The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-28
A LAN-nAKER KNITTED
Fight In Idaho Legislature Leads to
BlOOdShed.
CALL IT AN ACCIDENT
REP. HESS STABBED BY REP.
AVERITT.
Hess Abused Averitt and Then As
sauIted Him and Came Into Con-
tact With the Latter's Pocket
Knife-Much Blood Spilled, But
Wound Not Serious.
(snecial to The HeraldO

Especial to The Herald.)
Boise, Ida, Feb. 27.-Blood was spilled
in the Idaho house of representatives to-
day. The fight over the codifcation bill
was the indirect cause. and hot words be-
tween Representatives Philetus Averitt of
Fremont county. the leader of the Demo-
cratic-silver Republican majority on the
fcor. and Representative Alma A. Hess
of FrerOnt, was the immediate cause.
Hess was cut by a pocket knife on the
left side, the blade glancing from a rib.
! causing a wound that, while not of itself
| dangerous. resulted in profuse How Of
| blood. Hess was taken 20 the hospital,
| where an examination by DIS Sweet and
| McCalla disclosed that he was not Sc
! riously injured. They stated the wound
! was about an inch long, caused by a
small blade, which did not enter the
| cavity.
The trouble occurred while Representa-
| tive Redwine, one of the leaders of the
bill, was speaking. There We're no loud
words. Without any warning blows were
| struck before anyone on the floor of the
! house realized what had happened.
| SENSATIONAL SCENE.
Hess was standing by the side of the
! speakers roStrum, a short distance from
/ his seat his face pale as death and his
stream Of blood that flowed from his side
saturating his shirt. In q moment every
thing was confusion. Members rushed TO
Hess side and there were cries OF Ar
rest the man, Send for a Doctor"
Some one get the sherif."
The spectators on the floor back of the
bar of the house made a forward move
ment and the galleries were in the great
est cemmotiOn. Mrs. Hess, who was sit
ting not a great distance from her huS-
band rushed CRYING to his side, and sew
eral people gathered around to reassure
her. Speaker Evans, pale but calm, rap
ped vigorously with his gayel. ordering
the members back into their seats and
endeavoring to calm several excited men
who were attempting to speak
Hess, accompanied by his wife and
others, walked out of the hall and in a
few minutes order was restored and the
debate continued as though nothing had
happened. The scene was transferred
from the chamber to the main lobby,
where q large crowd Of excited men
surged back and forth. Hess had been
taken into the Office of President Hutch
insoE. adjoining the senate chamber. and
Drs. Sweet and McCalla were summoned.
In Il short time a stretcher was brought
in from Saint Alphonsus hospital. and
the sight OF it served to further agitate
the crowd in the lobby.
The most alarming rumOrS We're afoat
and much violent talk was fndulged in by
friends Of both men, It was stated that
the injured man was bleeding internally,
and that his condition was precarious-
In short time Hess was carried out on
the stretcher and taken TO the hospital.
After further examination there the ply
not dangerous and there was little cnance
of any complications.
Sheriff Campbell, County Attorney Fra
ley and The Herald representative were
admitted to the room. Hess was lying
quietly in bed and was experiencing no
pain. The officers asked him if he desired
an arrest, and ne said he did not at that
time. He did not care to do anything
hastily, he said. He declined to make any
statement as to the affair, although it
was reported that he had said, while in
the nr9GilPnriS that AVPritt Srr1IPE
him with a knife before he struck Averitt.
AVERITTs STATEMENT.
Averitt remained quietly in his seat for
some time, going once or twice to the
lobby tS see friends. After the codifica-
ton bilSyas passed, he left the chamber.
Before ne left he made a statement to
The Herald reporter. He said he and
H., who sit side by side, had been
taiAIng in an undertone about the pend
ing measure and the contest generally,
when Hess charged that he (AveritO had
been bought. and had bought up a ma
You are lying $ o b" was
Averitt's hot reply to the accusation.
Averitt said that Hess then struck him
on the forehead, knocking him backward,
and then struck HI n a time or two again.
while we We're talking" continued
Averitt, Il had q little pocket-knife in my
hand, sharpening a pencil. l still had it
in my hand when Hess struck me. l nat
urally struck out TO defend myself, Hess
being pressed closely against me. as was
leaning back. and I suppose I struck him
with the knife, but had no intention of
doing So"
Hon. j. NJ. Pierce of Cassia county was
in the gallery. He says he saw Hess
strike Averitt. but saw no movement on
the part of AveTitt as though striking
out to stab Hess Others in the gallery
made similar statements.
LEGISLATIVE WORK.
In the house today. the senate anti-lot-
terry bill was reported adversely by the
Judiciary committee and, by vote of II
TO II, the bill was indefinitely postponed.
The senate bill amending the law with
reference to the drawing of jurors came
back with similar report, and was also
indefinitely postponed.
After a length debate, during which the
Hess-Averitt affair occurred. the codifca-
ton bill passed, 81 to s. the trouble having
caused a reaction. The bill now goes to
the governor.
In the senate the bills to remove the
State Normal school to Pocatello and give
Albion a reform school. were withdrawn.
the obstacles hindering their passage be-
ing insurmountable.
The following measures were passed and
sent to the mouse;
Proposed amendment to the constitution.
removing certain restrictions from the
legislature in the passage of laws
Hays building and loan association bill.
House bill fixing a penalty for failure on
the part of the county treasurer TO remit
to state treasurer.
House bill authorizing directors or trl1s-
tees of religious. social and benevolent
corporations to mortgage or sell property
held by them without order of the district
court.
Providing for the issuance of fubpoenas
for any officer failing to make reDort TO
hos tot fF.c a q