The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-07-07
Item Carrier Claims That He
Was Attacked Both by Cor
don and by c. S. McCooI,
Item Circulation Manager. !.
AFFIDAVITS WERE FILED
AND ARRESTS FOLLOWED'
Trouble Grew Out of Darby's'
Work as an Item Carrier
Case Win Be Heard in the
City Court on Monday.

Pale and weak from an aggravated
case of bronchial and lung trouble. be-
ing almost totally unable 10 defend
himself. Mcclellan Darby of 5l5 North
Sixteenth street. charges that he was
brutally attacked and assaulted by j.
Bennett Gordon, managing editor OF
the Evening Item and his circulation
manager c. S. McCool about five
O'Clock Saturday evening in the circula.
ton rooms in the aiiey adjoining the.
Item plant on North Seventh street.
The latter portion of the assault,
which occrred in the alley and in
which McCool and Darby were the
principals. attracted several people 10
the scene and there was much excite
ment. The cowardliness OF the as.
sault was remarked upon by all who
saw it. while the people became en-
ragged when they learned the full de-
tails of the assault.
Darby. according TO his statement.
was given an Item route in the north.
ern portion of the city some time ago
by Gordon. providing he gave satisfac-
ton. Darby was To- receive the pro-
ceeds of the route for his work. few
days ago. according to Darbey's state-
ment. Gordon called him into the Of
flee and stated that he would have to
turn in four cents each week for each
paper carried, thereby breaking the
contract. Darby did not feel that this
was doing him justice and Saturday.
resigned his position at the Item office
Gordon. it is understood. became an
r,sxy s.f nn,.l,x AL
fused to allow him to collect any OF the
money outstanding for the past two
weeks subscriptions. threatening him
with arrest. Then Darby stated Cor
don told him that he would also have
to turn over to the Item office SaturJ
day evening. four cents for each SUBJ
scriber on the route. which he said
Gordon knew he could not do.
Along with his resignation Darby
handed Goroon thirty-four stops FROM
the north end route.
On handing him the stops Darbw
told Gordon that he then and there
rendered his resignation to the compass
ny, on which Gordon said, "One days
notice is enough, / guess" to which,
Darby replied:
You never gave me a notice wheR
you charged me four cents for each
customer"
You run after me and begged me
for job. and did 1t TO accommodate
you.' said Gordon
Il never asked you for the job" re.
piled Darby. You solicited my worlo
on your own accord
IF You go up on tha- route knocking
x,.t11 -
telling just how you got your route.
and all about you" replied the editor>
manager
At this point Mrs. Darby came into
the office and told Mr.. Gordon that he
gave the route to Mr. Darby on hin
own accord.
Here, according to Darby's state
ment, Gordon said TO the woman y,
Look here, If you don't 20 out. I'll:
have you put OUT" Then according
to Darby's statement Gordon tele.i
phoned to police headquarters, asking.
that a policeman be detailed to forci-l
bly, take Mrs Darby from the room.
apparently angry because she hadI
spoken up in behalf of her husband;
At this juncture the conversation
began to lag, according to Mr. Darby
and hearing the press start, he wen0
to the basement TO get his papers.
A policeman soon arrived on the
scene and spoke to Mrs. Darby and
asked her TO drive up "A short distancei
from in front OF the Item office.
On arriving in the cellar where tho
papers are distributed to the carrieri
boys. Darby, according to his state.l
ment, asked McCool, the circulatiom
manager, whether he would have t0j
wait or not. and the latter. Darby
said. angrily stated:
You know the rules, don't you?-
Darby then said nothing but walked
out of the cellar and joined his wifel
who was sitting in their buggy inn
front of the coliseum. Here he stayed
about six or eight minutes, or long
enough to count off several carriers
boys, knowing about how many wouldn
be counted off before he would receive
his papers.
On returning to the cellar Darby
stated that he still had to wait while
and Gordon came down to the base.
ment and began looking all around
and Darby stepped out where he could
see him. supposing he was looking for
him. Then Gordon approached Darbn
and said:
You remember what I told youj
about that collecting, and IL you cob
lect anything on that route next week.
I'll have you pinched." III
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