The San Francisco call., 1897-04-05
ROBBERY OF RECEIVER McKEAL.
although He Is Yet Toe Dazed to Tell q
Straight Story 1T Is Thought He
Lost Consioer1 bic Money!

NEW YORK, n. Y, April 5.-A Sun
special from Rochester, N. Y. says: Ed.
ward McNeal, receiver of the Oregon Rail-
way and Navigation Company, was at
tackled by robbers in a Central avenue
saloon Saturday night, rendered uncon-
sCious by blow from an ak or icepick
and supposed to have been robbed of a
considerable sum of money. He was take n
to st. Mary's Hospital in this city, and is
still in such dazed condition that the at
tendants are unable to obtain any coher-
ent statement from him.
Yesterday morning Superintendent of
Police Cleary received his first intimation
OF the affair, when he read the report sub
mitted by Officer Sullivan, who said in
his report that man giving his name as
"E. McNeal" fell down near the Kremlin
House. on North ST. Paul street, and cut
his head. He was taken into the Krem-
lin House and later removed to DR.. Turn
more's office. The am bulance of ST.
Mary's Hospital was summoned and he
was taken to that institution.
Sullivan's theory was that it was merely
an accident. Superintendent Cleary de-
tailed Detectives Swanton and Mcdonald
to investigate the case and they went to
st. Mary's hospital and tried to talk to
mood to say anything.
He finally said that he was on Central
Hudson train on Saturday night, and
when the train stopped at Rochester he
left his satchel on the seat and got off to
buy drink. He had to go back further
than he expected to obtain the drink and
when he got back to the station he found
that the train had gone, taking his satchel
with 1t. He wandered around for q long
time and fell in with some tough charac-
ters, who wanted to whip him. There was
a fight and McNeal got the worst OF il.
he wandered out of the saloon into the
street and finally staggered into the Krem.
lin House. where he was taken care of.
The story told by McNeal was so ram
bling that the detectives did not put much
crede in it. He still seemed to be
dazed and related several different storjes
to account for his cuts and bruises. He
said nothing yesterday about being
robbed.
In his first story of the affair, told on
Saturday night, he said that his satchel
was taken from him by robbers, and that
il contained considerable money and some
valuable pa pers.
Superintendent Cleary does not be.
lieve that McNeal was robbed. He said
he does not believe a robber wonld leave
two valuable rings on a mans finger and
fine gold watch in his pocket if he was
really bent on robbery. This theory does
not take into account the fact that the
thief might have been compelled to fee
to escape detection. The superintendent
says that there is no doubt that McNeal
was villainously assaulted. and that the
officers will get at the facts of the case al
rapidly as possible.
At a late hour last night no arrests had
been made. At midnight McNeal was
still in a dazed condition and it is feared
that his skull is fractured. In any event,
he will not be able to leave the hospital
for several days. 1t is learned that his
private car is awaiting him at Chicago.
His latest version OF the affair is that he
was struck on the head with an ice pick.