The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-09
FIGHT In THE CAPITOL
ONE OF THE MOST DISGRACEFUL
AND SENSATIONAL EVENTS
SEEN THERE
KoERNER JR. VS.. vANDIvER

With q QuarrelsOme Package John
8. Went Around Looking for
Trouble and Found 1.-THE State
Treasurer Assaulted During the
Capitol Flee In Terror.
One of the most disgraceful and SEN
sational scenes which has ever been en-
acted within the walls of the state house
took place yesterday forenoon In the
state treasurer's Office and the corridor
adjoining 1t. j. g. Vandiver made a
vicious attack upon State Treasurer
Koerner and his son, and was rewarded
for his trouble by a sound thrashing adj
ministered by the latter Not satisfied
with being whipped vanGiver paced the
halls for ten minutes after the affair,
emitting such volume of foul language
that the lady attaches about the state
house fed to some place out Of hearing
range. The halls soon filled up with
clerks. officials and others, who had been
attracted to the scene by the commotion.
After the blood had been washed off his
face In the secretary of states Office,
Vandiver was hustled away by some of
his friends.
According to the best accepted story
Of the affair Vandiver entered the state
treasurer's office and demanded of young
Koerner that he sign letter retracting
certain statements which he (Vandiver)
claimed Koerper mad made about him.
! This Koerner refused to do. Vandiver
| said:
Il II make you, you - - -"
The words were scarcely uttered when
young Koerner took him by the collar
and showed him out of the door. Van
diver turned and started for Koerner
| who landed his right squarely on Vans
| nose and he dropped like a log. Van
| diver then started to leave the Office,
and when out in the hall turned back
| and the doorway was blocked by State
1 Treasurer Koerner, who admonished him
| not to come in the Office again. Van
! divers reply was a blow in the face of
| Koerner Sr. Before the state treasurer
| could recover himself his son had taken
1 the fight off his hands and knocked his
| fathers assailant clear across the hall
| to the secretary Of states office. Young
| Ioerner rushed Van all the way across
| the hall, and every few steps he land
| ed with telling effect drawing the GRIM
| son at each blow.
| The men clinched just in the open
| door, and Capt. Chase and Engineer Mu-
| lany separated them. Young Koerner
went back into his Office and VandiYer
continued his abuses in the secfetary's
| Office while the blood was being washed
| from his face.
| State Treasurer Koerner. as result of
| the fray, carries a couple Of bumps on
| his forehead, and young Koerher barked
| his knuckles where his fist came in con-
| tact with Vandiver's teeth
| The affair caused q great deal of ex-
| element in the state house during the
4 forenoon. Young Koerner claims that
he acted in self-defense, as Vandiver's
| attitude was threatening, and he was
| armed with a wrench, and that he called
| him names which man who had any
4 manhood would submit to. The wrench
i carried by Vandiver was dropped during
4 the mix-up and found by young Koerner
1 after the fight ~ --,e. :Ge
/ Vandiver, when he left the state house,
! swore that he would thrash Koerner
4 within an inch Of his life If he ever met
4 him again. 5 "a .-s-.. .>z; -