The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-16
I MAY BE 4 MURDER.
a Mysterious Assault on DR.. R. L.
sis7 Ashbrooke.
/. DECOYED int. A LONELY PLACE.

is Said to be Very Dangerously In
jurcd-No Clue yet Found to the
Assailants or their bIotive-Threat-
ening Letters Received.
One OF the most mysterious affairs
that was ever reported in this commu-
nifty occurred night before last at
point on the creek bank opposite the
Peninsular cemetery. DR.. r. L. Ash
brooke, we'll known physician, was
decoyed to lonely place there and as
saulted by four men. His head was
badly bruised and cut, his arms and
legs beaten, and he received bad cut
in his abdomen. 1t was yesterday said
to be doubtful if he could recover from
his injuries.
Dr.. Ashbrooke's story is strange. He
says between 10 and II o'clock Sunday
night he had professional call to make
out in the extreme east end, on the
creek flats, the patient being Mrs.
Discher. From there he drove to
house on Seventeenth street, and then
started to go to Manchester to see an
other patient.
Just as lie drovcs upon the Seven
teenth street bridge he was accosted by
a strange man, OF whom he cannot give
a good description, but who told him q
man had been badly hur. in fight on
the Peninsula, and he wanted the doc
tor to hasten there and see If he could
not save his life. lie told him to drive
up the National road to the bend where
it turned toward Fulton, where some
body would meet him and conduct him
to the patient.
AS Dr.. Ashbrooko drove i'll that di-
rection he heard buggy coming be-
hind, and turning, recognized Mr. Kit
son, of Elm Grove. He spoke to him
a man stood beside the road, reckoning
the doctor to come. IIe said, This is
the way; be quick" and the doctor
fastened after him.
Down Il steep bank, along the form
inal railroad about fifty yards. and then
toward low bluff near the creek bank
the route lay. AS they came to this
bluff the man said, Gle is down here"
indicating the foot OF the bank.
At that instant, the doctor says, he
was struck a stunning blow from be-
hind and knocked over the creek bank.
Two trees stood near, and from behind
and kicked him until he ceased to
struggle, when they proceeded to
search through his clothes. One man
cautioned the others not to take any
thing that might lead to their detec-
ton. All the doctor missed yesterday
was $50 in bills which was in large
bill book in his inside vest pocket.
After rummaging his pockets, one OF
the men, he says. took out knife and
inflicted the stab on his abdomen, which
is about two inches long and very deep,
apparently having cut the intestines, as
he was vomiting blood at intervals yes
terday.
He feigned Inconsistencies until the
men had been gone some time, when
he crawled up the bank and made his
way to his buggy. He drove to town
and Dr. Beabout and later DR.. Dickey
were summoned, and the injured mans
wounds dressed. About half past four
Lieut.. Gaus, who was on duty at police
adquarters, was notified of the affair,
and the police put in a faithful day try
ing to work the matter out to some con-
clusion, but in vain.
A search at the locality described
showed DR.. Ashbrooke's tracks going
there, and signs of struggle. There
was blood on the ground and the doc
tors hat, crushed where he had been
struck, lay in the mud. Rocket books
and other articles were scattered about
where he left them when he came away.
y What gave sensational cast to the
case was the fact that the third trial of
the case of William Groves, charged by
the Metropolitan Insurance Company
with forgery, was TO have opened yes
terday morning in the criminal court.
When the jurors had beeu chosen, and
before they were sworn, the prosecu-
ton announced the serious illness OF
DR.. Ashbrooke, a vital witness for. the
state and court adjourned till this
morning to await the outcome OF his in
juries. DIR. Ashbrooke's own trial on
the charge Of giving false medical GER
tificates, forgery and swind!ing, was
also set for next Thursday. So far as
the efforts of the police show, however.
no possible connection between the
cases in court and the assault can be
said to exist.
a good while ago DR.. Ashbrooke re-
ceived an anonymous letter threaten
ing him with death if he did not leave
town. He kept it pretty quiet. Those
who heard OF it passed it over as q
joke.
About December 20 he received an
other letter, written in pencil, evident
ly in disguised (and poorly disguised)
fnanQ. II Mo 4 pOsLSCI1ptl III Icu LIN,
in imitation of blood. It went on:
"We have warned you before, and
now tell you to leave town. You have
a family; goand be happy-stay and
die. We. will dog you and watch you.
Death if this is not destroyed"
The red writing was: by order OF
the secretary Witnessed in our blood"
It is possible that this letter will load
to solution of Sunday nights bloody
mystery.
The officers have not yet abandoned
their researches, but they refuse to ad-
vance any theory or give any&informa-
ton aside from what is here narrated.
1.-THE pARDoNlCANIIi TOO LATE"
sack Meredith Purdonet, !, Week after his
Suicide.
A week and day ago Jack Meredith
committed suicide by hanging himself
. + u. 4 X