The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-17
NEARLY DRAINED.
Cid Soldier Probably Fatally
Injured Last Night
By a Drunken CelImate at the
City Prison.
BY GROSS NEGLIGENCE
A Vicious Prisoner is Allowed
to Beat
Gilmore StrattOn With a Piece
of Lead Pipe.
Victim in a Dying Condition at
Christ Hospital.

Last night at $50 o'clock Gilmore
Stratton, an old soldier, was beaten in
an atrocious manner in the city Jail.
by Pat Mcpherson, a tough character
of the city. Gilmore's condition is most
serious, and DR.. NJ r. Mitchell has
grave doubts of his recovery. With
two deep scalp wounds and an indenta-
ton of the skull made by blows with a
large iron poker, Stratton lies help
less and deliriOus on a cot at Christ
hospital
Gilmore Stratton was arrested last
evening by Policeman Hunter. He was
intoxicated. and he was put in the
south pail room. Later Pat Mcpherson
was arrested by PatroIman Gordon and
placed in the same jail room. Stratton
was not very drunk, neither was Nc
Pherson, but the latter is very quar-
relsOme when he is under the influence
of liquor. The two quarreled, and
Jailer John Dagg entered and placed
StrattOn in the cell which is in the
northeast corner of the south room. But
he did not put a lock on it. No sooner
had Days left the room than McPher-
son picked up an iron poker which lay
near the stove, and started for the cell.
He pulled the fastening pin and opened
the cell door. With a VOlley of oaths
he entered. Raising the iron poker
above his head he brought it down with
terrible force twice on StrattOn's head.
Then Mcpherson caught hold of the old
soldier and with an oath, yelled, I'm
going to kill you" He dragged his vic
tim out OF the cell by his feet, kicked
him several times and then left the in
jured man at the side of the room. The
attack was the work of 4 few minutes.
When Mcpherson made his declaration
of murder Jailer Dagg heard it and he
rushed into the room. StrattOn lay on
the floor moaning with the blood
streaming rapidly from the wounds on
hnA MOI 9F3n FL,
across the room from, him, glating at
his victim like a wild beast He was
| taken into the other Jail room and
| placed in a cell. StrattOn'S wounds
| were dressed and he was given every
attention to relieve his sufferings He
regained consciousness some time aft
| er the assault. but again lapsed into
| cOmatose state and has since continued
| in that condition, coming to his senses
| only occasionally.
This morning City Physician NJ. r
! Mitchell dressed the wounds. There
were two bad gashes on the top of the
| head and a severe bruise over the left
! eye. The wound on the top of the head
near the front was the most serious.
! DR. Mitchell prObed to ascertain wheth-
/ er the skull had been fractured. He
! was unable to find a fracture but he
! says that the skull has a deep inden-
| tatiOn there caused by the blow from
| the iron poker. The cash is an inch
| and three-fOurthS in length and the
| flesh was laid open to the skull The
wound a little back of the center of the
| head is about the same length and is
! as deep, except that the skull is ap-
parently not injured. The wound over
| the lett eye IS superficial During the
| dressing of the wound StrattOn aroused
| himself several times and said: Let
me go out to the Kitchen
| After the wounds had been disinfect-
! ed and sewed up, the head was given
| a dressing and the patient was taken
| in an ambulance to the Christ hospital
E. c. Cameron, who was in the room
! at the time the attack occurred, said
| today:
The two had been fussing about
| sleeping. Then Dagg put the old man
in the cell there. Mcpherson picked up
! the poker and opened the cell door. He
| hit the old man and dragged him out
! here. Then Dagg ran in here. Nc
| Pherson wasn't so drunk but what he
! could walk around all right. He had
| the poker after he hit StrattOn."
Gilmore StrattOn is an old soldier 56
| years of age. He has been arrested be
/ fore while drunk, but was not known
| as a QuarrelsOme man. Mcpherson is
| 80 years old and is a vicious man. He
| used to be railroad brakeman. He
( is a hard drinker and has been arrested
many times for being drunk and fight
| ing. Several years ago he attacked a
man in the city jail while in intox-
| icated condition, injuring him very
badly.
The poker used by Mcpherson was
| a three-quarter inch gas pipe two feet
| in length. The end of it was bent
| slightly and the edge was rough. TAe
only wonder is that he did not brain
| the old soldier. The supposition is that
! the blows glanced When Mcpherson
| was taken out of the Jail room he hid
| the poker in his clothes. Today the
poker was found in the Jail yard, where
| it had been thrown from a rear win
| dow.
Dr. NJ R. Mitchell said of the case:
I am surprised that StrattOn didn't
| die last night. His injuries are serious
| and he may not pull through It is
| hard at present to tell just how ser
| ious that skull indentatiOn will prove.
feel pretty sure that the skull was not
! fractured but the wound may prove
| fatal. He is one of those men with a
| strong constitution who stand more
| than the average man. His recovery is
1 a matter of doubt
| Pat Mcpherson will be turned over
| to the state for trial. Chief Steele has
| made up his mind to prosecute him to
! the full extent of the law. He said:
| Amy man who would do a thing like
| that ought to be in the penitentiery.
| I shall turn him over to the state if I
| can get a complaint He is a vicious
| fellow and he ought to suffer for it
| It doesn't seem to have occurred to
| Chief Steele that such occurrences
ought not to happen in the city Jail and
that it is case of negligence on the
part of the police officials to permit it
/ to occur; particularly when it is fact
| that Pat Mcpherson had committed a
| similar atrOcity once before. Stratton.
/ if he lives, seems to have a good case
/ against the police department, in whose