The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1900-12-27
ROANOKE SENSATION.
FORMER JOHNSON CITY MAN CAUSES
A MAN TO STAND
While His Young and Pretty Wife Ures
Cowhide Alleged Insult to the
Wife the Cause.

Roanoke, Va, Dec. 49, Roanoke is
stirred up by sensational happening
that occurred on Thanksgiving day
near the ball park, in the southern
portion of the city.
]. s. Perry, prominent citizen and
a well known man about town, was as
saulted by an employee of the Norfolk
and Western named L. Simcox and
Mrs. Simcox.
Mr.. Perry had been to football
game and was returning home in CON-
pany with his two children. Just after
he left the ball park he was confronted
by Mr.. Simcox, who held a double
barrel shotgun at Perry's head and told
him to throw up his hauds. Mr.. Perry
di&so, and Mrs. Simcox approached
and cowhided him. He was struck on
the head and face O number of times.
Mr.. Perry's children were greatly ter
rifed and the eldest child, boy, ran
to Simcox and begged him not to shoot
his father, saying he was all he had.
Mr. Perry is widower.
The affair was witnessed by num-
bers of people, as the crowd was pass
ing from the ball grounds at the time.
Several ladies were near at the time
and their escorts, after Mrs. Simcox
had cowhided Mr.. Perry, get the gun
away from Simcox.
The affair grew out Of alleged insults
to Mrs. Simcox by Mr.. Perry while
the former was in Mr.. Perry's Office on
the day preceding the assault. After
the alleged insult Mrs. Simcox went
home and told her husband, and he,
ascertaining that Perry would be at
the football game, procured shotgun
and went out to the park with Mrs.
Simcox and waited for Mr.. Perry to
come out.
Since the assault Mr.. Perry has Sc
cured affidayits from every witness of
the meeting in his Office, where the in
suits are alleged to have been made,
and these persons sworc that nothing
of an insulting nature was said rdone
by Mr.. Perry while they were present.
A young man named Chaffin accom-
panied Mrs. Simcox to Mr.. Perry's
office at the time she claims to have
suffered the indignities, and sat in the
next room to the office, the folding
doors between the two being open, and
he made an affidavit that he neither
heard nor saw anything that could be
construed as insulting.
The case came up in the police court
on Saturday, the 10Th, and the attorney
for Mr.. and Mrs. Simcox asked that a
fine of $40 he placed upon them and
the matter closed, but the common
wealtn's attorney argued that the as
sault was of too aggravated nature
to be smoothed over without investiga-
tion.
The police justice decided that the
matter could not be settled in this
manner and that the testimony must
be taken.
Mrs. Simcox was Miss Reynolds
and came from New Jersey. She had
been here week or two when she met
Mr.. Simcox, who worked in the West
End round-house. The two boarded
at the same home and were married
three weeks after their first meeting.
| Mrs Simcox is an attractive looking
woman about eighteen years OF age,
and admits that when she and her hus-
band we're married she misstated her
lage in order to get the license.
RTAl EMENT or MR.. syMoox.
When the court opened this after
noon Mrs. Simcox did not appear, and
it is understood will not testify.
: Mr.. Simcox testified that when he
came home in the afternoon of the
day before the assault he found his
wife hysterical. Finally she told hin
, that Perry told her in his office thai
he "envied Simcox, as he had tht
sweetest little peach in town" She
also told him that Perry attempted tt
hug and kiss her. He wanted to g
after him that night; but her condition
was such lie could not leave her.
He also testified that he heard con
versation over the phone, when he told
his wife to draw Perry out, in whicl
he told her il she would come to hi
Office he would learn her how to max
money.
/ He testified that he was machinist
employed at the West End rounC
house. He came here from johnson
| City, Tenn, where he lived fourteen
| years. He was married on the 9th o
/ November.
! Roanoke. Va, Dec 2c.-Mrs. Sim
! COX went on the witness stand thi
morning and told her story of the al
| legged insult by Mr.. J.. s. Perry, an
the cowhiding. She came in late, an
was taken sick, and had to be lead ou
| in fainting condition.
II William Miller, who was with Sim