Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
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Source: July 1979 Volume 17 Number 3, Pages 82–82

An Altercation in the 1850's

Page 82

Two Rum-Uns

Two men, laborers, at Reeseville, in Tredyffrin Township, had a fight on Monday of last week, over half a gallon of whiskey. They jointly purchased the critter, being the best of friends in the world; and jointly and lovingly they drank of the delicious beverage, until instead of being masters of it, it became master of them. One of them, beginning to imagine he had enough, took the cork and resolved to cork the precious stuff up for the present. The other, a worthy son of the Emerald Isle, resolved that the cork should not be applied to the jug until he had once more paid his respects to the contents.

The dispute about the cork waxed warmer and warmer, until from words they came to blows. Pat struck his companion, and floored him — he then jumped on him and stamped his body, and then seized a leg of a chair and hit him on the head, so as to inflict a very severe wound upon it.

The fortunate arrival of a neighbor at the scene of action terminated the fight, and the injured man was taken away in a cart, and has since been under the skillful treatment of Dr. Walker, with some hopes of his recovery.

The liquor, we learn, was obtained at a grocery in an adjoining township.