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WEEKLY JOURIAL
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"BE JUST AND FEAR NOT."
VOL. 13, SO. 34. PLA.TTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, THU11SDAY, AUGUST 16, 1894. $1.00 SrfSi?SSk.
Our Choice for United States Senator W. J. BRYAN.
That
andsome Top-Bu
WE ARE GIVING AWAY
Is the talk of
sales. If you.
And get a chance on it. Who knows? YOU may be the lucky one. And then, you may like us
better than you thought you would and decide to trade with us altogether. We have an im
mense stock to select from. Some people say we have too large a stock for these hard times. Per
haps we have, but we have got them marked down to hard-time prices and we are going to
sell them all.
MORGAN, The Leading Clothier, ipnattemouth, Neb
LINDSAY'S ON A FOOL.
Referee Griswold Has His Way and
Lindsay Got the Decision.
OMAHA PUG'S DIRTY WORK.
He Waged a Dirty Battle and Was Al
lowed to Foul Robbing a Score of
Times Without Interference
From Griswold Notes.
Fletcher Bobbins Lad a big job on
his bands at Bohemian hall Thurs
day night. Fletcher had contracted
to whip Jimmy Lindsay, the Omaha
pug, in a contest with five-ounce mitts.
That he could have turned this trick
very nicely with anything like a fair
kind of a show there is no room for a
reasonable doubt. But he failed to
get the atoresaid "fair show." In a
moment of carelessness (it was cer
tainly nothing else) the friends of the j
local ninn agreed to the selection of :
Saudy Griswold. the swell-headed ;
sporting scribbler on the Omaha Bee, j
to referee the fight. It was the com
mon belief tnat uriswold would not
dare to be anything else than square,
but the belief was not -well founded.
As a consequence Bobbins virtually
was forced to fight two men Lindsay
and the referee. Throughout the en
tire contest Griswold was busily oc
cupied in looking out for Lindsay's
interests and he managed to play his
part quite nicely. A pen is palsied
in attempting to describe the corrupt
ness of his course. Lindsay fouled
Bobbins no less than a score of times,
but Griswold was blind to the Omaha
pug's dirty tactics. It is positively no
stretch of the imagination to say that
a more rotten piece of refereeing was
never perpetrated in a ring. Its rot
tenness far exceeded that of a
slaughter-house cadaver. It is safeto
say that the stench of Griswold's dirty
work will linger about Bohemian hall
for months and months to come. The
climax of Griswold's partiality was
manifested in the eleventh round,
when Bobbins, after a clinch, gave
Lindsay a jab in the face before the
break-away. Twice before Bobbins
had foolishly done the same trick,
and as contrasted to Lindsay's miser
able manner of fighting, it should have
been passed by the referee as amount
ing to nothing, but Griswold was there
to guard Lindsay's interests, and he
responded by throwing up his hands
and gave the light, with a toul as a
pretense, to the Omaha pug. But the
details.
riattsmouth has not been as lively
for many a a ay as it was
last night. Several dozen visitors
came during the day to witness the
mill, but the arrival of the Omaha
special shortly after 8:00 p. m. swelled
the number to some three or four hun
dred people. Some trouble was first
had over the question of weighing in,
.the Lindsay people claiming the forfeit
of 3100 because of Bobbins' failure to
weigh in below 141 pounds during the
forenoon, as provided in the articles of
agreement. Griswold, as the referee,
decided the dispute, according to the
general expectation, in favor of Lind
say, but it was only determined after
si discussion of almost two hours. In
the meantime the Omaha crowd
amused themselves in saunteringabout
town and drinking bad whiskey, and
it was after half-past ten before the
the county. People ask us how we can afford to do it. We do it by our increased
have never purchased anything of us, come in and spend
ticket-holders were all safely ensconsed
within the walls of the Bohemian hall
to witness the fight.
Geo. Middleton of Omaha and Dick
Hollywood of Deadwood, both light
weights, came first in a sort of curtain
raiser, and in a short bout of
six rounds they gave an exceed
ingly clever exhibition. Neither man
was out to do much damage, but their
go wa3 a rattler just the same, and
evoked no end of applause. Middle
ton had a trifle the best of it in both
weight and reach and scored more
points than his adversary, although
Holly wood was quite a factor in the
exchanging all throueh the bout.
Then came the real contest.
Bobbins was first to enter the ring
with his seconds, McCabe, Heim and
Osborne. Lindsay appeared soon af
ter. Bothery and O'Neill, both of
Omaha, were his seconds. The intro
ductory remarks of the referee con
cluded, the men advanced, shook
hands and the go was on.
