Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-09-12
RATCHET AND KNIFE
AmUROEROUS ASSAULT UPON Mr.. AR
THUR ROONEY, A C. & o. CLERK.
A Discharged Negro Janitor Mistakes Him
for His Substitute ana Gsshes
Him Fearfuily.

engineer OF the Chesapeake and Ohio
railway. and the victim now lies AZ the
Retreat for the Sick with nine or ten
Eashe0 about the head and neck and a
deep cut across the back OF the hand.
The scene Of the assault was the build
Ing OF the James-River Division OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio road. on Gary street
between Eleventh and Twelfth. and Air.
Rooney was, u appears. mistaken IN the
dark by his as~aillut for the co.orci ianl-
tor Of the place, Charley Richardson.
against whom the would-bc murderer. Oh
other nero named Bob Harvey. had, 1t is
affirmed. gIulee.
HISTORY OF THE GBrDOr.
FoMc time ago Harvey. who was ianitor
O. the luldlug. was discharged ana Rich
nrdson put - his place. II j. the iaritof's
duty. III addition @ cleaning NJ the Offices.
20 Tcl 0rt uv telephone . the Inrcr-mlc
Loot nj stated intervals the height Of the
water n the old iasln. lie therefore, bas
u room IL the compaIy's building N which
! fher. j. 2 tcieUhoue and a bed. and VIII Gu
Il located on tho second floor from Cary
etreet and the nrst floor from the BASIN
bank.
Just across the hall from this room is the
office Of the resident engineer and the
keys 10 II are kept III the .hritor'. room.
hanging on naJ Lehlnd the GO0r and
nraI the telephone.
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Cabell dictated
70 MIR. Rooney a number Of letters and tee
latter came down 10 the Office alter getting
his supper IN order to write them out and
/ meet Ar. Garrison. the master carpenter
| Of tho road. with whom be- had an engage
meLt.
fEIzED FROM BEHIND.
When be entered the building there was
| only Cle light OH, and that burning very
low IN the nall between the engineer Fl,
! Office and the janitor'~ room. Nj Rooney
| went mt the JaHt0r'5 room. winch was
| perfectly dark, and lust as n" reached Tor
The keys nc was seized from behind and
| shower Of blows rained down upon Aiia.
LYING IL WAIT.
Harvey was lying III wait, II is supposed.
| fnr iaclarG-0I. whom he suspected OF
havln. Ous.od him from hi- place, and
| wa. armed with both a hatcIct and
knife.
Al. Rooney IL an exceedingly athletic
| YouAg man AID 4 terrible struggle easucd.
duiine which tic telephone was wrcuchc1
from the wall Gnd the two men rolled into
the passage.
| CAlEl OF VI Lpi Il.
Mr.. p. y. Fowl ies, who has on Office on
the Cary-s,rect ground floor e the build
ing, bad iu-t locked up ana was arout 10
get On one Of his wagons winch was stand
in- ia front of BIS door in charge II
Archer Morris (colOrcdI when he nc4ri
the noise OF the struggle AID the cry OF
| murder.
Alr. fowlkes ran tothc Cary-strcet door
of he building. Which is al the foot If
the stairs leading 1rom tie second toor
and attempted t. get ia, while the cOlorci
driver Morris ran around Icdd's building
10 the door opening out upon tie BASIN
bank. Harvey rushed down stairs while
MIR. Iow.ke. was shaking tie door.
calling for help aud crying murder al TIE
topof MS Voice, but ON see ~ lim turned
and ran hack. covering two steps az tie
time. and attempted TO escape through the
Ba-lu-tauh entrance. Inc knob OF tins,
however. VS. held 10y Morris, aud
tie desperate then forced a door,
on tie west side Of the stairway landing.
got INTO room not occupied by ihe rail-
road company, and eprang from window
30 the Ha.iu hauh. AOrrls sclZ,d him, out
was thrown 70 the ground, ana Harvey
ran. tire driver chasing HIM as far a. me
upper end Of the Allegheny freight depot,
where b disappeared.
| RooNEY's pEEsESCE OF MIND.
