Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-03-14
J0H TEMPLE GRAVES
ATTACKED ON STREET
BY j. FL. Crutchfeld, Who De,
sired Revenge.


cRUTCHFIELD WAS ARRESTED
Col. Graves, Landed Several Blows
on Crutchfeld, Which Did Him No
Great injury.
Atlanta, March 13.-Short1y after 1
Tuesday afternoon, Col. John Tenn
pie Graves, editor of the Atlanta
Georgian and News, and Walter P.
| Andrews, were standing in front Of
Brown & Aliens drug store, at the
corner of Whitehall and Alabama,
discussing meningitis and the sudden
ness with which it attacked human
ity, without premonitory symptoms.
THE most terrible feature Of this
dread malady,' said Colonel Graves
to Mr.. Andrews, is that it strikes
one like an unseen hand out of the
| darkness, and one never knows what
| has happened"
With these Words-prophetic, in
the light Of what Immediately hap
pened-on his lips, Colonel Graves
| staggered and sank to his knees, be-
| ing dazed and rendered almost uncon-
scious by an unseen hand, which
| struck him violently on the back Of
the head.
What is it? Has meningitis struck
me?" asked Colonel Graves as soon.
as he had recovered from the stunning
blow.
re was quickly treasured by his
companion, Mr.. Andrews, that it was
not miningitis, but J. Fl. Crutchfield
! who had struck him.
| Crutchfield, who is a dealer in ma
| chinery, recently figured prominently
In the public eye, and in the columns
of the local newspapers by reason of
| Two sensational divorce suits filed
| against him by his wife, who ALLEGED
| that he had treated her with cruelty
| Subsequently, Mrs. Crutchfield was
shot one evening several months ago
as she was entering her home on S..
Pryor street, by the discharge of a
shotgun in the hands of Crutchf1eld,
the wound necessitating the amputa-
| tion of her leg at the knee.
| Crutchfield was tried for assault
with intent to murder, but was ac-
| quilted his defense being that his
wife seized his gun, causing its ac-
cidental discharge in trying to wrest
| it from him.
| Seeing Colonel Graves struck down
at his feet, and taken as completely
| by surprise as was Colonel Graves
| Mr. Andrews turned, and seeing
Crutchtield in a fighting attitude.
| seized Colonel Graves walking stick,
| and struck Crutchfeld several times
the latter warding the blows off his
head with his hands and arms.
Crutchfield then backed across the
street, with his hand in his hip pock-
ct, it is said, daring Mr. Andrews to
strike him again. About a block fur
ther on he made stand, defying any
one to touch him.
At this juncture, Patrolman Terry
! appeared on the scene, and placed
| Crutchtield under arrest, immediate
| ly releasing him, however, upon a
copy Of charges.
Captain Mayo learend of this at po-
lice headquarters and Immediately is
sued orders for Crutchfeld's arrest, /,
which was accomplished by Sergeant
Shepard and Patrolmen Hill and
| Childs, near the postoffice about 2
O'Clock. He was taken to the bar
| racks and released at 4 o'clock upon
| deposTting $100.75 collateral for his
| appearance before Recorder Broyles
to answer the charge of disorder.
| conduct.
| While not desiring to harshly criti-
else the policeman for releasing
Crutchfield on copy of charges, Col
onel Graves expressed himself to the
effect that it should not have been
done, and probably would not have
been done had the officer known of
the character of the assault made bv
Crutchfeld
Crutchfield attacked Colonel Graves
because of certain articles publish
ed about him in the Georgian some
months ago, when Crutchfield was an
inmate of the Tower awaiting trial
upon the chrage of shooting his wife
/ with intent to murder her.
| Small Ean7iIiae Lave Nin,., <NLo-.....