The first round was unproductive,
both men seeming disposed to take
the other's measure. Nt a blow was
struck. Hostilities, however, were
soon commenced in the second and
Lindsay landed with his left near
Bobbins' eye, drawing first blood. He
delivered a right-hander soon after on
Bobbins' head w hich staggered the lat
ter and sent him on his hands to the
floor. In delivering this blow Lindsay
strained the tendons next to the
knuckles in his right hand, and from
thence on he found it exceedingly
painful to use that member. The
round closed decidedly in Lindsay's
favor, and the friends of the Omaha
pug were in high glee. Their merri
ment proved to be premature, for
Bobbins commenced the mixing in the
third and scored several telling blows.
He resumed the same tactics in the
fourth and had Lindsay groggy in
short order. Lindsay was foxy and
with his damaged hand saw that his
chances of lasting were slim, so he
promptly proceeded to duck Fletcher's
right hand swings, and at the same
time shoved his shoulder and elbow
into Fletcher's abdomen with terrific
force. He repeated this operation a
half dozen times and, although every
time he turned trick the fight de
served to go against him on a
foul, Griswold allowed him to
continue his dirty tactics without
interference. The fifth and sixth
rounds were tame, scarcely a blow be
ing struck. In the seventh round
Lindsay used his left hand very
cleverly and delivered several telling
jabs, and in response to Bobbins'
rushes would duck and shove his
shoulder into Bobbins' abdomen, thus
repeating his tactics of fouling. The
eighth was a Bobbins round. He
chased Lindsay over next to the ropes
and gave the latter a soaker in the
neck, which sent him reeling. Seeing
that Lindsay was groggy, his seconds
jumped into the ring and claimed a
foul. Griswold disallowed the claim,
but their purpose, which was none
other than to gain time, had been won,
and when time was called for the ninth
Lindsay in a measure had recovered.
This round, and the tenth, as well,
were given over to light sparring, and
the prospects seemed favorable for a
long contest. But Griswold was there
to prevent any such proceeding, and,
in fact, to give Lindsay the fight.
Early in the eleventh the men clinched,
and in breaking away Bobbins gave
Lindsay a slight jab in the jaw. It
j was unquestionably a foul blow, but
tue ooy was rightfully savage because
of Griswold's allowing Lindsay to
make his many foul shoulder lunges
for the bowels, and he doubtless lost
his head. That jab cost him the tight,
as Griswold called the match at an end
and gave Lindsay the decision.
Noted of the Boot.
"The dirtiest piece of business ever
witnessed!" Such is the universal
opinion of Griswold's methods. One
thing is certain his disreputable do
ings will make no friends in this city
for the paper on which he is employed.
The receipts were $454. Deducting
the $200 purse awarded Lindsay and
the 8100 forfeited, the club will have
154 to pay the expenses. As a conse
quence Bobbins gets nothing, as the
expenses will eat up the Lalance re
maining for that purpose.
Osborn, one of Bobbins' seconds,
objected to Lindsay's dirty work in
shoving bis shoulder into Bobbins'
abdomen, but Griswold threatened to
force Osborn's retirement as second
if the latter failed to "shut up." At
another time Osborn detected Lind
say in putting resin on his gloves, and.
when he started across the ring to call
Griswold's attention to the affair, the
referee ordered the second back to his
corner. Here were two acts of rotten
ness for which Griswold deserves a
mobbing.
"Lindsay's clean fighting won him
hosts of friends among the short-haired
fraternity." Sandy Griswold in his
report to the Omaha Bee.
If gouging a man no less than fifteen
times is "clean fighting," then what
does not Griswold call foul fighting?
It is doubtless the case that Griswold
knew he was writing a deliberate lie
when he penned such a claim, but his
actions as referee were so rotten and
miserable that it was only proper for
him to write a report of the match
which would be in keeping with his
manner of refereeing the fight.
"Bobbins was fully fifteen pounds
heavier than Lindsay." Griswold to
the Bee.
Another lie.
Both men weighed in the neighbor
hood of 146 pounds. Griswold's report
to the Bee that Bobbins had fifteen
pounds of an advantage is on a par
with his dirty work as referee. Both
smell to heaven.
The action of the Omaha Bee in
perverting the dispatches sent to it by
the local correspondent in regard to the
late Bobbins tragedy so as to shift the
blame onto the local authorities, is
roundly criticised by the readers of that
sheet in this city. If it is the fair
thing for a newspaper to prevert facts
to shield one of its employes who is
charged with crime, then it is high
time for subscribers to withdraw
their patronage and secure the news
from a paper which prints the facts
without fear or favor.
