The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-25
FIGHT WITH AN INDIAN
BLOODY CONTEST wAGED ON
STREET IN SALT LAKE CITY.
The White Man Suffered n severe
Scalp Wound and black Eyc-Lo
Was Laid Up for Small Repairs.
Salt Lake Tribune.

Murder, Murderi I'm being killed."
These were the horrifying words that
attracted the attention of Patrolman Emil
Johnson to a spot near the corner of Main
and First South streets yesterday morning
about $50.
With his heart in his mouth and his club
in his hand the patrolman hurried in the
direction whence the sounds proceeded and
discovered George Peppen. a man about
thirty years of age, pinned under the form
of a wooden Indian weighing not less than
225 pounds. Peppen was bleeding badly.
and at the same time was punching the
Indian in about the place on the body
where he apparently imagined the famous
solar plexus to be.
With difficulty the wooden brave was
removed from the body of Peppen. and
then the story came out.
Peppen had been wandering about the
town for some time in a zig-zag route. He
finally reached the Indian, which is To-
Gated in front of Bonetti's cigar store, on
East First South street.
The Indian did not look good to him,
and while bystanders aver the brave did
not say anything to Peppen the latter in
sisted that the former had made an in
sulting remark.
Then came the def
81 can lick you in one round, you googly-
googly thing remarked Peppen. but the
Indian retained stolidity Characteristic of
his race
Dye hear me?' queried Peppen.
There was no answer, and the battle
pugilistic began.
1t is given in detail below:
Round 1-Peppen spared for time, but
no attention was paid to him by the red
man. Then Peppen let go his terrible right,
and caught the original American full on
the nose. The latter reeled and gave evil
dence Of going through the window Of
the cigar store, but soon gained his feet.
1t was apparent that he was a trihe grog-
gy. however, as he listed quite heavily to-
ward the aggressor. Failing back, he re-
sumed his normal position. The only blood
In this round was from Peppen'S hand.
Round 2-Peppen was again the agrees
sor, leading with his somewhat injured
right and following 1t up with a swing
Ing blow from his awful left, which caused
the red man to again show symptoms of
falling through the window. Once again
did the Indian right himself, but only par
TALLY. 1t was evident to the spectators that
Peppen had his adversary going.
Round 3-Just as Peppen prepared for
the third round the red man was seen to
violently lurch forward, the sidewalk be-
ing slippery from the recent rains, sand
sloped toward Peppen. Then came a swipe
from Peppen that was intended to end the
battle. it did. Peppen caught the Lamar
lite directly under the chin, raising him
ABOUT two inches from his feet-or wheels.
The red man tottered backward as though
he had been put to sleep, then suddenly
leaned forward and fell on his face. Pep
pen was underneath, and the nose of the
Indian plowed a bad scalp wound in the
left side of his head, which made the Sec
ond blood for the Indian. a death clinch
followed. and Peppen, holding his adver-
sary with one hand, was industriously
punching the ribs of the Indian with the
other when Officer Johnson came to the
rescue.
The Indian was put back in his old
police headquarters. There it was dis
covered that his injuries were of a more
serious nature than was at first sup
posed. Ten stitches were required to
close the scalp wound, his hands were
knotty from the effects of the repeated
blows he had given his antagonist, and
he possessed black eye which he must
have acquired by hitting the sidewalk
when the Indian decided to take a fall
out of him and thus end the unseemly
Sunday morning disturbance. DR.. Sill
ver. and some ladies were entering the
police headquarters at the time of the
arrest, intending to hold religious sery-
ices in the jail, as usual, but these were
deferred. and the doctor performed prac-
teal Christian task by playing good
Samaritan and binding up the wounds of
the foolish.
1t was some time before Peppen
really recovered from the Knockout re-
ceived from the body of his dusky an
tagonist, and in a half-daZed condition
he begged those in attendance to be al
lowed to go along First South street and
finish the man who had struck him. This
UP some time after the present police adj
ministration has been retired. II only
weigh 12S pounds he pleaded, but L can
go out right now and finish that policeman
or whoever it was that struck me-
Later in the day he became himself, and
asked to be allowed to go home. This
was also refused then, but his wife SUBJ
sequently furnished IS bail.
DR.. Witcher was called to attend the
Indian. He found Lo suffering from a
fractured nose. the major portion of which
bore evidence of being bitten off in the
fall that followed the onslaught. The left
arm was also fractured in two places
above the elbow, which he said were SIM
liar TO compound communited fractures.
For the former he prescribed little plas-
ter of paris and some brown paint; for
the latter, a few small wire nails. little
putty and some of the brown paint that
would be left over after the nose was
fixed.
Peppen will probably be confined to his
home for several days, but Bonetti says
he believes the red man will be GONZALES
cent to-day. Only few of his intimate
friends were allowed to see him last night,
however.
81 am sorry the red man so far forgot
himself" said he, 'as to allow himself
to get smashed by a little man like that.
Why, he weighs 225 pounds, and had no
business to pay any attention to a light
weight He should have told Peppen to
make a reputation before challenging
him. Besides that" remarked Bonetti, as
he prepared to dress the wounds of the
red man, "he cost me over $50.