The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-20
KANSAS NEWS.
Ten Attica Citizens Are Sued
For $1,000 Damages.
Alfred Patterson Ducked For
Talking Anarchy.
HE ABUSED M'KINLEY.
Said the Late President DeserV-
ed to Be Shot.
Rode Him Astride a Rail to
Water Trough.
Jury Disagrees Which Practi-
cally Closes the Case.
He ABUSED M'KINLEY.

Anthony, Jan. 20.-At the time of the
assassination of President Mckinley
last September Alfred Patterson of At
uca, in this county. was charged with
saying he was glad of it," His words
aroused the indignation of the Attica
citizens and Patterson was given
ducking. The result was that Patter-
son brought suit against ten citizens
for 5000 damages. He charged that
these men aided in giving him his in
Tsa-L atary bath The case has been on
j. al here for two days.
1t appeared that Patterson had been
opposed to the policy of the national
administra ton and had said that Nc
Kinley deserved to be shot for sending
soldiers to the Philippine islands to
shoot down the people The day after
Mckinley was shot he said Mckinley
Is not a - bit better than am He
gets salary enough to be shot three or
four times. He can afford it," On the
same day, after being informed that the
bullet had been extracted from the
presidents body and that the latter
probably would recover, he said: -"Au
am sorry about is that the fellow did
not finish the job" On September Ia,
when the news came that Mckinley
was dead, the people living in Attica
and vicinity decided to regulate" Pat
terson- About so of them called upoa
him and confronted him with the wit
PEELED to admit them. They then start
ed with him to the public horse trough
about a quarter of mile distant When
about half way, they procured a piece
of timber, placed him astride of it and
in this manner took him the rest of the
way. Arriving at the horse trough,
they threw him in and ducked him four
times. Patterson then said he thought
he had been punished enough for what
he had said To this the crowd agreed.
On the road Patterson took things
NJ. I<-ss. hi 10 dn6 n lie nina
and tobacco to c. H Bell. After the
dueking he lighted his pipe and return
ed to his work.
Patterson at that time treated the
whole matter as a joke, but some of
his friends took the matter up and
urged the suit. The county was ran
sacked to obtain jury. Finally a
jury was empaneled. What it will DO
is uncertain, although it is to be as
sumed that the verdict will not be for
a large amount, as Patterson did not
suffer much actual damage. and the
jury probably win allow no punitive
damages. 1t is probable the jurymen
viii disagree.
Patterson is a tall. thin, sad appear
ing person. He is a man whose express
sionS would irritate his neighbors- He
has a family, consisting of a wife and
eight children. The leader of the crowd
engaged in the ducking was Grant Pot
ter. ex-under sheriff of this county, and
a farmer named Samuel Sharp Both
are responsible farmers Among the de-
IS1QanIS IN the case Is Lee norman,
editor of the Attica Advocate. He had
nothing to do with the ducking, but
was present in the crowd because they
had taken him with them to prove the
statements of Patterson.
Among the defendants in the case is
the young man who held Patterson's
pipe and tobacco. The ducking Of Pat
terSon was made by some partiSans
political matter, with the result that at
the last election. with this as the only
question at issue, the Populist ticket in
a township heretofore Overwhelmingly
Populist received only Is votes.
The jury did not agree. The Jurors
went to their room at 10 o'clock Satur-
day night. They were brought into
court at IL o'clock Sunday morning and
were discharged At first they stood
six to six. but after a few ballots they
were seven to five in favor of the de-
PENDANTS. Only one of the five who ia
vored the plaintiff was willing to give
more than nominal damages. This re-
suit is practically a victory for the de-
PENDANTS, and probably disposes of the
case. Patterson's friends will not con-
tinue to back him, and this trial having
cost the county at least $780, public
sentiment will be against a continu-
ance of the litigation.
The men who were sued for damages
were: Grant Potter, an ex-under sher-
ff; Samuel Sharp, farmer; Lee Hoff-
man. editor of the Attica Advocate, and
seven others. Hoffman had nothing to
do with the ducking-