From The Lafayette Weekly Courier
Tuesday, October 30, 1888
KILLED FOR A NICKLE
Joseph Davis Loses His Life in a Scuffle Resulting From a
Quarrel Over the Payment of Five Cents Worth of Peanuts.
Lafayette was the scene of another startling tragedy Saturday night,
enacted this time at the corner of Fourth and Columbia streets. It was
after the political parade, and the majority of the crowd was off the
streets when the two young men, Joseph Davis and George Cassman, came up
Columbia street. The hour was 9:45 o'clock and the peanut vendor at the
corner, William T. Chambers, was about to close his sales for the night
and remove his wagon and stock to his home. As he was working with his
goods, one of the two men mentioned, Joseph Davis, started towards the
wagon with the remark addressed to his companion that he was going to
have some peanuts. His comrade objected, saying he had no money, and
Davis replied that he was "broke," too, but would have the peanuts,
money or no money. Cassman attempted to dissuade Davis, but he was
determined, and leaving his companion, staggered over to the stand and
asked for a nickel's worth of peanuts. Chambers complied with the
request, handing the man a sackful of the peanuts. Davis started to
walk off with them, when the vendor reminded him that he had not paid
for them. Davis answered that he did not intend to pay whereupon
Chambers attempted to snatch the man's hat, which he was carrying in his
hand. Davis stepped back and jerked his hat out of reach, at the same
time dealing Chambers a blow in the face. A scuffle ensued and Chambers
retreated to his stand and seized a large stone used as a weight for the
paper sacks and just as Davis turned his head to glance up the street,
struck him a powerful blow in the back of the head with the rock. The
man fell but arose to his feet again and staggered a few steps, falling
near the corner, his head striking the curbstone. A number of passers
by attracted by the scuffling witnessed the blow and by them the injured
man was conveyed to Reuter's cigar store and from there to Yeakel's drug
store where Dr. Yeakel attended him. The physician as soon as he
arrived pronounced the man dead. The body was then carried to Lancaster
& Connell's undertaking office where Dr. Irwin and R. R. Moffitt made an
examination. The doctors found faint signs of life, but all attempts at
restoration, even with the powerful galvanic battery used, were futile
and the last spark of life was extinct within a few minutes. A closer
examination revealed a remarkable thing. There was not a bruise or dark
spot on the entire body of the dead man. No traces of the blow said to
have been inflicted by the stone can be found. the doctors worked with
the body for some time, and are in doubt as to whether or not his neck
was broken. This is doubted by some from the fact the Davis arose to
his feet and walked a few steps, and they argue that if his neck was
broken he could not have done this. The doctors express the opinion
that death was caused by concussion of the brain. So far as can be
learned after he was hit, Davis never uttered a word, although some
thought he seemed conscious and tried to speak after he was taken to Dr.
Yeakel's. In the excitement that followed the blow Chambers packed his
wares and quickly made his escape, going first to his boarding house on
Third street, and then to the home of his daughter, across the canal,
and near the Star City mill. Here he changed his shirt and then
disappeared. Sheriff McKee and Officer Yelm were hot on his trail, but
arrived at the daughter's house a few minutes too late. The search was
kept up all night, and word was sent to Frankfort, where, it was
learned, another daughter resides.
Davis, the murdered man, was a brakeman on the Monon railway, and
boarded at the home of Joseph Parent, corner of Sixth and Union
streets. He was twenty-four years of age, and formerly acted as a
brakeman on a passenger run. A couple of months ago he was transferred
to a freight run, and was afterwards suspended for some transgression of
the company's rules. But little of his personal history is known. He
claimed to come from Omaha, Neb., but said that his father resided in
the East, his mother being dead. He was regarded as a bright,
intelligent man, and was seldom known to drink. It is claimed, however,
that he had been drinking Saturday night, after marching with the
Railroader's Club in the Republican procession. Several letters were
found in the pockets of his clothing, one from his brother, Fred, in
Boston, Mass., two from a young lady in Chicago, and one from Col.
Friedley regarding some road matters. The remains were taken care of by
the undertaker and a post mortem was held yesterday afternoon by Dr. H.
W. Rainey and L. M. Irwin. The man is splendidly formed and the picture
of health when alive. The heart and liver were removed and found to be
in perfect condition. An examination of the neck proved that it was not
broken as at first thought. The cause of the death was discovered when
a portion of the scalp was cut and stripped down. At the base of the
brain near the spinal column and an inch and a half from the left ear
was a small clot of blood. The skin was not cut or bruised, and the
only evidence of the blow was the clot which told how a slight blow had
caused contusion of the brain causing almost instant death. A telegram
was forwarded yesterday to the address of the brother in Boston in the
hope of getting some word as to the disposal of the remains.
LATER.--The following telegram was received this afternoon from Davis'
brother in New York: "Prepare body and place in vault until I can
prepare for its reception. Are you sure there is no mistake." He was
answered that the identification was complete. The body will be
prepared and placed in the vault at Greenbush, awaiting further advices.
Up to 3 o'clock no news of Chambers' whereabouts had been received at
headquarters.