A STABBING-1891

MEYERS, METZRADT, SMITH, DEWEY, DAVIS, MORAN

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 1/23/2017 at 13:18:07

The Clinton Daily Age, January 6, 1891

A STABBING
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SPENCER DEWEY, SR. CUT BY
FRANK DAVIS
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He May Die – The Assailant Arrested
A Nervey Clerk and Two
Thieves
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Crime seems to be rampant, for even darkness is not waited for nor is main thoroughfares free from open and murderous assaults.

One of the most dastardly and unprovoked assaults occurred just before six Monday evening, in front of 138 Fifth Avenue, that was ever known in the annuals of this city.

Two young men were playing billiards in Spence Dewey’s place at the above number when Frank Davis, aged about 35, a plasterer and would be tough, who lives over a saloon at 509 Second Street, went into Dewey’s place. He was somewhat intoxicated and walked up to one of the players threw his arms around his neck and called him a vile name, jokingly, as many young men have a disgusting habit of doing.

The billiard player so addressed pushed him off and seeing he was drunk walked away. The proprietor of the place said to Davis “You must not call people in my place such names.” Davis then went to the player, putting one arm around his neck with the other hand in his pocket, again called him the vile name. The player, thinking Davis had a knife in his hand concealed in his pocket, threw him off, and then Mr. Dewey led Davis out of the billiard room to the street. Presently, the boy working in the barber shop next store came in and addressing the young man who was playing billiards said a man was in the shop and wanted to be shaved. The barber hurried out of the room to the shop, and hurrying so probably saved his life, for moving fast he slipped on the icy walk and slid some distance from the building, keeping out of reach of Davis, who was standing by the building and who had sent the boy after the barber. Dewey followed the barber out, and then Davis said something to Dewey, at once striking him with a slim, bladed jack knife in the breast, the knife entering between the fourth and fifth ribs above the heart about two inches left of the breast bone. Davis ran up towards Second Street turning the corner and entering the building where he made his home, with Spence Dewey Jr., after him, and from there Capt. Moran and assistants took him to the county jail.

As the man started to run from Dewey the boy ran into the barber shop and said “Dewey is stuck.”

The barber hurried out and saw Mr. Dewey standing on the sidewalk tearing the clothing from his breast, in which was a great gash, from which the blood was flowing.

Drs. Meyers, Metzradt and Smith were soon found and they did all possible to make the wounded man comfortable, though he suffered much pain and bled both externally and internally, with chances against his recovery.