Manager Hamilton telephoned late
in the afternoon to Griswold at Omaha
explaining the difficulty over the
weighing, and Griswold replied that
he would see that the forfeit money of
$100 would not be given over to Lind
say on any technicality. Coming down
on "his" special he told a Council
Bluffs man that "Bobbins had already
lost $100," thus illustrating that he al
ready had concluded to rob Bobbins'
backers of the forfeit money, although
he had told over the wire less than
three hours before that "technicalities
would not go." He also remarked to
the Council Bluffs man that "Lindsay
was sure to win the fight." The wish
was doubtless father to the thought.
One IDollstx0 v
IT ENDED IN DEATH.
Fletcher Robbins' Gallant Battle for
Life Is for Nanght.
TOTAL DEPRAVITY IN MAN.
That Such Does Exist Is Proven By the
ltrutal Treatment Accorded Fletch
er In Last Thursday's Glove
Contest Other Motes.
The illness of Fletcher Bobbins,
which dated from the glove contest in
this city of last Thursday night, cul
minated Tuesday morning shortly
before 1 o'clock in the patient's death.
As all Journal readers are doubtless
aware the boy's illness was peritonitis
and was superinduced by the awful
jabbing given his bowels by the elbow
and shoulder of his opponent in the
ring, Jimmy Lindsey, the brutal pun
ishment beingcountenanced and sanc
tioned by Sandy Griswold, the referee.
After the fight Fletcher complained of !
awful pains in his bowels and to reach
his home he was required to journey in
aback. A physician was summoned,
but the patient grew worse from the
very start, and despite medical skill
he developed peritonitis. Since Satur
day his case has been handled by no
less than four physicians. Their efforts
were useless, however, and despite the
extraordinary vitality possessed by the
patient, death lin ally claimed him as
its own.
Fletcher was in his twenty-sixth
year and cherished no end of staunch
friends who have ever admired him for
his generous nature and the great
warmth of his friendships. His par
ents and brothers and sisters have the
sincere sympathy of the entire com
munity in their awful affliction.
When it was made known Monday
night that the patient was rapidly
sinking and that his death was only a
matter of a few hours, Sheriff Eiken
bary immediately telephoned to the
Omaha police to arrest Lindsav and
Griswold and the two men, Bothery
and O'Neill, who acted as seconds for
Lindsay during the contest. Deputy
Sheriffs Ilolloway and Hyers and Con
stable Thrasher journeyed to Omaha
Tuesday morning and found the po
lice had nabbed all of the men. All
of the party except Lindsay were easy
to locate, but be, too, was found at his
home, although he has been hiding
since Saturday to prevent his capture.
The four prisoners were brought
to this city on the noon train.
The Kobbins Funeral.
The excitement over the brutal in
jury and death of Fletcher Bobbins
still holds sway, although the prospect
seems favorable for the speedy punish
ment of the conspirators who so de
liberately took the boy's life, the entire
populace is given over to denouncing
the murderers and the extension of
sympathy to the victim's heart-broken
family. The funeral of the unfortu
nate young man was had yesterday
from the home of the parents on West
Main street upon the arrival of the
elder brother of the deceased, Bush,
from Denver. Bey. J. T. Baird con
ducted the services and the remains
were followed to their last resting
place in West Oak Hill cemetery by a
funeral concourse of unusual dimen
sions. For Sale A full-blooded Short
horn yearling bull. F. McCourt,
! 33-tf South Sixth Street.
The Robbins Tragedy.
The following clippings from Jour
nal exchanges demonstrates the feel
ing against Lindsay and Griswold to
be rather general:
"It is to be hoped that when the
prosecutions begin that every person
on either side will be dealt with as
they deserve and forever put a stop to
these brutal exhibitions." Weeping
Water Eagle.
The state of Nebraska was never
more deeply disgraced than on last
Thursday evening, when a brutal prize
fight took place right in the county
seat of Cass county, from the result of
which one of the principals, Fletcher
Bobbins, of riattsmouth, lies dead
and his antagonist, Lindsay, of Om
aha, is under arrest charged with
murder. The fight was witnessed by
several hundred men, and no attempt
was made to stop it by the city or
county authorities. Weeping Water
Bepublican.
