St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-13
WAS IT ACCIDENTAL?
A Young Man Found Uneon-
seious and Bleeding from
the Head.
Did He Fall on a Door Knob
or Get a Blow from a
Epoad-Ax?
What Sterling Thinks Of Kate
Claxton's Telegram About
"The Two Orphans
He Says He Fears No Injune-
He Says He Fears No lnjune-
ton and Will Continue
the Play.

There was terrible affair at 232 Sixth
avenue south yesterday afternoon. soon
after o'clock, and as consequence
Robert LobdelI, brakeman on the Chi
cagO, Milwaukee & st. Paul road, now
lies at the point of death, with a big
hole, inflicted With some blunt lnStru-
mcnt, in his head. About ! 10 yeSter-
day afternoon Patrolman Collins was
called to the house at $50 Sixth avenue
south, by man who told him that a
murder had been committed there:
Patroiman Swanson was passing. and
calling him, Collins went to the place
mentioned. There was big crowd in
front, and, lying on the floor OF the
hallway leading to the second story,
was young man, possibly thirty years
of age. From a cash in his head
blood was flowing, and steady
stream was also pouring from his nose.
The unfortunate man was carried INTO
a neighboring livery stable, and from
central station: and Police Surgeon
Kelly called. lie made an examination
and found that the wound in the head
was about three inches long. He also
found that blood vessel i'll the head
had burSted. Everything that could be
done was done for the wounded man,
but all efforts failed to restore him to
consciousness. Several other surgeons
were called in, and the general verdict
was that the man would die. While the
surgeon was caring fOr LObdell the two
officers who had found him entered with
Mrs. Mary Allen. colored; Clara Feller,
a white girl, and Minnie Allen, the
s6ven-vear old daughter of Mrs. Allen.
All were locked mp.
SCENE OF TIE AFFAIR.
The front up stairs rooms in tue build
ing where the affair occurred are Occu-
pied by Gus Halmrust's photograph
gallery. and in the rear rooms Mrs.
Allen resides with her daughter and the
white girl. 1t is known that Lobdell
had gone up to the Allen Woman's
room. but how nc was injured remains
mystery. When he was found q car
penter's broad-aX was found near him.
and the superstition is that the c0lored
woman hit him with that. This, how
ever, is denied by the woman's daugh-
ter Minnie, who claims to have been an
eye witness of the whole affair.
THAT man." said she. going over and
looking at Lobdell as he lay on a cot in
the central station, "carne up to our
room few minutes after my mamma
and Clara came in from up town. They
said he had been following them. tie
started 10 come in and mamma told him
to go away. He would not go, and then
mamma said she would hit him With q
Ratchet unless he went away. The man
still refused to go: and then mamma
went and got this Ratchet. Ii hen she
came back the man started down stairs,
but be fell and hit his head OF the knob
of the door. My mamma did not hit
him at all. and think it is mean to lock
her up"
The police refused to allow the women
to be seen until after the county attor-
new shall have seen them. 1t is under
stood that their story is similar to that
told by the little girl. Halmrust, who
was in the gallery when the affair oc-
cured, says that had there been any
disturbance or any loud talk of any
kind, he would have heard II. but be
heard nothing until L0hdell fell. About
fifteen minutes before he was found
senseless, he was in McGuire's saloon,
directly across the street, and the men
who we're with him in there. State that
he left the saloon and went directly
over to the Allen woman 5 rooms. He
had been drinking some, but was not
drunk. He is married man, and re-
sides on Sixth avenue south, near Sey-
enth street. with his wife and child.
At a late hour last evening L0bdell
was resting somewhat easier, having
partially recovered consciousness. His
wife and his brother remained with him
all night in comfortable quarters at the
central station. It is by no means GER
tain that the injured man was struck
with hatchet, and even il he was it
is more than probable that the person
who hit him will never be prosecuted,
unless Lobdell should die.