The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-08-26
AssAILANT IN RACINE JAIL
Stephen Vargo, Drunken Laborer, Alb
tackled Mclaughlin With Beer Bot
tie While he Latter Was Asleep-In-
jured Man in Milwaukee Hospital.

Dennis Mclaughlin, SO years of age,
and Kenosha man, is at st Joseph s
hospital in Milwaukee suffering from
injuries which may result in his DEATH
Mclaughlin was injured in fight at
the road camp of Frank Hannah in
Racine county two miles south of Union
Grove Tuesday and his condition is
such that he may not recover. His nose
was crushed to pulp, both eyes swol-
len and closed, his face and head cut
and his skull fractured John Spartz,
chairman of the Kenosha County Board.
went to Milwaukee this morning to
make an effort to have something done
to save the life of Mclaughlin. Steve
Vargo, an Austrian 80 years of age,
also claiming to be a Kenosha county
man, is in the Racine county Jail ON
charge of having assaulted McLaugh-
lin. After desperate fight he was
arrested by members of the gang at the
road camp and taken to Union Grove
and later moved to the county jail at
Racine.
A force of men had been engaged
under the direction of Frank Hannah
of Somers to build roads for Racine
county. Mclaughlin bud gone out from
Kenosha some time ago to join the
force of men at the camp and Vargo had
joined the road building gang about the
same time. Vargas wife had been in
charge of the cooking at the camp.
It is claimed that Mclaughlin had COM
blamed on account Of The cooking Cor
a numbe4 of days but no one save Vargo
had taken any notice of his complaints.
Vargo had been helping his wife with
the cooking and had also worked as a
laborer on the roads. Tuesday Vargo
went to Eagle Lake and when he re-
turned to the camp he was under the
influence of liquor. Aiming himself
with beer bottle Vargo is alleged to
have gone to the tent occupied by Nc
Laughlin. The latter was sound asleep
when Vargo entered the tent and Vargo
attacked him with the bottle beating
him into insensibility. Other men at
the camp heard the noise and went to
the TEN and desperate battle between
the crazy drunk cook and the men en-
sued. Vargo grabbed a pitchfork and
gone to the rescue of Mclaughlin and
chased him out of the tent. Vargo
then went over to his own tent and
went to bed. DR.. McCracken of Union
Grove was called to attend McLaugh
lin and he found all the bones in his
nose broken and his skull fractured.
Vargo after his arrest declared that
he had no memory of having made the
assault on the Kenosha man. He as.
serted that he had known Mclaughlin
for long time and that he had never
had any trouble with him. He declared
that he had been !" crazy drunk I" at the
time of the assault and that he did not
know what happened.
County Clerk Jones this morning was
notified by the Hospital authorities in
Milwaukee that Mclaughlin was in
bad shape and he notified them to take
care of him with the understanding
that the expenses will be paid by the
city of Kenosha. The hearing of Vargo
on the charge Of assault with intent to
do great bodily harm was continued in
Racine today pending the development
of the injuries of Mclaughlin The
injured man is well known in Kenosha
he having resided here most of his life.
At the hospital today it was said that
his condition was critical