The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-06-15
G. N. Henderson Commits. AL
legged Assault, Saturday.
W. L. COMSTOCK COMPLAINS
Attorney Claims That AssaiIant Came
at Him With a Fork; TrOu-
bile Over a Fence.
From Mondays Daily.

as the result of an alleged assault made
upon Judge w. l.. Comstock late Satur-
day afternoon. 1t appears that he lives
on Agency hill, close to some property
owned by Mrs. Comstock, and which is
leased to E. E. Johnson Henderson has
leased land adjoining this, and on Sat
urday undertook to change the line
fence, claiming that it was not in the
right place, although it was where it had
been for the past eighteen years or more,
according to residents living near. Sew
eral days before that he had torn down
the old fence and put a line of posts for
the new fence four to six feet upon Mrs.
Comstock's land He also undertook
to fence up a piece of land where Mr.
johnson had been in the habit of reach
ing his barn, but it is admitted that he
had right to do this.
At about three o'clock Saturday after.
noon Johnston's wagon stood where Hen
dersOn wanted to put post and the lat
ter asked Johnston to help move the
wagon, saying that otherwise he would
run it over the hill. Johnston refused
to move the wagon, and Henderson ran
it over the bank to road below. Words
followed and Johnston states that Hen
derson ran at him with pitchfork,
Johnston taking refuge in the barn. Mr..
Johnston then notified Mrs. Comstocll of
the trouble, as he had been previously
advised to do, and Mrs. Comstocll tele-
phoned to her husband to send a police
man up on the hill. Judge Comstock
concluded to 90 himself instead.
Judge Comstock put on his heavy
duck coat that he works in and took
some pliers and a hatchet and went to
where the scene of the trouble was A
few words were passed, Mr.. Comstock
inquired what Mr.. Henderson was doing,
when Henderson suddenly pushed him
across the line, swearing. Judge Com
stock said that he wanted no trouble,
but Henderson kept right on, and then
Judge Comstock gave notice to Hender
son to remove within thirty-six hours
load of straw that stood within 100
feet of barn, in violation of the ordi-
nance, and some straw around Hender-
sons barn that was close to some gaso
lene and oil cans, this being within 100
feet of the house, and to take down the
barbed wire that he had stretched on
the posts, cutting off the main entrance
to the Johnston place from the rear.
Henderson during this time was very
wrathy and shook his fists in Judge
Comstock's face, and declared that he
would neither take down the wire him
self nor allow anyone else to do so.
Judge Comstock, whose account of the
case is being followed, said that he
would take the wire down, at which
Henderson declared that if he did he
would kill him. At this Judge Comstock
started with his pliers to pull off the
wire, when Henderson got the crossframe
of saw buck and struck repeatedly at
Judge Comstock's head, hitting him once
upon the right forearm. Judge Com
stock kept sidestepping and removing
the wire. Henderson following him up
on the Comstock property and being be-
side himself with rage. Mr.. Johnston
came upon the scene when he heard the
noise, and one of his daughters observ-
ed the proceedings from window of the
house, few feet away.
Finally Henderson succeeded in strik-
ing the nippers hard blow, so that
Judge Comstock's thumb bled for two
hours. The ross-piece of the saw buck
frame broke off, but Henderson kept
on striking with the rest of it, but
finally ran into the house and got his
revolver and a garden fork and went
at Judge Comstock, using the fork as
one would a fail. Twice he reached to
his hip pocket, but Judge Comstock
warned him not to draw his revolver.
The work of getting the wire off pro-
ceeded under such difficulties, Henderson
endeayoring to stop it, and Judge Com
stock side stepping to avoid the blows
rained at him, when post was reach
ed where the wire was double stapled.
There Judge Comstock used his Ratchet,
when Henderson lounged at him with
the fork. Although Judge Comstock
saw the blow coming, he was unable to
avoid being struck on the left breast,
the coat being perforated, NUT a hand
kerchief broke the force of the blow and
the injury inflicted was not great. Judge
Comstock then left at the advice of Mr..
Johnston, but not until Henderson had
reached for the gun again. Miss
Johnston saw the weapon as he pulled
it from his pocket.
Judge Comstock that evening procured
a warrant charging Henderson with as
| Sault in the second deoree with dancer