THE WAUPACA POST

August 28, 1893

 

ASSAULTED.

 

Fred Lea Makes a Cowardly Attack Upon the Editor of the POST.

 

            Last Friday morning, John L. Sturtevant, editor of the POST, was the victim of a most cowardly, brutal, unprovoked and unwarranted assault by Fred Lea, who figured so conspicuously in the recent Mead murder trial.  Mr. Sturtevant was on his way to his office just before nine o’clock.  When he approached Lea’s store he saw Lea standing in the center of the sidewalk.  When within about five feet of him, Lea shook his fist and said:  “You call me a pup, do you?”

            “I don’t know what you mean, and don’t want to talk with you,” replied Sturtevant.

            Lea repeated his remark, adding “Take that ____ you,” at the same time striking at Sturtevant with his clenched fist.  The first blow was parried, but Lea, with all the brute instinct of his nature, followed it up until Mr. Sturtevant fell backward in H. W. Williams & Co’s. doorway, and even then, after he was down, Lea struck him in the face two or three times.  Two of Lea’s henchmen, Elmer Palmer and Joe Woodnorth, stood calmly by and didn’t offer to interfere, as they probably would have done had by any chance Lea been thrown down.  Walter Baldwin saw the affair and ran as quickly as he could, pulling Lea off from his victim, and assisting the latter to rise.  Mr. Sturtevant’s head was badly bruised, and cut in the back where he fell against the door way of the building.  He came down town on Friday, went to the Lakes to rest on Saturday and Sunday, but has been confined to his home ever since and is not yet able to attend to business.  During the short encounter he did his best to defend himself, but, handicapped as he was with a crippled right hand of several years standing, having nothing with which to defend himself, and dazed by the hard blows, he was not able to do much as against Lea’s superior strength.  That Lea knew Sturtevant had a crippled hand and was unarmed is evident from his well known reputation as a bully and coward.

            The ostensible cause for the assault was the publication of the following paragraph in last week’s POST:

            “A man ought to be pitied that can’t see the contrast between a pup and an old one, especially during dog days.  This occurred on our streets Tuesday evening, which resulted in a disagreeable encounter.”

            It was written by C. W. Ogden, of the POST, and Mr. Sturtevant didn’t know to whom or what it referred.  The real reason for the attack was the re-publication of the comment upon the Mead trial from the Antigo Republican.  Fred Lea evidently wants it understood that he will not tolerate any comment upon the case, though why it should affect him, if he is innocent of the crime, is not apparent.  The POST has published comment on the case because the public demanded it, as news.  Lea didn’t like it and sought to do up the editor in order to stop it.  One of his paid friends even came to the POST on Friday to warn them that if any statement of this occurrence was printed Lea would shoot either Ogden or Sturtevant.  We take this opportunity to notify Fred Lea that the people will not stand any more such attempts.  It was all that we could do to keep the crowd cool on Friday last, but we preferred to let the law take its course.  The event has caused the most intense feeling throughout this part of the county.  Of course a few of Lea’s cronies uphold the attack – they are the same crowd that has always been opposed to any investigation of the Mead murder.  But all good citizens have expressed their indignation over the matter, and this office has been flooded with offers of assistance of every kind, muscular, financial and moral, while rifles, shotguns and revolvers enough have been offered to stock a good sized arsenal.  But the matter is in the hands of District Attorney Goldberg, and the public may rest assured that Lea will be proceeded against upon the gravest charge it is possible to bring against him.

            The editors and proprietors of the POST may be dead before the next issue of the paper, but they will die with the satisfaction of having done their duty, knowing that they will leave hosts of friends who will avenge their taking-off, and continue the publication of the POST.