The death of Fletcher Bobbins at
Plattsmouth, the victim of a prize
fight, ends, as it should, prize fighting
in Nebraska for many years. It re
quires some such sudden shock to res
tore public sentiment to its normal
condition, and the untimely death of
this young man will probably have the
effect of preventing any repetition of
the tragical occurrence. Boxing is a
manly and healthful sport, but like
many others it is carried to excess and
into professionalism. Even then it is
obnoxious largely because of the fol
lowing of pluguglies and toughs of all
degrees that dominate the crowds at
these exhibitions; but when to this is
added such unfair practices as were
indulged in by Plug Ugly Lindsay, who
violated even that honor which exists
among pugilists by foul gouging, and
the equally unfairness of Plug LTgly
Griswold, who poses as sporting editor
of the Bee and who refereed the fight,
then the authorities should see to it
that the men who are responsible for
Bobbins' death receive the punish
ment they deserve. And the prin
cipals in the death of Bobbins are
Lindsay, who perpetrated the foul
blows, and Griswold, who permitted
them, when he had the power to save
the man's life by preventing them
from being landed. Lincoln News.
ARE ALL GUILTY.
The death of Fletcher Bobbins
should be avenged by the criminal law
of the state. His death was the sequel
to a brutal prize fight between himself
end James Lindsay at Plattsmouth
last Thursday night, at which were
present a large number of Omaha's
alleged best business and professional
men. Had Bobbins survived the in
juries he received nothing further
would have been heard about the
battle, and Omaha's "best men"
would have the sweet satisfaction of
remembering that they were parties
to the brutal affair, and that "society"
was ignorant of their inclination to
participate in such low and beastly
sports. But the death that is, the
murder of one of the principals in the
"sport" will oblige the officers of the
law to hunt up and arrest everyone,
connected with the murder, whether
as spectator, or as participant in and
about the affairs of the ring. It mat
ters not if some of them do stand high
in professional, social ana chcrcb
circles, they should be sent to jail
now, and later on sent to the peniten
tiary. It is no excuse that they were
merely spectators, for had there been
no spectators there would have been
no fight, and hence no murder. They
are, therefore, morally guilty of mur
der, and legally guilty of the crime of
aiding and abetting the man who
struck the fatal blow. South Omaha
Tribune.
Death of J. AY. McCroskey.
J. W. McCroskey, a veteran of the
late war and a resident of this city for
several years past, died at his home in
Mercerville addition last night at
about 9:30 o'clock. Mr. McCioskey
was taken ill Thursday as the result of
being over-heated. He was a weak
man physically, his service in the war
having permanently impaired his
health, and his illness soon afferted
his lungs and caused pneumonia. He
sank rapidly and death came to his re
lief last night. He leaves a widow
and four or five children, to whom the
entire community will extend its sin
cerest sympathy. The local G. A. B.
post, of which Mr. McCroskey was a
member, will meet tonght to arrange
for the funeral.
Martial Law at South Omaha.
Six companies of state militia, under
command of Adjutant General Gage,
are now on duty at South Omaha, on
account of the riots created by the
striking packing house employes, and
the city is under martial law. Acting
Governor Majors ordered out the
troops Friday morning, and since
their arrival affairs have assumed their
normal conditions. All the saloons in
the town have been closed by the gov
ernor s orders, it is now thought
probable that the differences between
the packing house owners and the
strikers will be settled by arbitration.
Relieve it is Joe Williams.
The Omaha police have recieved in
formation from Mystic, Iowa, to the
effect that Joe Williams, the negro
prisoner, has been located at that
place. Williams is wanted in Omaha
for the murder of William Ewing on
December 26, 1S92, and Douglas
county has offered a reward of $300
for his apprehersion.
Joe Williams was formerly a resi
dent of Plattsmouth, and was em
ployed by Jas. M. Muir, the music and
sewing machine dealer.
Also at Plattsmouth.
There is a well-defined expression in
this community to the effect that the
principal and the referee of the mur
dering match at Plattsmouth ought to
be journeying toward a southern
suburb of Lincoln to serve good long
terms. Lincoln News.
The Bev. Kattenhusen, who
preaches out atthe lleil school bouse
in Eight Mile Grove precinct, is mak
ing himself, according tq report, de
cidedly unpopular. The reverend
gentleman has lately taken it upon
himself to commence a crusade against
lodges and secret societies in general,
and in a recent sermon he pictured
lodge members as taking a straight
path to Halifax. It so happens that
most of the male members of the con
gregation are lodge members 'and they
resent the minister's talk rather stren
uously. As a consequence a sudden
coolness has arisen between the minis
ter and his congregation, and the gen
eral sentiment seems to be that a
"parting of company" is about the
only way of solving the problem.
All legal business given prompt at
tention, D. O. Dwyer, attorney, Plattsmouth.