Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1903-05-06
THE CASE WILL BE TRIED HERE.
The Iibbetts Shrake Case VIII be Tried BY Vernen
County Court

Ira Shrake. the victim of an assault
by VIM Tibbetts, at Genoa, as mention
! ed in last weeks CENSOR, still lives in a
very critical condition at La Crosse hos
! pital, with but small chances for his re-
/ covery, and should he recover from the
/ terrible fracture of the sFvll he will, so
| the doctors say, be a Grip, for life, as
some of the nerves leading from the
brain to the lover body are injured to
such an extent that Gu ultip.ate recovery
of the nervous system Is an impossibili-
ty. The officials of the city Of La Crosse
have been waiting material change in
the condition of Mr.. Shrake before MAX
ing a complaint against Tibbetts, but the
condition cf the patient has been such
in the last few days as to warrant bring
ing charge against Tibbetts for assault
with intent to kill, which was done on
Tuesday morning at 10 O'Clock. The
relatives of Tibbetts have been making
an effort to get him from La Crosse Jail
on habeas corpus proceedings, this
having tendency to expedite matters
in bringing the charge against the de-
fendent.
According to the La Crosse Chronicle,
Perry Shrake. a brother Of the injured
man, is afraid of he Justice as meted
out by Vernon county courts because of
its leniency, and as there is a question
as to which county has the jurisdiction
he will make strong attempt to have
the case tried in La Crosse county.
If the assault was committed while
the boat was still at the landing the
case belongs to Vernon county, but, If
it happened after the boat had started
out in the stream, then the case belongs
to La Crosse county. The latter seems
to be the case. as reputable witnesses
say they will go on the stand and swear. !
that the boat had already resumed itss
way up stream towards La Crosse when
I1bbetts struck the blow.
The highly sensational and colored re-
ports thathave appeared in some Of the
La Crosse papers recently concerning the
assault at Genoa, has
been very amusing to those familiar
with the facts or to those acquainted
with Nh. Tibbetts We never supposed
our esteemed contemporaries were z ven
TO yellow journalism but some OF the
articles in connection with this matter
border very closely on it. Tihbetts has
been referred to as the "bad man from
Genoa, etc" but the people in that vlci-
nifty speak well of him as a citizen 1rd
a man. He works hard and has accumu- I
lated considerable means. His word ls
good wherever he is known and he minds
his business and is not given to quarrel
ing. We know nothing of the merits OF
this particular quarrel but feel certain
that If Tibbetts struck Schrake as hard |
as the papers say, the provocation must
have been very great,
A teW days ago we were told IN har-
ing headlines how Tibbetts stole into La
Crosse on a night train and tried to get
his money from the bank preparatory to
light, and hid and skulked in the back
alleys until finally landed by one { thS
officers OF the law and placed in the
county Jail. The fact is Tibbetts went
TO La Crosse to get a boiler fixed and af-
ter remaining there in the open for some
time, was arrested while quietly eating
his midday meal in hotel
The story that appears in the paper
OF the 9th inst. caps the climax. The
Chronicle uses an entire page in relating
the most pathetic and narrowing tale Of
a visit OF poor old mother of ribbets
to the Jail where her son was confined.
1t Is tale to make the hardest-hearted
shed coplous tears as we read, with
eyes they (meaning the moth
er and sisters Of Tibbetts) pleaded with
the officials for the release of the brother
and son. 1t was heart rending, but duty
steeled the hearts of the officers Mrs.
Tlbbetts is an aged woman. She is bro
ken hearted and her gray head, bowed
in grief. is sight to move one to sincere
sympathy, etc.
This and Other things along the same
line would be very interesting, but un
luckily for the story the poor old moth
er OF Mr.. Tibbetts has been dead for
eight or nine years
Later, we learn that it has been decid-
ed to try the case in this city and an Of
ticer has been sent to bring Tibbitts here.