Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1897 — A Humble Home Grown Spittoon [ARTICLE]

A Humble Home Grown Spittoon

Knocks Out Barney Koezema, of Depot Quart Shop Fame. Late Thursday afternoon three men said to be from out in the Gifford district got very hilarious from the proceeds of some cordwood they brought to town. They finally left the down town saloons and on their way out of town stopped at Barney Koezema’s quart shop, to put the finishing touches on their drunks with some of his warranted pure bug poison. According to the Koezemas’ story the men demanded liquor, but there was none in the shop. In any case they raised a great row with the Koezemas, calling Mrs. Koezema the whole list of choice epithets which Lawyer ■ Douthit’s divorce case defendants always call his clients, with some additional ones for good measure. . Then by way of adding injury to insult one of the men picked up a tobacco box, which the tidy habits of the Koezemas had led them to fill with ashes and use as a cuspidore, and after politely emptying the ashes and tobacco juice on the floor, he struck Barney on the head with the empty box. Barney was knocked senseless and was at first thought to be dangerously hurt. But a physician was called and found that no cuts were inflicted nor so far as could be seen no fractures of- the skull. MrKoezema is still confined to his bed, but will probably be out in a day or two. Two of the men were named Sherman and Sanford Smith. The name of the third one we did not learn, They got out of town right after the row, but are very likely to have occasion to come ill again, possibly sooner than they wish to.