Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-28
BEATEN AND ROBBED.
Martin Gerster Held Up on Dallas
Avenue by a Colored Man.
HE MAY DIE FROM HIS INJURIES.
East End Police on the Search for the Un-
known Highwayman.
WANTED FOR MANY RECENT THETTs

Martin Gerster, a German employed al
the Evangelical German Lutheran Cemetery
| on Dallas avenue, was brutally beaten and
robbed by an unknown colored man late
| Saturday night. He is at his home in a
critical condition, and the police are looking
| for his assailant.
Gerster went to East Liberty Saturday
night to make some purchases. While in
| the store of Mrs. Richmond on Penn
avenue he noticed large colored man
| watching him. But Gerster paid no atten-
tion to him and after buying what he
| wanted started out Penn avenue
toward home. As he turned the corner Of
| Dallas avenue he looked back and saw the
same big colored man closely following him.
| Gerster quickened his steps, but his pur-
| suer kept up with him, and the little Ger
man, loaded down with heavy basket, was
soon overtaken. By this time they were
| near Richmond's ice pond. AS the colored
man caught up to Gerster he struck at him
with heavy club. At this Gerster threw
up his hands and said:
Offered Him All He Had.
'Don't hit me. You can take everything
I have"
This did not satisfy the assailant, and he
aimed another blow at the German, this
time striking him on the left side of the
head, almost severing the ear from the
head and laying his scalp open four inches.
This blow knocked Gerster to the ground.
The colored man then struck him with his
fist on the nose and choked him until he
was black in the face. The finger prints
are still visible on Gerster's throat. The
map then went through Gerster and stole
L. L.I IL hi.
60 cents and penkuife. He then took the
basket and left the man for dead on the
road.
A short time after Gerster came to his
senses and crawled to the house of William
Richmond They saw who he was and re-
moved him to his home at the cemetery.
Mr.. Walker, the sexton, was notified and
went to the Nineteenth ward police station
and reported tine case to Captain Mercer
and Lieutenant Duncan. A physician was
summoned and dressed the mans injuries
and said his chances for recovery were very
doubtful.
A Bloody Weapon Found.
The officers went to the scene of the as
sault and found the club. 1t was about
three feet long and four inches square, and
was covered with blood. The club is at the
Nineteenth ward station. Gerster says the
negro was about 8 feet 6 to inches in
height. not very black, and probably weigh
ing about 185 pounds.
The officers are working on the case. They
think it is the cOlored man who has been
committing petty robberies in that neigh
borhood, robbing cellars and chicken roosts,
for some time. Several weeks ago Officer
Mshan saw colorcd man carrying
q large bag along Penn avenue early
one morning, and when he was stopped and
asked by the officer what the bag contained
he pulled out large revolver and began
shooting at the officer. When the officer
opened fire the negro ran away. The officer
followed him for several blocks, but he dis
appeared in the darkness Captain Mercer
thinks this is the same man as, the descrip-
tions tally. Gerster is about 45 years old
and has wife and two children.