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Assault in the Seattle Star, 1900 & 1920

THE PENALTY FOR SPITTING

Item

Title
THE PENALTY FOR SPITTING
Source
The Seattle Star [WA]
Date
3/12/01
page
3
Identifier
https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ndnp/wa/batch_wa_indianplum_ver02/data/sn87093407/00211107303/1901031201/0248.pdf
Crime
Assault
Subject
hit; celebrity
Gender of alleged offender
male alleged offender
Gender of alleged victim
male alleged victim
Stage of the Legal System
trial
Location
out of state; Washington, DC
Length of story
165
Description
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 12.- Trial of suit of Geo. C. Barker, of Maine, against Representative S.B. Cooper, of Texas, is under way. Barker seeks $10.00 damages because of an alleged assault. On May 31 last the two were passengers on a train coming to this city. Barker asserts he was disgusted because of Cooper's spitting upon the floor of the Pullman car. He suggested that men of Cooper's habits should travel in a cattle car. Because of this, he says, Cooper struck him. Cooper says he had only recovered from a severe illness and was attending to his own business while in the car. He spat upon the floor because a fellow passenger had his foot upon the cuspidor. The conductor saw nothing to complain of in Cooper's actis. Cooper's attorneys also claim that he retired to the smoking car and was followed there by Barker, who called him an offensive name, and that Cooper then struck him in the face with his open hand.