Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 October 1901 — BAD ASSAULT AT NEWLAND. [ARTICLE]

BAD ASSAULT AT NEWLAND.

’ James Blake, the 19 year old son of Al Blake, formerly of Rensselaer, is confined in jail here in defoult of SSOO bonds, charged with assault with intent to kill Henry Tinder, aged 52, a section hand on the Gifford road with whom young blake was working. The assault occurred last Friday and arose over Blake being discharged. He laid his discharge, it seems, to something Tinder had told the boss, and picked up the handle of a track jack, an oak piece of wood some three or four feet long, and when Tinder was bent over at his work on the track., struck him a tremendous blow upon the head, felling him to the ground and rendering him unconscious until Sunday morning, when he recovered consciousness to some extent, but has again relapsed into unconsciousness, it was reported Thursday, and fears of his denth are entertained.

After the assault young Blake made his escape and was finally captured by J. C. Mitchell, a member of the Horsethief Detective society residing in White county, some miles northwest of Reynolds, and was brought here and jailed. He stated when arrested that he intended to skip to California as soon as the affair quieted down enough so that he could get away, but thought to make the attempt at once would result in his being nabbed, therefore he got out in the country, nearer home where he was not known, as being the safest place. The Blake boy was arrested here about three years ago for breaking into a Monon freight car and stealing a lot of candy, and was sent to the reform school. He was parolled from that institution some time ago. Should Tinder die, which at this time appears altogether probable, it will go pretty hard with the boy.