The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-01-18
LIND A FIGHTER.
Knocks Down a Dispatch Editor
in a Rage.
So Inaugurates His Return to Private
Life-Says He Was Called Traitor
and Wanted Satisfaction.

st. Paul, Jan. 10-Within little
more than an hour after he was freed
from the official restraint of the COVER
nor's Office John Lind set out upon the
warpath to wreck the vengeance OF
brute force upon men against VII
he has for months treasured spite.
The one man who felt the weight of
his mighty fist was little man, struck
without any warning and when In
defenseless position, sitting on table.
This man was Harry Black, the
m anaging editor of the Dispatch.
Mr.. Black is small man, weighing
about 100 pounds. John Lind is nearly
six feet in height, weighs about 175
pounds, and enjoys the reputation of
being an accomplished athlete and a
doughty scrapper.
Mr.. Black says Lind called at his
Office yesterday afternoon and demand
ed retraction of the sentiment ex-
pressed in a cartoon Published by the
Dispatch several months ago. He in
formed Mr. Lind he was not conduct
ing a fetraction bureau. According
to Mr.. Black, Mr.. Lind warned the
newspaper man that he Lind was
no longer governor, but private citi-
zen. Whereupon Mr.. Black calculated
THANK Godl' and was Immediately
after busy picking himself up behind
the table upon which he had been sit
ting during the preceding converse
ton
He says he clinched Lind and was
struggling with him when Alex Cald-
well, a reporter, and also small man,
entered, and together they thrust the
beligerent into the corridor and allow
ed him to take himself off. Mr.. Black
had received small scratch across the
bridge of the nose, which he thought
was caused by ring upon Mr.. Lind's
hand. He will not cause the arrest of
the former governor.
Mr. Lind's story, as told few
hours later differs in some particulars
from Blacks version Of the affair.
Mr.. Lind talked freely about the
affair and expressed hiInself.as entirely
satisfied with the trouncing he had
given the newspaper man. He said
"Last summer the Dispatch, at a
time when there were no political
questions at stake, called me traitor,
and 1 will whip any id man who
calls me traitor. When one becomes
so effeminate that he will not fight
when called traitor it is time for
him to settle up and get out.
81 sent word to Mr. Black by Mr.
Bell, one of his reporters, requesting
him to withdraw the charge. I told
him l did not care about the political
abuse he might heap upon me, but that
1 resented the charge of treason.
Well, no action was taken in the mat
ter, although Mr.. Bell told me he de-
livered the message I gave to him.
"After 1 got through at the capitol
today 1 went down and called Black S
attention to the incident and asked
why he didn't make amends. Black
told me he did not understand that the
demand for retraction came from
me, but that he was under the impress
sion it came from Mr.. Rosing. 1 said
1 believed Mr.. Bell truthful man.
He had told me he delivered my mes
sage as gave it to him and that I
preferred to take Bells word.
''Black made some insulting re-
marks, and 1 slapped him couple of
times l asked him if he wanted any
more, and he said he had enough.
was about to retire when some one
came up behind Ime and caught me by
the arm. 1 cried that it was unfair
cannot say whether 1 struggled
loose or if the second man released
his hold voluntarily. At all events.
stepped out and left the building ;"