The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-26
BEATEN, ROBBED
AND WAHGhED.
John Hail Gagged and Placed on a
Railroad.
THE PERPETRATORS ARE UNKNOWN
The Young Man crawled Partly From the
Track and saved his Life, But Lost
One Of ais Feet Several
Fruitless Arrests Made.

One Of the most atrucious crimes in the
borough's history was perpetrated on Satur-
day evening, John Hall, young man Of ex-
cellent reputation being the victim He was
sandbagged, gagged, robbed, crippled for life
and escaped death by narrow margin. The
evidence is clear that the assailants placed
the unconscious form Of their victim ON a
railroad track with the hope that it would
be mangled by trains and the death would be
a mystery that would shield them. A lament
able feature of the case is that thus far all
efforts Of the police to trace the guilty parties
have failed. Several arrests oD suspicion
have been made without satisfactory result.
The victim tells the story Of the crime.
He says that at about nine o'clock Saturday
night he left the meeting Of the Young
Women's Christian Temperance Union in
the Mellet building, at the corner of Centre
street and Market alley, to go home. lie
lives with his parents at 1873 South White
street and entrance to the residence from the
rear can be obtained from Plum alley.
When Hall wos about hallway between Oak
aud Cherry streets, he says, short man with
reddish moustaChe and heavy beard stopped
him asked for ten cents Hall pulled out
his pOcketb0Ok to give the man the money
At the same instant somebody cried Soak
him :! and Hall was struck ON the back of
the head. Halt remembers nothing un-
til he found himself lying on the west
bound track Of the Lehigh Valley railroad
at the foot of the Plum alley embankment
As consciousness returned Hall found that he
was gagged. His own pocket handkerchief
had been tied firmly over his mouth While
he was trying 70 unite the gag he realized
that he was lying on a railroad track He
says he attempted to arise, but was TOO weak
and appeared to be dizzy. Each time he
made an effort he fell back. He then heard
the whistle Of a locomotive and realized that
his life depended upon his getting
from the track After repeated efforts
he managed to roll from the TRACK iuto the
ditch. He thought himself clear Of the track,
but his left foot was still upon the west rail
and the right foot close to the rail A mo-
ment later the train scheduled to leave town
for Shamolin at p. m. thundered along and
cut off the foot that rested on the rail The
member was severed at about o quarter Of an
inch above the ankle. The right foot escaped
the same fate, but was badly gashed in two
places Just below the instep
Few can fully realize the terrible expert
ience Of the unfortunate young man. As the
train passed over his foot he must have
tainted, for he can give no account Of what
happened after. Mrs Caroline Eberhard,
who resides in house located on the eastern
embankment of the railroad and nearly op-
posite the scene Of the crime, heard Halls
groaus at about 10 o'clock and called the at
tention of her son-in-law, Joseph Morris, to
them. The latter procured a lantern and
went down to the railroad with his brother
in-law, William Eberhard and discovered
Hall in the condition already stated. Others
were attracted to the scene in the meantime
and Hall was carried to his home, which is
| located about $50 feet from the place where
| the attack was made. Drs. G. NJ Hamilton
and J. S. Calen were summoned and dressed
/ the victims mangled limbs. No dangerous
results are anticipated
An examination Of the scene of the crime
shows Hall could not have been thrown from
the embankment so that he would fall upon
/ the railroad track. The embankment is a
! high one and had the victim been thrown
/ there would certainly have been marks upon
/ his head, limbs or body to show the effects oi
the drop. 1t was impossible for Hall to roll
down the embankment and upon the track. as
at the bottom there is very wide and deer
ditch, in which his body would have lodged
The rails of the track are at least two feet
higher than the bottom of the ditch. An
examination of the embankment failed tC
reveal any signs of a struggle, or dragging
but was thickly studded with foot prints All
who have examined the place are convinced
/ that the victim was carried down the EN-
bankment and placed upon the track.
Hall is Of the opinion from the footsteps he
heard just before he was struck that two
men attacked him from behind while he was
about TO hand the man in front Of him the
money asked for. He was robbed of his gold
watch and chain and his pocketbook. He
does not remember how much money he had
| The police spent several hours after they
heard of the case in trying to trace the guilty
| parties and gathered in nine tough looking
characters on suspicion. Two were found il
hut located in the swamp near Yatesyill,
and four we're picked up along the Lehigl
| Valley railroad. The suspects were held il
custody until this morning. when they wert
taken to the victims bedside. Hall hat
stated that although the place wher,
the attack was made was very dark
he could identify the man VIII,
asked him for money. The men takeI
before Hall were Matt Delaney and William
Tallet, Of town, James Woods, James Dough
erty and William Bradley Of Mt Carmel
Joe Pickalosky, alias Smith, Of VIM. Penn
Daniel Yucomas, Anthony Lutin and JOIN
KOckalocki, of town. Hall failed to identify
any of them. The last named three wer
discharged but the others were arTaigned be
fore Justice Cardin, charged by Chief o
Police T0sh with drunkenness and nuisance
and having no visible means of support
They were committed TO Jail in default O
500 bail, each. Nothing was found on TIA
persons Of any of the suspects to connec
them with the crime. A great crowd folowe,
the police when they were taking the sus
poets to Halls house and as the crow
waited outside the residence while Hall wa
trying to make the Identification some yer
unpleasant threats were made 1t Is be
lieved that had Hall identified any Of tn
suspects the police would have had difficult
in getting the prisoner safely back to th
lookup. The case has aroused great publ
indignation. Hall is "a years of age He
3 a model young man and faithful member
the Primitive Methodist church. He hs
never been known to indulge ia intoxicant
I so that his misfortune cannot be attributed [
any misstep ON his part in that direction.
rg.1g.F yq,,,,d Notice