The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-12
NO NEED OF War
italian FiascO in Crawford
County Explained.
w. p. Montgomery, Assistant
Attorney General, Interested.
CAUSE OFTHETROUBLE
Mixup in Joint Raid in Which
Riot Was Quelled.
Italians, Who We're Knocked
CAUSE OFrHETROUBLE
Italians, Who Were Knocked
Down, Lodge Complaint.

According to Will Montgomery. spe-
cial assistant attorney general for
Crawford county, there is no need Of
complications between this government
and Italy over the affair of the two
Italians alleged to have been assaulted
in unprovoked fashion in Chicopee
some time ago by deputy sheriffs.
Montgomery declares that the assault
was for cause and in the interest of
peace and law. That it came in time
to check incipient riot and rebellion
and he has only praise for Under
Sheriff Wilson Boyd, who used his gun
barrel in the heads of two of the riot
ers and prevented wholesale bloodshed.
Some days ago Governor Stubbs re-
ceived word from Secretary of State
Knox to the effect that the Italian am
bassador at Washington demanded sat
isfaction in the name of his govern
ment for the assault by deputy sheriffS
upon two boys in house occupied by
a widow in Crawford county Accord
ing to the italian ambassadors infor-
nation the sheriffs had raided the
house for liquor and knocked down the
two sons of the widow because they
asked the officers their business there.
Governor Stubbs referred the matter
to Montgomery for investigation. Ac-
cording to Montgomery the house in
question was occupied by Constantine
Rossi, a notorious Italian jOintist and
wholesaler for whom the officers had
was as cunning as fox and had
eluded the officers time and again.
Finally Montgomery and seven deputies
located RoSsi in his house with the
goods. A crowd of 100 Italians threat
ened the officers but were afraid to at
tack them while together. Later in the
evening Montgomery and four deputies
went back to PittSburg, leaving Under
Sheriff Boyd and two deputies at the
house Jerry JOhnstone of Topeka was
one of the deputies. Jerry was rum
ma aging Rossi's desk for evidence in
the form of papers and accounts with
wholesalers and patrons of his place,
while Boyd and the other deputy
guarded the door.
Suddenly one hundred maddened
italians rushed the house and poured
down the hall to enter Rossi's office.
They were calling aloud for vengeance
in all the polygot languages of south
ern Europe. Nelson stopped them at
the door and showed his warrant to
search the house, but they told him
with profane emphasis to go to a
warmer place and started in. Then
Nelson drew his gun and laid out the
two leaders with blows over the head
with the barrel That was all there
was to it. The riot was dissipated by
these two blows. The rioters hustled
each other over backward getting out
of the way Of the sheriff's ready and
cunning arm
'It is my opinion said Mr. Mont
gonery today in discussing the matter,
that if Nelson had not used his head
and knocked down the leaders when he
did. there would have been blOodshed
at the Rossi house. I consider that
Boyd did well. No, Jerry Johnstone
did not take part in the scrap, but that
was not Jerry's fault He was back in
the room and did not get a chance"