at his house
Oh Friday night, the 2lst, in which sew
eral young men got quite badly hurt.
Knives, stones and knuckles made OF
steel and other metals were freely used.
Morrill, has been infested for the past few
years by a few rowdies who at all times
are looking for some one to scrap with
These men, like all men Of their low
habits, know who to tackle and when to
do it in order to come out best. One Of
their gang has told that they planned
to whip the Litka boys at this partic.
ular dance. The Litka boys, Steve and
John, are iu good standing here as boys
who attend to their own business, and
are peaceable to the extent that hey
must be greatly imposed upon before
they will fight. Steve Litka is an
athlete and was dreaded by any one OF
this gang OF roughs. but the crowd OF
them, consisting Of Geo. Vail, Byron
Edwards: Edwin, Fred and Albert Keehr,
tackled Steve at this dance. Steve
knocked them down for spell as fast
as they coulu get at him. but they over
powered and hammered him to their
hearts content Steve had but the help
OF his brother, John, who is young and
not in it with roughs. One Emmett Cas-
sidy, in guarding Litka after Litka
was gotten from the crowd OF roughs,
was compelled to use knife on Edwin
Keehr after Keehr had burst III a door,
Cassidy came near cutting keehr's
throat. 1t is said that V all got an
arm broken. Byron Edwards
and Edwin Keehr are the
same two men who were arrested a few
weeks since for assaulting Frank WISE
OF Buckman, but the case did not come
to trial, the boys having paid Wise to
settle. The good people OF Morrill, SYM
path re with young Litka and we hope
this crowd OF ronghs will get the full
penalty of the law in such cases. There
are some people OF Morrill, who roundly
censure Henry Foss in this case. Henry
has no true courage Or he would not
have allowed young Litka to have been
battered up so bad in his house. We
hear that Foss says that if the crowd
will pay the damage done to his house
that there will be no prosecution.
The two Litkas and young man
named Bogardis called on County
Attorney Lyon last Saturday I've:
ming and asked that warrants be
issued for the offenders. The men
had their faces covered with band
ages and appeared to have been in a
disastrous row. After hearing the
story OF the three, Mr.. Lyon had
warrants issued for the arrest OF
Fred, Gilbert and Edward Keehr,
and Byron Edwards and Geo. Vail.
The officers left for Morrill, Sunday
morning and returned the next day
with the prisoners and lot of wit
nesses. The charge was assault in
the second degree.
The examination was held before
Justice Sheldon Monday afternoon.
A. P: Blanchard appeared for the
prisoners, and Mr.. Lyon for the
state. When the prisoners, com
plainants and witnesses assembled,
the room contained large assort:
ment Of black eyes in all hues and
varieties. The fighting must have
been fierce while it lasted. he evi-
dence was quite conflicting = At first
it was decided to hold Hne defen.
dants, except Fred Keehr, to the
.|grand jury, but after consideration
Edward and Albert Keehr, Byron
4 Edwards and Geo. Vail we're al;
1 lowed to plead guilty to simple as:
sault and fined each SIS and costs
which will make about $25 expense
|for each. Fred Keehr was dis
! charged.
There are always two sides to
.Ievery story and il appe ars TINT