The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-04-09
MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE

waiter Berncr, the baker, and
Samuel Douglas. another enploye
Of STATE Hospital No. 4, made an
outrageous and unprovOked assault
upon Mr.. J. y. Lucas, night watch
man, last Saturday night. and beat
him up and choked him most hru-
tally. They had been into town
and, against the rules Of the Hos
pital, had imbibed freely at saloons.
Returning TO the Hospital with
some other companions they were
engaged probably in card playing
In their room at a very late hour
aud making Il good deal Of noise.
Night Watchman Lucas In his
rounds heard them, aud opening the
door adinonish"d them to make less
noise and advised them that they
had better 20 10 bed They gave
/ him some coarse answer, and be
| closed the door and went on his
| rounds. They knew they were yiu-
/ luiiug "a strict regulation of the Hos
| piial, aud probably thinking that
| Mr.. Lucas would report them, which
would mean immediate" discharge.
the two men mentioned shortly af.
forward followed him up. Mr.. Lu-
cas- went from there to the dining
hail, and tn" two men followed him
In. Mr.. Lucas, who is man Of
about 81 years, while the two men
wcr" hurly young fellows, one Of
much larger stature, was not OK.
pectiug al assault, but thought as
the men approached him that they
wanted to ask him not to report
them. As they came up 10 him each
grabbed him by an arm and com
menced to pound him In the face
with all their might. Mr.. Lucas
told them that they were both
younger men than he, but he would
fight either Of them separately IL
they would fight him fair At this
Douglas stepped bnck, and Mr.. Lu-
cas- struck Berner and staggered
him, when Douglas jumped In again,
/ grabbed him by the throat aud
chokcd him until his tongue pro-
| trudcd from his mouth. Mr.. Lucas
/ had pistol iu his pocket, but did
not attempt to use It and could not
| If b" would; but his assailants
! pulled it out Of his pocket and
| threatening to shoot him marched
! him uif Ia another room and sent
for n" superintendent, wkO when
I D." cam" immediately sized up the
| situation and discharged Beruer and
Douglas and ordered them III the
! place nj once.
Mr.. Lucas on Monday had a war
rant sworn out against his aszail-
ants, ~ lac thought and Intended
/ for fclonious assault; but II seems
that warrant for common assault
only was issued, under which the
men were arrested and taken be-
fore Squire Zolman. Prosecuting
! Attorney Boyer was out of town
when they were taken before the
Justice, and the two men pleaded
guilty to the charge In the warrant
of common assault. Squire Zol-
man, who says he did not know any
thing Of the circumstances or the
seriousness of the assault, assessed
the nominal fine of one dollar, which
he says, according to the records Of
his predecessors, was the usual fine
In cases Of pleas Of guilty for ordi-
nary assault.
II IL not our province to place the
responsibility OF this fragrant mis-
carriage Of Justice, but If peacable
citizens in the discharge Of their
duties. and especially old men, are
TO be thus assaulted and almost
beaten to death and their agsallants
to go scot free practically, the law
seems 10 offer little protection
against or reparation for crime, and
suggests the thought that vigilance
methods might better be substituted
for that kind Of justice.