Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 299, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1918 — MAYOR ATTACKS JOURNAL OWNER [ARTICLE]

MAYOR ATTACKS JOURNAL OWNER

DURGAN EJECTED FROM COURT ROOM AFTER ASSAULTING HENRY MARSHALL. • ' X-- . Lafayette Journal, Monday, Dec. 23.—Last Saturday in the superior court room in this city, George R. Durgan, mayor of Lafayette, assaulted Henry W. Marshall, owner of the Journal. > Just before noon adjournment of the State Public Service commission in its hearing' of the gas and electric fate cases, Mr. Marshall entered the court room and took a seat among the other spectators outside 'the bar railing. At this time Commissioner Paul Haynes was presiding at the hearing and David E. Ross was giving testimony in the electric case. Very , shortly after Marshall’s arrival E. I. Lewis, chairman of the commission, entered the court room and Mayor Durga nimmediately engaged him' in conversation. They were both standing near the judge’s bench. It is said that Durgan was trying to induce* the chairman to omit from the records of the commission the statement made by him, while giving testimony under oath on Thursday, that he was “Lafayette’s perpetual mayor.” Evidently Durgan was not making much progress along that line.as Mr. Lewis seemed to regar dthe matter as a joke on the mayor. So Durgan called to Marshall and asked him to “come over here.” ■, Not knowing there was any trouble brewing, Marshall promptly joined them. “You know that my statement about being Lafayette’s perpetual mayor was made after I was on the witness stand,” said Durgan to Marshall. ■ “No, I don’t know that,” replied Marshall. Instantly Durgan struck a blow at Marshall which grazed Ins left cheek and then in a boisterous voice began a tirade of abuse. Commissioner Paul Haynes grabbed Durgan at once and ejected him from the court room. The incident caused a great deal of excitement among those present.