Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-05-26

- Charleston Sunday News: Follow
ing fight in the Argyle hotel late yes
terday afternoon Sam Rittenberg,
James Livingston and man who Is
said to be named George Hartnett.
were carried to the police station in
an automobile patrol. Acting Chief OF
Police ODonnell released all three, he
said, because no charges were prefer
red. Mr.. Rittenberg said that charges
Of assault and battery and Of carrying
concealed weapons had been entered
against him, but had been withdrawn
and that he intended to prosecute in
the courts, alleging that he had been
assaulted. Repeated efforts were made
to locate Messrs. Livingston and Hart
nett last night in order to get state
Inents from them about the affair. Mr..
Livingston was not at his store, nor at
his residence when a reporter called
and Mr.. Hartnett could not be located
The clerk on duty at the Argyle hotel
late last night said that he had not
been there when the fight occurred.
that he did not know where the other
clerk was and that he could make no
statement. No record Of the affair was
entered on the blotter at the police sta
ton and the police did not seem to
want to discuss the case. Mr.. Ritten-
berg last night made the following
statement for publication: AT about
645 this evening received a telephone
message at my home from man who
said he was a hackman, informing me
that friend Of mine. Senator Appelt
Of Manning, was down near the Argyle
hotel and that my presence was needed
there, and urged my immediate atten-
ton. Being anxious and not knowing
what the trouble was / got on the first
belt line car and got off at the corner
Of Pinckney street because my infor-
nation was that Mr.. Appelt was near
the Argyle hotel. / walked back to the
Argyle and not seeing Mr. Appelt
searched the register and not finding
his name there l asked one Of the bell
boys whether Mr.. Appelt was there and
he said no. l stayed around there a
few minutes. when man. whose name
afterward learned Is George Hartnett,
approached me and said he wanted to
see me for a few minutes. AS l ap-
preached the screen door Of the main
entrance and was about to open 1t l
saw Jim Livingston and another man.
whom l don't know, on the outside. AS
soon as / saw them waiting there l
suspected foul play and drew back,
whereupon Hartnett said: Come on,
l am the man that sent for you,' and
started after me and assaulted me in
the most outrageous manner, calling
me a Jew - - and saying that
that was for stealing conventions.
While we were scuff1ing Jim Livings-
ton picked pistol off the floor and
asked me whether 1t was mine. When
Hartnett was tired out Jim Livingston
assaulted me and struck me repeated
blows, telling me that they owed 1t to
me for my work in Columbia. A po-
liceman whom heard called Quinn was
there at the time and he stopped their
fighting me and sent for the patrol
wagon. While we were waiting there
Hartnett told me to remember that 1t
was a Grace beating that they gave me
and that there were more coming
me throughout the summer campaign.
was placed in the patrol wagon in a
horribly blooded condition and on the
way up Hartnett again told me that II
was a Grace beating and that the next
man to get one would be Sheriff Mar
tin. At the station house they prefer
red the charges Of assault and battery
and carrying concealed weapons against
me. AS a matter Of fact l never in all
my life carried a gun or a pistol and
never owned one and had none when |
was assaulted. They subsequently
withdrew the charges and l. not being
versed in police station rules. did not
prefer charges against them, because ]
did not think that aggravated assault
Of this character was to be tried in
police court or course such coward
ly frame ups and brutality can not be
passed off lightly. l feel that I owe IL
to the entire community to prosecute
the case in the courts to the fullest
extent and I propose to do So"