| Show UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION The lot offorthright newspaper editor in those frontier times was fraught with peril Though Utah was relatively calm war was being fought between the Army and the Plains Indians not far away So itnot surprising that Editor Penrose was accosted on the street one July day in 1872 by Keithly an Ogdenite who was enraged byJunction story he said reflected on him The Salt Lake Herald in reporting the incident referred to Keithly as pettifogging lawyer who gripped him by the coat collar and muttered with an oath something about taking something back The Heralddescription continued Mr Penrose whose left hand was encumbered withsmall box demanded Keithly to take away his hand from him at the same time disengaging himself Keithly then drew back and struck Penroseheavy blow withcane he carried the blow taking effect on the cords of his neck behind the left ear and the force breaking off the head of the cane This stunned Penrose the article added and rendered him measurably helpless But the brute not satisfied struck him another heavy blow with the stick across the left temple this time breaking it in two and leavingrather ugly gash Four days later the Herald reported Keithly had been fined 100 for his unprovoked attack -a rather sizeable sum in that time Few Ogden people shared Keithlyopinion of their editor He wasWeber county delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1872 and though no political activist he enjoyed the respect of residents of the city which was Utahrailroad hub Editor Penrose went thoughchange of ownership at the Junction in 1877 and continued to producenewspaper which other editors said contained good news service and good advertising patronage By 1878 shortly after his departure the publication was being printed in its own newly constructed building and the Deseret News observed The Ogden Junction is greatly enlarged and improved and now makeshandsome 594 Digital image 2005 Marriott Library University of Utah Al rights reserved |
