The Mankato free press., 1916-03-17


"The next day business man of
Mankato took the matter up with me
and asked my co operation in getting
Mr.. Merchant to agree not to prose-.
cute Or bring an action against Mr..
Atchison provided Mr. Atchison
Emade an apology to him and signed
a written statement acknowledging
his fault in committing the assault.
! | told the gentleman that would
take the matter, up with Mr.. Morehart
but could not advise Mr.. More
hart to, make such an agreement in
view of the insult, humiliation and
injury he had suffered and the con-
dition he was then in. .,t,t...
Has Been in Weak Condition.
"Mr Morehart has been in a weak
condition for some time, and Mr. At
Gibson has had knowledge of the
state of his health. Mr.. MOrehart has
mastoid abscess and has had sever
al operations upon it in the last few
years. He has had four operations
upon his nose and one within the last
month and has been laid up, since the
assault upon him by Mn. Atchison
and has been in a critical state, his
nose evidently having been broken
Last Saturday shortly before two
o'clock while | was on the way to the
court house on business Mr.. Klug
herr, the chief of police called to me
across the street and stated that
someone had beaten up Mr.. Atchison
and asked me if ! knew who it was,
told him had not heard anything of
it. When ! got to the court house
was told that one of the Moreharr
boys had had a fight with Atchison.
] finished my business and immedi
ately went up to Mr.. Moreharts
house. was there told that Mr..
Morehart's son who is attending
school at Madison, Wisconsin, had
returned on the noon train; that one
| of his younger brothers had told him
of the assault committed upon hi,
father by Mr.. Atchison. and upon
| reaching home and finding his fatn
er in bed, he had left the house with
out saying anything to his parents
and had met Mr.. Atchison going
down to his office.
Claims No Kicking.
He had approached him and spoken
| to him and asked him why he had
struck his father. Mr.. Atchison made
a move as if. to strike him and young
Morehart then thrashed him with
nothing but his bare hands No club
! was used and Mr. Atchison was not
kicked. Mo- one struck him but the
one Morehart boy and. Atchison knew
well who it was, and stood on the
curb assailng young Morehart verb
ally when he went to his auto and
| went home. After hearing about the
irlatter | went to the police station to
| see Mr.. KlugherZ but he was not in.
/ returned there three times Satur-
day afternoon to inform him who
licked Atchison, but each time Mr..
Klugherz was out. / went to the sta
ton twice yesterday, Sunday to give
| him what information | had but eacn
time he was out attending to his
! duties. met him this morning at
! the station and told him what l
knew
Young Morehart is a man fifty
pounds lighter than Atchison, who is
as strong physically as any man in
Mankato of his age. Young Morehart
had no intention of doing anything to
Mr.. Atchison until he came home,
although he had heard of the as
! sault upon his father by Atchison.
but upon being told of the details of
Mr. Atchisons treatment of his faith
er and finding his father in bed, his
young blood got the better of him, but
he did not strike Mr.. Atchison from
behind or did not hit him with :
club or kick him, or jump upon him
without Mr.. Atchison being aware.
"The whole affair from start to
finish is to be regretted, but when a
man of Mr.. Atchison's age and ex-
perience forgets himself SO far as he
did week ago, it i'll becomes him to
criticize the acts of. young man fol-
lowing. his Unborn impulse to resent
an insult on his parent, and Mr.. At
Gibson then issuing statement for
the purpose of drawing sympathy to
himself and endeavor to make the
4