The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-06-27
COW ARDLY ASSAULT.
A BRUTAL NEGRO ATTACKS A
GREENVILLE FARMER.
Phineas Werner Enters His Lonely Home.
When He was Set Upon and Beaten
By an Unknown Robber.

Phineas Werner is the name Of a hache-
Tor, aged about 80 summers, who for many
years has lived all alone in hut built in
the mountains Of Greenville township.
Phineas has always been impressed with
the idea that women are not good institu-
tions 10 have about the house and prefers
to live in his own peculiar way, with
nothing to disturb his solitary life but the
forces of nature.
One afternoon about ten days ago Tor TO
be precise. Friday one week ago. a col
ored man came up 10 where Werner was
at work in field hoeing potatoes and en-
gagged him in conversation. Strangers
are unfre1uent visitors At the bachelors
lonely abode and he promptly invited
his sable eolored visitor To sit down on
the fence and tell him the news" BY
and by the coloped gentleman got 90
firing interrogatories at Phineas- He
asked particularly in regard to the iinan-
eiai status Of al OF his neishbors and as
10 how they earned their money and what
they did with il.
Now, it has been matter Of common
report for years past in that section Of the
county that Phiness Werner = ''well on
and that he always carries 500 or 500
concealed in belt which he wears around
his body. SO, when the dark-hued stran-
ger got TO inquiring about money matters,
Phineas commenced 10 grow suspicious
a. 10 the object of his guests visit. lie
observed that ne carried stout hickory
club in his hand and was a man of extra
ordinary strength
Finally the visitor asked to be directed
10 the house of one Of the nearest neigh
bors-Wm. Kling;unan. Werner watched
the dusky figure until il disappeared from
view and then he returned To hoeing his
potatoes. lie did not cease his labors in
the potato patch until about $50 o'clock.
when il became too dark for him 10 see
the stalks. Then he hung up his hoe and
entered the door of his forlorn house. He
had only crossed rhe threshold when he
was dealt savage blow on the head. The
force of the blow staggered him bat he
did not fall 10 the floor. Again aud again
blows were rained upon his head By a
club in the hands of n strong man. 1t
last Werner grappled with the invaderand
in the struggle which followed both men
fell 10 the floor and rolled out of tie door,
and not gntn then did he discover that
his aSSailant was the c0lcTed man who
had visited him few hours before. Blood
was streaming from the gaping wounds
that had been laid open on Werner's head
10y the club in the hands Of the brutal ne
4 Il. e &.
death struggle, and grasping his assailant
around the waist be held on with all of
his strength The colored mans arms
were free and he continued touse his club
on Werner's body with all the force the
close quarters would permit. Finally
Werner almost blinded with the blood
that was streaming down over his face
broke away from his assailant, and
started to run down the road towards the
house of the nearest eighbor-Mck enzie
-shrieking ''murdert' nj the top Of his
voice. The colorcd brute followed him.
bat Werner proved too swift for his pur-
suer and made good lis escape To Aicken-
sizes. where his wounds were washed and
tied up. Two large, deep gisheS on his
head and = number Of black and blue
wells on his shoulders and body showed
the force of the black mans blows Moth /
ing has since been heard Of the would-be
robber II il believed that he was merely
the fiendish agent of two or three parties
living along the railroad who are ac-
luainled with Werners solitary manner
of living and who had heard tbs rumors
in regard 20 mis- carrying large sums OF
money about his person and had &c
cordingly planned 10 fob him. Werner
denies that he had more than f,w dol |
lars in his house. Il is possible that sew |
eral arrests win result. but up To this
time the names Of the suspected parties
have not been made public.
1t seems that afler the negro left Wern- |
er's home he Travelled in an eaSteriy di-
rection. towards the house of Wan. King |
aman, until he had passed ont of sight Of !
Werner Then he tool, 10 the woods and /
followed a roundabout path 10 an ont |
building in the rear OF Wcrner's house |
and as soon as favorable opportunity !
offered he stole into the house, where he !
laid concealed until his victim entered.
When Werner was seen sunday he still |
had his wounds landaged and complained 1
of feeling more or less sore from the cf- /
fects of the heating he had received.
As an evidence Of the lonely and dreary /
life Werner leads, gentleman who /
passed his house some time ago tells us /
thai he found him reading a paper then /
more than month old.