The morning call., 1892-01-04
A MADMAN'S DEED.
He Cruelty Slabs a Little Girl
in the Head.
A Lunatic With Religious Mania at Large
His Victim Child Walking by Her
Mothers side-A Boys Escape.
vIaho Ranap is nnonestionablv insane.

being to deli 0erRteIy follow Httle cnlld
only years Of age, walking with her hand
in that Of her mother. along one of the
most frequented and best lighted public
streets OF this city at o'clock in the even
ing. and without word or any previous
warning plunge the blade of pocket-knife
into the unfortunate child's head with suifi-
cient force to break the steel in two, leaving
the upper portion Of it firmly embedded in
the skull.
Yet that was the atrocious &C: Of Benau.
The child he struck was total stranger to
him, as he was to her and her mother.
Such are the outlines of one of the most
cruel and unaccountable crimes known to
the police records of San Francisco.
MOTHER AND CHILD.
The facts in detail are as follows: Mrs.
Edna Bates, the wife of George A. Bates,
an attOruey-at-law, residing at 600 Mont
gomery avenue, accompanied by her little
daughter. GeOTgiana Edna, aged years and
a few months, went to dinner about Z
O'Clock at the Nevada Restaurant on Pine
street. After dining, Mrs. Bates and her
child strOlled slowly up kearny street and
along Market on the north side TO meet
Mr.. Bates, who had a business engage
ment elsewhere, but who had told
or Market street. The mother and child
walked along chatting pleasantly, little
GeOTglana holding her mothers left hand.
They went RS far as Market and McA lister
streets, and, not meeting Mr.. Bates, turned
back as far as Eddy, from whence they re-
traced their steps mp Market again.
FOLLOWED BY MAN.
just after passing Turk street Mrs. Bates
noticed heavy-set falr-compleXiOned man
about 80 years of age and neatly dressed
following close behind her and apparently
logging her every fOOtS;ep. She paid but
casual attention TO the man and walked
along at the same pace as before
but keeping a sharper lookout for her
husband. The man following her was a to-
tai stranger TO her and she therefore took
but little notice of him. He kept close at
her heels until a few feet from the junction
Of Market aud Taylor streets. Then he
moved up quickly vast her. and in the full
glare of the electric lights and in the pres
ence Of numerous passers-by he struck
the child with the blade of an open pocket
knife which he held in his right hand a blow
with all his force on the left side Of the
head. So heavy was the blow that the blade
broke off in little girls skull.
VAIL OF THE LITTLE ONE,
ooh, mamma, mamma, that man hurt
me on the he al, gasped the child. So
sudden was the attack and so bewideTed
was Mrs. Bates that she stood for a moment
not knowing what 10 Go. Then al the sight
of the blood flowing freely down her child's
cheek and neck, bedabbling her pretty
little white CLOAK, she reused herself like
a flash.
stop him! stop him catch that man, he
has murdered my child" cried Mrs. Bates
at the top Of her voice Then she gathered
her little wounded girl In her arms and
S0Othed her agony.
Though Mrs. Bates was at first complete
ly dumbfounded by Beanu's attack, still
her recovery was so quick and her cries for
help followed so Immediately that Benau
had hardly gone ten feet before rush was
made for him by a number Of men who had
heard Mrs. Bates appeals for assistance.
Benau, seeing them running toward him,
jumped into doorway next to the corner
and acted as If he intended to rush up
stairs.
PURSUED BY THE CROWD.
Like a fash he turned, aud breaking
through the angry cTowd-which, if hands
couli have been laid on him, would have
made short work OF lIm-started down
Market street at an amazing pace, pur-
sued by hundreds of excited men. But
he distanced them all easily, and those
ahead Of him who tried TO stop him or
stood in his way were brushed aside like
flies. Officer Caliinan, standing on the cor
ner Of Turk and Market streets, saw Benau
running toward him at top speed, and sur
missing from the cr.es Of his IursuerS that
something MAS wrong, jumped at him as lie
passed and promptly brought him to a halt.
When stopped Benau said nothing, but
stood glaring Ike a wild beast at bay at the
angry faces ttat surrounded him, and ap-
pareutly listened with fear TO the cries of
Lynch him. Hang him to the lamp-p0stw
TAKEN TO PRISON.
Wiser counsel, however, prevailed, and
the prisoner was taken to the new City
Hall Station. On the way there Mrs. Bates
was met and she fully identified Benau as
the man who had followed her and stabbed
her child.
While Benau was being pursued, Mrs.
Bates held the wounded baby in her arms
until Officer Green came up and took the
little sufferer up As soon as pos
slble the officer took GeOrGiana to the Re
ceivng Hospital, where Police Surgeons
SumerS and Berry at once took charge Of the
case. After cursUTy examination it was
decided to place the little patient
under the influence Of chlOrofOrm.
She was laid on the operating table,
the aneSthetic administered and then a
fuller examination made. 1t was found
that the broken blade was still in the skull
and ii was removed most skillfully. When
Withdrawn from the wound, which was
diagnosed as an incised wound penetrating
the skull two inches above the left ear and
further penetrating the left lobe OF the
brain, probably to a depth of third Of an
inch, the broken steel which Is the pointed
portion of an ordinary pOcket-knlfe was
found to be thTee-fourths of an inch in
length and fYe-siXteenths Of an inch In
width. There were three hicks in the edge
from contact with the skull. One little
triangular piece, probably from one Of the
hicks, was found embedded in the skull aud
was also extracted.
IN THE HOSPITAL.
No prpttiar hravar Iit4la hoe
ever been in the hospital Alter the effect
of the chlOroform passed away somewhat
little GeoTgiana submitted quietly to having
her head bandaged aud asked, Where is
my mammal" and why did that bad man
hurt me?" She asked the steward for
large pin that was being used for the band
ages and for roll Of the bandage linen. OF
course she got them at once; and when
one deeply interested loOker-On gave her a
50-cent piece to buy candy with she asked
him, Please might give it to
mamma to buy a dolly with?" She
the money, and was highly amused with
her three presents. Before she left the
table she had won the hearts of everybody
in the room and they are all her devoted
slaves for life.
SHE MAY RECOVER.
Said Police Surgeon Somers: "If blood
poisoning does not set in the child will re-
cover. One IS IN eXceiIent health, OF most
equabie temper. aud everything is in her
favor"
The broken pieces Of the knife and the
little yachting cap that Ge0rgana wore
when assaulted, and which bears a large
triangular rent where the knife entered,
were retained by the police as evidence.
Mrs. Bates, Of course, accompanied her
child to The hospital but was not allowed
in the OpeTatlng-ro0m while the doctors
were at work. She was in a highly ner-
vous condition, weeping freely and asking
why her child had been chosen for such a
cowardly attack Instead of herself When
she was Informed that GeOrgiana was out of
immediate danger she nearly tainted from
overjoy. At II o'clock a carriage was
called and Mrs. Bates and her daughter
taken home.
RELIGIOUS CRANK"
When Benau struck the little girl with
the open poeketknife the blade broke off