The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-05-16
Fl. Madison Chief Of Police slashed
From Ear to Ear by Man Said
to be From This
City.
A MURDERoUs ATTACK
vas Holds Knife Behind Him Until
the OFFICER Approaches--N. J.
Bever Fells the
Assailant.

FORT MADISON, May 16.-A muir
ferrous assault was committed upon
Chief Of Police J. B. Watkins about |
ieo o'clock Thursday afternoon when
! drunken tramp slashed the officers
hroat from ear to ear with double
,laded pocket knife. The assailairt
mad the knife hidden in his hand be-
1ind him when the officer attempted
he arrest and made single thrust.
The wound was OF course perilously
near the jugular vein and is serious,
it is thought treatment was
soon enough to prevent infection and
that the Ultimate result will be only
a life scar.
The tramp was lodged In Jail by
Night Patrolman Jake McKaig, who
happened near the scene at the time.
The assailant gives his name as
Fred Newman, a Keokukian by birth
and resident OF that city until to-
day. He came to Fort Madison from
Kcokuk on the morning train.
The affair occurred at the corner
of Fifth and Chestnut streets.
N. ]. Bever, Fort Madison council
man at large, is credited with, twice
knocking the tramp to the ground just
before the arrival of the chief.
Was Frightening Women.
Newman had been covering part
of the residence portion OF the city
begging when he reached the dis
trict about the corner of Fifth and
Chestnut streets. This was about
one o'clock, and as Councilman Bev-
er came down from his residence on
Sixth street on his way to his office
he was appraised Of the presence Of
an undesirable character in the neigh
borhood, drunken tramp who was
frightening the women generally In
his front and back door calls and de-
mands for food or clothing. As Mr..
Bever reached the corner mentioned
he accosted the tramp coming from
the Bilderback yard, and stopped and
informed him that his presence was
more desirable some place else Just
then, that he was frightening the
women of the neighborhood, and that
the jail would be his resting place
shortly unless his behavior improved.
The tramp displayed his 5 arrogance
and belittled the advice, and started
to argue his Importance, ending with.
IF you'll just step off the side
walk a minute I'll show you"
Bever Beat Him to Il.
In relating the episode, Mr.. Bever
modestly states that he only thought
he had had the cue for action then
and simply beat the tramp to 1t. 9th
Iers in the vicinity, however, give the
alderman credit for more courage, and
|say he sailed into the tramp in man
Iner which left the obnoxious characr
ter lying on the ground.
In the meantime some one in the
neighborhood had called the chief
over the phone and told him of the
tramp. The chief, with his son, ar
rived just as Mr.. Bever had finished
with his man.
Newman was stretched on the
ground. An order to get up brought
forth a grunt and a reply that he
didn't want to-" Consequently the
chief reached for him. AS he did SO
Mr.. Bever called a warning that the
mans hand was underneath and
might have something in it.
AS the officers hand brought the
man from the ground the tramp kept
his fist behind him, and as he got to
his feet the hidden hand whisked
towards the chiefs throat. Mr.. Wat
kins afterwards stated that he did not
realize that he had been cut until he
had snapped the "come-alongs" on
the man, when he noticed blood
dropping on his coat.
The whole affair was over In a
second The others noted the wound
and used emergency efforts to stop
the bleeding, while nearby auto was
hailed McKaig. who also lives near
there, happened along then and took
further charge of the tramp, lodging
him In jail
A Serious Cut.
The chief was removed at once to
the office of DR. A. r. Philpott, whers
the injury was treated several stitches
being required The physician de
Iscribes. the wound as "a cut beginning
two inches above the left ear, con
tinuing downward through the cal
along the left cheek. under the mouth
and continuing to the right ear; left
side cut is very deep" Bandages were
applied and the man removed to his
home. Later en- in the afternoon the
bleeding set in again and required at
tention of the physician. At late
hour he was resting easily
At the county Jail Newman's in
soIepea continued UNCHANGED, He pre-