Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-13
GEORGE BELTS CUT ACROSS THE
SIDE OF FACE is NOT DAN.
GERoUSLY WOUNDED.
IS BETTER TODAY
In Interview During Breakfast He Re-
Iates Story Of His Fistic En-.
Counters Which Were
Numerous.


wounded by razor cut in the side of
his head Thursday afternoon near the
Burlington round house. Notwith-
standing his injury, the wounded man
chased his assailants from the scene
of the fighting to point nearly across
the Wabash railroad bridge where he
fell from loss of blood. He was taken
to the Ottumwa hospital about 1880
o'clock. The two men with whom he
last fought are said to be G. M. Camp
bell and Charley Fisher, and the latter
is accused of welding the blade. The
police have not captured either Camp
bell or Fisher The cash in Belts
head runs from just above the right
eye to the back of the ear which is
severed in the center.
The story of the troubles which be-
fell Belts is best told by himself, for
this morning despite what he had un-
dergone yesterday, when his chances
for recovery were very doubtful, ne
was bright and cheerful and ate his
breakfast with the heartiness of a
hard working man. His head swathed
in bandages gave him the appear
ance Of Hindu with white turban
and while he bore a slightly wan look
as the result of the great loss of
blood, the temple artery being cut, he
showed no signs of lack of vigor in his
speech and he is obsessed with the
idea of meeting again with the pair
whom he claims fouled him Thursday
en- the opportunity.
'Thinqs Were Against Him."
In relating his experiences of Thurs
day, Belts stated this morning that
things were going against him during
the day ''The first trouble took place
in the shooting gallery said he Il
had shot eight rounds with the girl
there and beat her. Then the little
fellow (who is said to be Tom Reese
of Bear Creek, that was In there,
seemed to be jealous and said he could
beat me throwing balls at the babies
and beat him. He then said that l
might beat him hitting the babies but
that was the only thing could beat
him at One word brought on another
and the big guy with heavy mus
tache who runs the gallery, said he
would bet me S25 that couldn't last
two minutes with the little guy. When
attempted to cover the bet he hedged
and we went outside where l guess |
lasted as long as the little fellow cared
to go on and was pulled away from
him.
F.! Referring to his encounter with Tom
w ats on South Union street, little
while later when he gave Watts
black eye and otherwise used MIN
roughly, he said, Il don't think Watts
had any business treating me the way
he did. You see as soon as | started
up the steps into the house where
was going for my dinner, Watts met
me and tried to kick me off the porch.
Well I went up the neighbours side and
over the railing and I guess l would
have hurt him if it had not been for
his wife,
Cut With a Razor.
In telling of the last battle, that in
which he was the victim instead of
victor, Belts said, Myself and fell
low named Fern, went down to the
o. yards and while there my partner
called three other fellows over and
we met near the round house. One OF
them proposed that we shoot craps
and asked me if l cared to go in the
game. asked to see the bones and
told them the dice were no good. This
offended the big guy, Campbell they
called him, and he said the bones were
his and were all right. Well, you
know how quarrels grow to fights.
This did, The big guy and began to
do battle and when things were get
ting interesting, this little fellow nam
ed Fisher, pulled a razor and before
realized what he was doing he slashed
me across the right side OF the face.
The two of them ran when they saw
how I bled and I gave chase. FOL.
lowed them UP the tracks and started
after them across the railroad bridge.
I don't remember much after we came
to the bridge for I was nearly blind
and you know more about where was
picked up than do"
Can't Locate Patient.
The call that first reached the police
stated that man had been stabbed IN
a fight near the Seymour cooper shop
and that the men who done the stab
bling were running toward the south
side. Chief Gallagher officer Noah and
Axel Nelson boarded a taxi and start
ed across the river where they made
search for the scrappers. In the mean
time calls followed others to the sta
ton calling for the ambulance and to
the city physician, Dr. w. j. Herrick,
asking that they go to Seymour's COOP
erage for the man that was stabbed
When DR.. Herrick reached there he
found that the supposed dying man lay
: on the Wabash bridge near the pest
house. In the meantime the Milwau-
, kee switch engine with volunteers
went out on the trestle beyond the
main portion of the bridge and picked
up the apparently dying man and
: brought him to the passenger station.
Undertaken Helps.
t The city physician started for the
hospital after looking Belts over and
in a short time Coroner Elerick arriv-
: ed. The, undertaken was already there
Q and 80 was the usual crowd The I'M
J curiosity to learn of the excitement
: and showed that he could help In ante
3 norton as we'll as post norton cases
!. for he ordered his ambulance to carry
:, the man to the hospital and assisted
{ the physician and nurses in the operat-
{ ing room when the patient was being