Mr.. Fowikes was still at the Cary-streot
entrance. and Immediately after Harvey
ran back up the steps Mr. Rooney CROPPED
his way down. He was completely blind
| cd. with the blood that was pouring from
his wounds, but had the presence If mind
| 10 unlatch tie door and say that Bob was
his a.sailaut. lie also said he Was muir
dcrcd.
Mr.. Fowlkos took the wounded man TO
| his Office and immediately telephoned for
the ambulance which arrived quickly IN
charge os Dr. Slegel. who proceeded 10
dress Nr Rooney's wounds. Later llr. q.
W. j. Brock. the surgeon of the road, ar
rived. and when the wounded man had
been thoroughly attended u he was re-
moved TO the Retreat for the SICK.
TULLY IDENTIFIED.
Mr.. Rooney fully identified his assailant
as bob Harvey, as did also Archer MOTIFS.
the colored driver VINO chased MN.
After the wounded Inau had been made
comparatively comfortable be SAID that III
the struggle lie struck Harvey several
| blows. but the latter forced HIM down AID
then. a. be expressed II, Int hiui terrible
"whack." Strange to say the doctors 90
not consider any Ct Mr.. Rooney WOUNDS
DANGEROUS. though bOtE the Ratchet aud
knife had been used on him.
LRoKE TIE HATcHET-HANDIE.
Harvey dropped his hat, the Ratchet,
and the knife III the building. and thty
were taken charge Of by the police three
Of whom-Othce,s Walden, wren, ana
arrived about tho time the an
Iulauce aid. The handle OF the ha'chet
WIS broken. testlfying 10 the force with
which the blows had been dealt. and lie
! v.alls Of tho hal between the lanltor :
room and Mr. Cabell's Office ond along the
stairway were bcspattered Win bloou.
vDcre was also Il large pool Of blood on the
; floor where the struggle IN the AAI 'oVA
place. ,o,,..,oy
THEORY OF hOBBKRY'
Harvey i well known to the police, and
| ~. rrp y ,.
I0iS west Leigh street, by Captain Ans r.,
| o.r,.aut ifooks. and Officers }. j. NaitoN
or5 Wren. He did not ask what t.
crorre was against him, but when told ol
II denied IT, He had been identlted, now
ever. "a III. ROoueys as allant by Tour Mon
vev's object was robbery OF the building,
ana tor Tins reason yesterday evening ne
io.nej Richardson ut Eighth md Nam
} .fraets and walked with hun ana another
rnorn "A. far 40 the corner OK ~. James al. Il
Irkson streets and then turned BACK.
i rev argue that knowing there vas n,
one in Tie building he concealed himself
there Tor the purpose Oil p!uhucE anu "o'i4s
detected made the assault.
KicaAEDsON's STATEMENT.
Richardson sand last night that he and
Harvey Ind mad no words, but that three
n.rnts ago when be lklchard>cnl came
MO his room he took q drink az wafer from
tha cooler ana it was bitter and mcde MN
; 80 sick that he vomltcd. tie drew me
, remainder Of the water from the cooior
: - hucket and a white sediment Was de-
|, ii".IteI. This bucket. with the sediment
[, tt,l visible III II, was turned over to ser
, neant Brook. ard will be submitted to
St"te- Chemist Taylor. Several nights ago
me builcins WAS entered and several OF
, the Keys of typewriter MaIlclousIy
: Al ;he gentlemen employed in, tho
: t,,iid,nc who we're at the scene of the as
sanlt last night are confident, however.
80 Torvcy's object was not robbery but
t 49, murder of Richardson who, By being
' ''1t ON the might shift deprived iiar-
Wv Of position. Harvey Is "a short.
thlck-set. thick-lipped negro ana recently
has been sitting about the oecoNu inai Ao''