Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1903 — "A TEMPEST IN A TEA-POT." [ARTICLE]

"A TEMPEST IN A TEA-POT."

As The Democrat editor was returning from his dinner last Saturday, walking along with his hands in the pockets of his big heavy ulster, he was met at the allay just north of Murray’s store by Bruce Hardy, the 23 or 24-year-old son of ex-Poor Farm Supt. Hardy, who was coming from the opposite direction. When immediately at The Democrat man’s side, Hardy suddenly wheeled and began damning about something that was in The Democrat about the former management of the poor farm, and began striking at him. Taken wholly by surprise and encumbered with a big, tight-fitting ulster and having just eaten a hearty dinner, the assailed pulled his hands from the pockets of his coat and warded off the misguided young man’s blows as best he could, making little if any attempt to strike back. After perhaps a minute or so, Hardy, apparently finding the job was going to prove more serious than he had contemplated, let up on his striking, and the editor, who makes no pretentions of being a “bruiser,” and who was not even “riled," so sudden and unexpected had the assault been, cooly unlocked his office door and went about his work, while young Hardy went down the street loudly cussing. Of course very highly colored reports of the affair were made by the ringsters and their allies and the gang who hired young Hardy to make the assault, but The Democrat man was not injured in the least in the affray. Christie Vick filed an affidavit against Hardy at once for assault and battery, and he was arraigned before Squire Troxell and on a plea of guilty and The Democrat man’s statement that he had received no injuries, which was very evident from his appearance, Hardy was fined $1 and costs, $13.55 in all. After paying his fine Hardy boasted that he had $1.50 left, and the money is said to have been raised by “the gang” and in Hardy’s pocket before he started out to “whip the _ editor.” It seems, therefore, that he was simply a hired tool. He has been arrested once or twice previous to this for assaulting some one, and has been fined for it. It was Jearned later that Hardy had been lying in wait for The Democrat man’s return from dinner to carry out his part of the contract for his employers. Such tactics will hardly redound to the credit of the men who employed him in this matter; such things never do. In connection with this little affair it might be well to add that the Republican’s statement that there was a war of words before the assault was made, or that Hardy came to the office and askek the editor outside, as stated by the Journal, was utterly false. Not a half dozen words were passed and the whole thing was precisely as stated above, to which those who saw it all can testify.