The Price of a Violent Temper
A town roughneck learns the limits of his reach after an unprovoked assault on a farmer in downtown Colfax.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Ed Ellis, a young man of unsavory reputation about town, will have an opportunity to develop his muscle on the county roads for the next year, instead of upon the jaws of unoffending men. Last Saturday evening, he struck and seriously injured Robert Crabtree, a farmer, on Main street. Crabtree was knocked down and was insensible for some time. Among other injuries, an ankle was badly sprained. The assault was entirely unprovoked. The men had been in no trouble, and but a few minutes before, Ellis had asked Crabtree for a loan of a half a dollar. The request was granted, and in a short time, Ellis walked to where Crabtree was standing and struck him. Ellis has often beaten unoffending and helpless men within the last year but has never before been arrested. Before Justice Kirkland, he pleaded guilty. Judge McDonald sentenced him to six months imprisonment and a $500 fine, which will keep him a prisoner for nearly a year.
“Ellis has often beaten unoffending and helpless men within the last year, but has never before been arrested.”
Public safety and accountability for random acts of violence remain a persistent concern in growing towns. The judicial system's struggle to balance incarceration with rehabilitation—and the toll exacted by 'unsavory' characters on the community fabric—continues to be a feature of civic life in Whitman County.
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