Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1907 — Calvin Cain Badly Hurt. [ARTICLE]

Calvin Cain Badly Hurt.

Their was an ugly fracas Tuesday over at Lake Village, in Newton county, and in the rot-gut whiskey belt, which resulted ifformer resident of Rensselaer receiving an awfnl ugly and considerably dangerous cut on the face, he being Calvin Cain, son-in-law ©f R. P. Benjamin. As nearly as we can ascertain the true facts of the case, they are widely different from the one-sided and trifling,report in the KentJLand Enterprise, and which was fixed no douot at the dictation of a Kentland lawyer, who represented the guilty parties in the affair.

It seems that a young man named Harris, a son of the well-kuown Clay Harris, and whom the Enterprise conceals over the designation of a “young gentlemen” and lord help gentlemen if he is one of them, and a Kentuckian named Hickey, were over at Conrad and loaded up with some of the vile whiskey sold at the saloon there bnilt and owned, tho of course not operated, by that cultnred and very influential lady, Mrs. Jennie M. Conrad. From Conrad they went to Lake Village, which is only just far enough.to give time for the Conrad booze to get in its work in good shape, and when they got there they tried to get some more liquor at the Lake Village saloon, but the proprietor says they were drnnk enough already, and refused to sell them any more. They went into the poolroom and barber shop managed hy Calvin Cain, and very soon young Harris amused himself by smashing one of the ceiling lamps with one of the billard cues and was starting for another wheu Calvin headed him off and threw him out doors, but not’ hurtiug him. He came back and Calvin again pnt him out and still once more repeating the operation. Ocher parties then interfered and prevented Harris from entering again, and then Hicky took it up and attacked Calvin with a big knife. Calvin grabbed a billiard cue and gave Hicky a welt as he was charging up with his knife, but it did not stop him and he made a vicious side swipe at Calvin’s throat. Calvin ducked enough to save his wind-pipe but the knife made a long deep gash clear down one side of his face, across the chin, and nearly to the ear on the other side. Dr. Davis then interfered and probably saved Calvin’s life by knocking Hickey down with a billiard ball, and he was disarmed before he could gather himself together for another attack. Before he was knocked out he nearly succeeded in putting Davis out of business also, as he made a cut at him also, and slashed the breast of his coat.

At the trial the Enterprise’s “young gentleman” Harris was fined $5 for provoke and $1 for drunkenness, while Hickey was bound over to the circuit court on the miserably inadequate bond of S6OO. Cain is in a pretty bad shape and evidently in for a long confinement from his injury, and will be badly disfigured for life. According to the jocular Enterprise, Cain will not wear “the mark of Cain,” but the mark of Hickey, all the rest of his life. It was a very funny affair all around to the Enterprise and the Kentland attorney, and tbo Hickey will probably jump his bail and escape punishment, it may not prove so funny after all to the saloon keeper who sold Hickey the liguor and his bondsmen, as they will undoubtedly be made defendants in a suit for heavy damages. If Mrs. Conrad can be brought in for her share in patting up and leasing a building for saloon purposes, so much the better.. .