Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-06-02
6ANG or RuEEIAkS =
Attack a Filth Street Car Conductor and
MOtOrHan.

Last evening as the Fifth street car
was crowded with passengers return
ing home from their days work and
ladies who had just completed their
shopping excursion, fracas occurred
which was not only an insult to every
self respecting person on the carr but
was serious infringement of the
municipal laws. The conductor and
motorman of the car are to be com
mended on the firm stand they took
and the courage they displayed in en-
deavoring to quell the disturbance
which toward the last assumed serious
proportions.
party of four men, all more or less
under the influence of liquor, boarded
a Fifth street car when it was coming
up Front street at the intersection of
Butler about o'clock Saturday eve-
ming. Three of the men took seats in
the car, while the fourth. remaining
in the front end began to ring the
gong furiously.
The conductor, Geo. Otterbein, and
the motorman, Joe Place, politely ask
ed the fellow to discontinue the noise
as it was annoying the other passen-
gers. Their request was not needed
but on the contrary was received with
burst OF profanity and defiance Mr..
Otterbein then told him that swearing
was not permitted on the car and this
time the conductor was told to stop it
il he could.
When the car reached Fifth and
Wooster, Mr.. Otterbein put off the
obstreperous character in the front Of
the car. The remaining three then
took part il the struggle and both of
the car men were set upon They sue
ceeded, however, in putting off all the
men. Two, however armed them
selves with bricks and laid in ambush
for the car at Fifth and Wooster. The
larger man sprang upon the platform
anu struck at Conductor Otterbein.
The latter used his digits pretty freely
and the big man drew knife with
which he tried to cut the plueky con-
ductor, but the latter fioored the big
rufian. IL
The other man attacked Motorman
Place and struck him on the side of
temple with brick. The, heavy wire
band of the cap prevented cut and
possibly serious injury. Conductor
Place succeeded in furnishing his as
sailant pretty severely and the car be-
ing relieved of the two drunken men,
was started on it's rounds.
The police authorities we're inform
ed and. Officers Slobohm and Ray
were detailed to make arrests. They
succeeded in getting the two principal
parties in the attempted hold up. 's
The larger man who did most OF the
fighting said that he was e. B. Van
ghusen The other man gave
the name of H. E. Clark. Van
gave the name of H.. e. Clark. Van
ghusen was taken to the city Jail and
locked up. Clark escaped like treat
ment by finding man to go his Sc
curity.
The other two men of the party were
not apprehended. E, c. S. Holmboe,
who was struck in the fight at the cor
ner of Fifth ana Wooster, stated af-
.terwards that he was not one of the
party and that his interference was
prompted only by the desire to settle
the difficulty.
The affair has been the first of ~
kind to occur on the cars of the Mari
eta Electric Co. 1t was so improvok-
ed and uncalled for and ruffianly in
every respect that the company will
prosecute the men to the full extent
of the law. Such attempts as this are
not consistent with the citys good or
der and the attempt to hold up car
and stab the conductor is serious Of
fense.