Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-03-11
A MIDNIGHT ATTACK
EDWARD eRENDAHL IN COUNTY
JAIL ATTEMPTS LIFE OF
H. r, HUPP.
Race War Between Whites and Blacks
on Lower Floor Makes Day Exciting
One fer Sheriff cremer and Deputy
Fielder.

tNct 1IGHudu). III jan ho' 81
with the larceny of a horse from
Charles French and indicted by the
grand jury on the charge, last night
made a vicious attack upon r. Fl. Hupp
who is serving a term for embezzle-
ment. The attack took place shortly
after midnight in the steel cage on the
second floor of the Jail.
Grendahl, 1t will be remembered. Is
the young man, who has had several
appearances before the commission
ers of insanity as to his men
tai condition. The belief prevails
among the members of the board and
the county officers that Grendahl is
shamming symptoms of insanity to es-
cape prosecution upon the larceny
charge.
Last night about midnight he leaped
from mis- bunk in the cage, dashed into
the apartment occupied by Hupp, and
graphing him by the neck, attempted,
so 1t Is said. to choke him. The noise
of the scuf1ing awoke j.. G. Erdlin, the
man whose trial on the charge of hav-
ing burglar tools in his possession, was
completed yesterday, and the jury,
which was at the time wrangling over
a verdict On his case in the jury room
a hundred feet or SO away. Erdlin and
one or two others went to the rescue
Of Hupp and together they succeeded
although the cage was pitch dark, In
getting Grendahl showed into one cor
ner Of a cell and holding him prisoner.
BY this time Sheriff J.. H. Cremer
and Deputy Alva Fielder arrived on
the e and turned on the light.
Grendahl was locked up in a separate
cell and informed by the sheriff that
another attempt of like nature to prove
his insanity would be severely dealt
with.
The noise and racket produced by
the struggling in the steel cage was &C
cording to the statement of Sheriff
Cremer, something frightful to listen
to. This with the loud calls for help
and light created a tremendous dis
turbance and Sheriff Cremer states
that his first impression was that an
army of Japs was attacking the walls
Of the Jail and that the whole of the
structure was falling dawn.
Race War at the jail.
The mistaken idea acted upon by
Patrick Morrlsey, a big white man,
that he could finish Clifton Logan, the
colored pugilist in about one round,
lead to a race war yesterday between
the whites and blacks imprisoned on
the lower floor of the Jail. Morrisey
quickly found that he was up against
the real thing In the line Of pugilism
and only the lining w of the other
whites and blacks present and the ap-
pearance Of Deputy Fielder saved him
from going down and out in short Or
der.
Morrisey, 1t is reported, after almost
the first exchange of blows, gave up
the fstic route and grabbing up a
razor used by the inmates for shaving
attempted to turn the tables on his
colored adversary. This act brought
the other blacks to the rescue Of their
champion and the whites to save their
white champion from complete ami
hilation.
Fielder arrived on the scene. not a
moment too early, as the general clash
was just on the point of beginning
when he dashed in and called time.
Fielder secured the and from
this time on inmates Of the county
Jail will grow Rip Van Wrinkle boards.