Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1907-04-17
BEATEN SWITCH N AN
RAFFERTY, MAY
NOT LIVE
Unconscious This Morning
and Could Not Appear
in Police Court.
USE OF WORD SCAB
CAUSED WHOLE TROUBLE

.. \. Rafferty,, the switchman as
saulted and beaten last night in the
Southern saloon, on South First
street, by former Night Yardmaster
Settelemore and five other switchmen,
is unconscious and may die. He is
now being cared for at the city hall,
where he lies in a heavy stupor on a
cot
Should he die, the men who assault
ed him and who are now I'm the city
Jail, will probably be sent to the
county Jail to await trial on a charge
of murder.
When the case was called in police
court this morning City Physician
earns stated that Rafferty, was in an
unconscious condition and would be
unable to appear. Judge Craig con-
tinued the case until this evening at 3
O'Clock at which hour. If Rafferty,
can not come into court, another con-
tinuance will be necessary. In the
interim, all possible medical assist
ance is being given to the injured
man. He was terribly beaten about
the head, but there is no evidence of
fracture of the skull, as nearly rs
the physicians are able to ascertain.
The men under arrest, besides the
night yardmaster, are Switchmen
Randall, Phillips, Davis, Mcfarland
complaint of Rafferty, by Chief of Po-
lice McMillen and Patrolmen Ken
nedy, Knapp, Babbett, Rossi and
Highbargain.
1t is alleged that the use of the
word "scab" on the part of Rafferty,
caused the trouble. The word is a
deadly insult among the railroad en-
ployes and is generally resented much
as is a more vile epithet in the west.
h. 81 I'm
that they saw the fight, Rafferty, en-
tered the saloon to purchase a glass
of beer As he was about to drink
the beer, Settlemore and several of
the former switchmen walked up to
him and asked If he had called Set
tlemore a scab. Rafferty, made an
answer, and i'm a second Settlemore
and five men jumped upon him. In
the melee a spittoon and a billiard
cue played important parts. both be-
ing used by the men to subdue Raj
ferty, who is known as a fighter.
The billiard cue was broken in
three places over Rafferty's head, and
the spittoon was dented against the
unfortunate switchman's head. Hear
ing the noise, a pedestrian ran for the
police and when officer Kennedy and
Chief McMillin arrived on the scene
the men had left the saloon and Raf-
ItIly was on the llOOT III a SlupDT.
city Physician earns seWed up the
wounds in Rafferty's head and dress
ed the other cuts and bruises which
covered his face.
Chief McMillin tried to secure a
statement from Rafferty, this morn
ing, but the injured man was unable
to talk. When police court was call
ed more than twenty-five men, friends
of Rafferty, and Settlemore. We're in
the court room
ScttIemore Makes Statement.
81 didn't quit: was fired, and the
other men went out because they did
not want to work under the new
yardmaster," said Settlemore, the
erstwhile yardmaster, through the
bars of the city jail this morning.
The company claimed that we
pushed some cars off the track, and
We claim that We didn't" said an
other Of the five men who are in jail
with Settlemore, and when they fired
Settlemore we just quit and asked for
our time. We didn't strike" contin-
ued the same voice. Rafferty, called
Settlemore a scab. He didn't call
him a scab to his face, but told an
other fellow. Red said that Settle :
more had scabbed on a road in Kan
sas, and when Settlemore asked him
about IL, he whipped out a razor"
Then there was a general discussion
of the fight in the Southern saloon
by the men behind the bars. All the
prisoners had grievance. One
wanted bOndsmen. while another
wanted out. Another wanted to see
newspaper, and still another want
ed ten cents worth of apples
The switchmen claim that four
teen men went out on Tuesday morn
ing SettlemOre was told Monday
afternoon 10 get his time.