The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-15
THEY WERE JUSTIFIED
Men Who Hit Pete Pradovich
With a Gun Acquitted.
HE MADE A ROUGH HOUSE
Story OF the Fight in Little Austria Re-
lated in the Police Court Yester-
day-Pradovlch Arrested for
Disturbing the Peace.

There was large gathering of Aus
TRANS in the police court yesterday
morning at the trial of Mike Koch and
John Popovich, proprietor and bar
tender, respectively, of the Foun' ain
saloon, who We're accused of having
assaulted Pete Pradovich. The com
plant charged them with assault IN
the second degree. They hit Pradovich
over the head with a gun.
The case occupied the attention of
Magistrate Kennedy all morning and
during the greater part of the after
noon. About Is witnesses were heard
At the conclusion of the morning ses-
moved the court that Koch be dis
charged, as there was no evidence to
show that he had been mixed up in
the scrape. The case against Koch ac-
cordingly was dismissed
Several witnesses We're heard in the
afternoon, and when the evidence was
all in, Attorney Casey said he lid not
desire to argue the case, as he believed
that the fight had been a general one,
and as the court was of the same opin-
ion. Popovich was also discharged.
Chief of Police White Immediately filed
a complaint against Pete Pradovich, the
complaining witness in the assault
case, charging him with disturbing the
peace. The case will be heard to-day
In yesterdays trials Pete Pradovich
was the first witness heard. He testi-
fed that on Friday evening last he had
gone to the Fountain saloon on East
Park avenue. He was a little drunk
at the time. He had ordered a glass
of beer which he drank, and had called
for another glass. the contents of which
he threw in Popovich's face He then
threw the glass at him, but Popovl n
shielded his face by putting up his
hand. Pradovich took another glass and
hurled it at the bartender, who stopped
and the glass smashed a mirror to
pieces. At this stage of the proceed
ings, the bartender struck the witness
a wound 212 inches long above the left
eyebrow. Pradovich lost consciousness,
was carried to Jail and recovered his
senses half an hour later.
Popovich, the bartender, said that
Pradovich had entered the saloon ard
called for a glass of beer, and witness
asked him if he was going to pay for
it. Pradovich said he was, and called
witness vile names.
He then began to raise h" said
Popovich.
What do you mean by stating that
he raised h." asked Mr. Casey.
We'll. he break all the glass and the
bottles: he tear down all the things in
the saloon" answered PopoVlc1.
That's what | mean when l say he
raise h"
The remainder of his testimony was a
repetition of the evidence given by the
complaining witness.
Mike Koch. proprietor of the sa-
loon, testified that he was standing
near the door when Pradovch entered.
The latter called for beer. became in
sulting. and without provocation threw
the contents of a glass of beer at the
bartender. and then threw the glass,
justly barely missing him. 1t was then
that Pradovich was struck over the
head with a shotgun.
The crowd in the court seemed to
sympathizer with the two accused, for
Immediately upon the case being dis
missed, they were congratulated freely.