Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-04-12
OTTAWA POLITICAL.
DEvEL OPS FIST FIGHT
ICON TIMED from Page ~

ised this morning If such move lies
within the realm of city officialdom.
Attorney General Brundage. 1t was.
said in city circles, would be called in
TO engineer the prosecution in case
no states warrants can be secured by
States Attorney Wiley.
Another Version.
The story as related by Mr. Meaghcr
follows:
"Spokes O'Connell and | have not
been on the best Of terms towards
each other for d number Of years
He has been telling people things
about he which are not true. ! stood
II long enough and finally decided
that he was going to stop, although /
did not think II would come as soon
as it did. Mr.. Browne myself and
Frank Canty were walking through
the park Saturday evening about
~ O'Clock on our way home when we
noticed O'Connell. the mayor and Nc
tirath coming towards us. ! suppose
going home.
AT first We walked by and paid no
attention to each other Suddenly
O'Connell turned around and came
back to mo and started 10 throw SlurS
at me. We exchanged a few words
and struck him, then the fight was
on Mayor Weeks attempted to pull
me off Of O'Connell but Browne pre-
vented, forcing him back. In Che
meantime McGrath ran for the police
station and Ganty started after him
run. Finally got tired Of beating
O'1onncl and quit. He made no al
tempt to come back at me-
"OConnell has been an enemy to
me for IA great number of years and |
warned him several times that /
would get even with him, and did "
A Spectators Version
A Young lady who was going home
from downtown, arrived AT the park,
just as the fight was over, She de
clarca that Mayor Weeks was stand
ing at the pop corn wagon Whon she
phil McGrath came into sight, and
started again for The scene Of the
| fight rs the fight all over he said.
A north side woman who Wa3 going
home called out Who was the man
who ran away Mr., McGrath?
| got there, watching what was going
on around the park, that U'Connell
was holding 4 handkerchief 20 hi iip,
and that the darkness prevented her
| from seeing who else was there OK.
| cept Lee O'Neil Browne
"Y0u won't be States Attorney any
longer after December lst' she says
She heard O'COnnell call out to
| BroWe. There was other loud talk
she declared, but She could not tell
what was being said.
| AS she reached the end OF the park,
ran for the police.
Mayor Weeks Statement.
TIE mayor, in explaining the dis
| turOance, said he was on his way
nome with O'Connell and McGrath
and when near the Colonial CandY
Kitchen they met Browne and young
man walking south into the business
| district. When they arrived at the
park. Browne, who was accompanied
| ny Meagher, the same youth. said to
be Frank Canty. and q young man he
| 'houeh to be Kid NebergaIl, a local
| pugilist Of considerable renoWn, came
ap TO them.
Measher. he said jumped upon
IO'COnnell, and forced him 10 The
ground, badly punmelling the city
sealer as he lay on the grass near the
| S sidewalk. Ncbergall and Browne
stood near MIN, one in front and the
other at his side, closely watching
his every move, evidently to keep hini
| from rushing in to help O'Connell.
/. tnl ,,h mi
thets as Kill the -" 'Murde:
aim, Phil while Meagner was beat
ing O'Connell as he lay overpowerel
| under his adversary. The mayor said
he thought Browne carried gun, but
| could not state that as a fact, as NEST
| of the time the assistant states attor-
ney held his right hand in his over
coat pocket,
There were no words passed before
| or at the time OF the meeting, Mayor
Weeks said. The whole thing. he
| said. was an attemp to gang O'ton'
nell and Try, ii possible, to entangio
| him in the brawl.
McGrath Said Gun Flashed.
Phil McGrath, who hurried from the
scene to give a police alarm, agreed
to all the mayor said, but was more
| firm in his assertion that q gun wa
in play and that Browne held it in nj
right hand. II saw the gun said Ne
Graw, and | ought to know, because
it was pointed at ne.
Browne Denies Having a Gun,
The story as told by Mr.. RroWne
differs in radical ways from thai
told by Mayor Weeks and Mr. Nc
| Grath.
He told OF Meagher himself anC
CAVITY walking through the park OF
heir way home, when meeting NJ
with the mayor, OConnel and Nc
Grath O'Connell, he said, turned