Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1907-08-24
BRANSON BEATS
A POOR CRIPPLE

Lindley G.. Branson, editor of the
Evening Sun, was arrested last night
for brutally beating a cripple. The
complaint was sworn to by G. S.
Meikiejohn, a former reporter ON the
paper, the victim of the cowardly as
sault. According to the story of eye
witnesses, the burly Branson, who
weighs at least forty pounds more
than his victim, the latter being han
dicapped into the bargain with a
weak leg, administered an awful
%drubbing to him.
Meiklejohn went into the Office of
the Sun on Saturday evening to col
lect money due him for work on the
paper. He has not yet received the
money, Instead, he is a mass of
bruises and scratches, the handiwork
of the editor. From what can be
learned, Branson, after some words
about the money, gruffly ordered the
reporter out of the office, and en-
phasized his remarks by rushing to-
wards him. The reporter swung on
the Branson proboscis, which is hard
to miss under any conditions, and
spilled some bad blood.
Branson rushed in and easily
knocked the unfortunate young man
off his sound leg and bore him to the
floor. Then he fell on top of him,
with his knee on his chest, and pun
melted him like ar Infatuated beast,
and scratched him like an angry wo-
man. He screwed his fist into the
eye of Meiklejohn, he banged his
head against the floor and the help
less cripple was an awful sight to
behold when the fury of the cowardly
bully was spent.
Meiklejohn was helped out of the
office. and made his way in a bewil-
'dered fashion to the Office Of a doc
tor, where his wounds were attended
TO, and then he attempted to get out
a warrant for the arrest of his cow
ardfy assailant. It was too late,
however, and he made up for lost
time yesterday. Upon his presenta-
ton of the case, the warrant was
speedily issued, and the case will go
TO trial as soon as possible. Meikle-
John Will not stop at that, but says
that he will bring civil proceedings
against the brutal editor. He has
already instructed HIS attorneys to
proceed on these lines.
The savage and uncalIed for attack
of Branson was the subject of much
talk on the streets and public places
yesterday, and the editor, whose
friends are by no means numerous,
was roundly condemned for the cow
ardly assault upon the crippled
Meikie john.
According to the story of Meikle-
John. this was the second attack
made upon him by the Brougher ave.
u bully. The first occurred on
Thursday night, when the reporter
went into the Office after business
hours to respond to a long distance
telephone message. 1t was this cpl
sode that led to the attack of Satur-
day evening.
Y had been making it a practice,
said Meiklejohn, ito work in the
evenings, so that there would be copy
for the printer in the morning.
Branson told me on Wednesday night
that he did not wish me to do this,
as the working by night made the
electric light bill too high. AS l was
working on my own time, and only
for the sake of the paper, / was as
pleased to discontinue the work as
he was. The next night, Thursday, l
called up Goldfield to ask Jack Flesh
man about the tickets for the fight
on Friday night, which the paper had
not yet received. AS 1 had no key
to the office / borrowed that of the
foreman TO the side door.
~ went to the office and let my
self I'm by the side door and found
Evans, who is Branson's brother-in-
law, in the Office. l told him that l
.was expecting this call from Goldfeld
and asked him to answer it should it
come while l was away. / told him
chat ] would be back in half an hour,
and he raised no objections what
ever to my returning. About forty
minutes later l went back. There
was no n in the Office and / went to
the side door, put in the key and lift
ed the latch. Both worked all right,
but the door stuck somehow, and
thinking it was a little stiff, / pushed.
There was a crack, and then the door
swung back and when 1 got inside l
found that a heavy iron chase had
been wedged in some way against the