Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-11
MURDERIN HIS HEART
A Dying Patient at the West
Penn Makes an Attempt
UPON THE LIFE OLA NURSE.
George GeffrO Aims a Cleaning Bowie
Knife With Deadly Intent.
A CURIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL CASE.

A man diving with a malignant tumor in
lis groin, and using his remnant of strength
to brsndish bowie knife to crafty an in
tent TO commit murder, presents peculiar
psychological study.
The scene of this most singular attempt at
murder ever recorded in the annals of local
hospitals, was the West Penn Hospital, and
the time yesterday afternoon just as the sun
was sinking behind the uncanny hills that
hem in the hospital. Racial characteristics
came out very strongly in the affair. The
man was an italian. Swarthy, like most of
his countrymen, but with his bold, hand
some face emaciated by sickness which is
bound to shortly terminate in death. But
the coal-black eyes had still strength enough
to fash with murderous hatred, and the thin
lips curled to shew strong white teeth set in
desperate effort to summon feeting strength
to the execution of sinister purpose.
George Gefiro, an Italian glass blower,
had been an inmate of the West Penn Hos
pital for several weeks. He was great
sufferer from q malignant tumor in the
groin, which had made such progress before
he had become a patient, that the use Of
even the kuife would have been question
able. He seemed more intelligent than many
of his race who drift into the portals of the
institution, but not understanding English
it was difficult and almost impossible to
make him understand why his cure was not
immediate.
HE WOULD LEAVE.
He finally insisted on being removed
from the hospital. and sent word to his wife
to have a carriage provided. The authori-
ties tried to make him understand how dam
gerous it would be to undergo removal, but
be persisted and thrashed around in bed so
much that no further effort was made to pre-
vent him.
Mr.. John Davis, the head nurse, and his
assistant, succeeded in partially dressing
Gefiro, and he was left for few moments
covered by the bed clothing, pending the
arrival of his wife. By the direction of the
physician in charge, the nurse was ordered
to give Getf1ro dose of some medicine, in
tended to fortify him for the ride in the car
risge. The dose was prepared, and the
assistant approached the bedside and went
through pantomime, intended to convince
the patient that the draught would do him
good. Gefhro took a mouthful and i'm
mediateiy elected it. 1t was strong and of
necessity nsuseous. Somewhat provoked the
assistant returned to the laboratory, and
got the dose renewed, returning to the re-
fractory son of Italy. The latter poured forth
q volley Of invective expressive of deter
minatlon not to take the medicine. The
assistant pantomimed vigorously, and
demonstrated in dumb show. His efforts
proving unavsiling, he seized hold of the
patients nose, and poured the medicine
down his throat. The angry Italian splut-
tered and eoughed and finally subsided. He
seemed 10 feel around under the bedclothes,
while the assistant had turned away to other
duties. Several of the other patients in the
ward had watched the scene with interest,
and did not cease to eye the italian as he
rolled around In bed and muttered angrily
to himself
ATTEMPT TO KNIFE HIM.
The arrival of the carriage to take him
away caused the assistant to approach
Gefiro with the remainder of his clothing
Expecting another scene, the patients
watched Geffiro closely. He seemed to be
exerting all his strength for great effort.
Just as the assistant reached the bedsid,.
Gefiro threw the clothing aside and made
vicious lunge at the assistant nurse with
formidable looking bowie knife. A dozen
voices shouted warning, and the assistant
avoided the blow bv an adroit back ward
movement. The effort had exhausted
Geffiro, and the assistant closed in upon
him and took the knife away. Those who
were witnesses of the attempt upon the life of
the nurse said that the fendish expression of
the Italians face showed that he struck
to kill, if possible. The man lay back upon
his pillow almost liieless from the exertion
and the excitement. There was a great deal
of uprosr in the ward. and the nurse whose
life had been threatened was importuned to
have the assailan: placed under arrest.
NOW A CURIOSITY.
He was finally dressed, however, and car
ried downstairs to his wife, by whom he was
removed to his home near the Sharpshurg
bridge The bowie-knife will be added to
the curiosity collection at the hospital. An
eyewitness of the affair was visiting a sick
brother in the same ward and related the
incident to DISPATCH representative. A
subsequent visit to- the hospital secured a
confirmation of the story from DR.. Jones,
who was on duty. The nurse who was as
sailed in the above remarkable manner was
of duty and could not be seen.
DR.. Jones said that the fact that the pa
tient could not understand what the medi-
cine was intended for was the undoubted
reason of Gefiro's assault. 1t is a source of
frequent minor troubles in all hospitals
which have to deal with polyglot popu-
lation.