Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-30
THE BOY MAY DIE.
Father DRINK. Son Perhaps Fatally
Injured ON Streets This Morning.

Injured on Streets This Morning.
George w. Purcell, man 10 years old,
is at the Second Police Station, charged
with drunkenness. Joseph Purcell. child
10 years old, IS at the City Hospital.
where he suffers with fracture OF both
plates of the skull. and may die.
The two are from Swansboro a suburb
Of Manchester, and are related as father
ard son.
1t Is a rare thing that so young child
has to go and ask some one to call the
ambulance for himself. There are usually
enough friends about one so young TO
decide and act when he needs such as
sistance. But this is what Joseph had
to do. and did this morning about 1:l5
o'clock.
At this hour the child came into the
Cary-Street Engine-House, Cary and
Ninth streets. and begged some one TO
phone for the doctor for him. 1t vas
not necessary for those who saw him
then to inquire who was sick. or who
wanted a doctor The little petitioner
staggered from loss of blood The -ed
tide streamed over his coat collar, and
lay in clotted pools i'm the matted. dark
hair. While he tarried till the ambu-
lance responded. replying as best he
could to the questions the gentlemen
piled him, the father came TO the door.
His eyes were glazed and his voice husky
and uncertain, drunken, at least, to
state Of partial insensibilty The ques-
tons were turned from son to rather,
while the kind-hearted men made the
young sufferer as comfortable as possible
He replied impatiently and almost unin-
teligibly, when he was asked how Lis
son was hurt so badly.
He would only answer: "Oh, don't
know; how should / known" and make
other unsatisfactory responses.
Policeman William II. Foster was then
present, and decided to place the eider
Fncell under arrest He uid so. and the
patrol van took him to the station-nouse,
VIII, re me was locked up. Sergeant COSBY
entered n charge Of drunkenness against
him, but will hold him until developments
CHOW that he IL not responsible for the
injury, perhaps fatal. to his sen. Crcum-
stances at least certainly point to MN
A. rhe pefpetrator Of the deed.
DR.. Nuckols responded with the hospi-
tai van, and after an examination at the
engine house revealing that there was
deep cash on the boys mead above and
behind the left ear, and that both plates
OF the skull beneath had been fractured,
he wrapped him up and took him to the
almsboLse where he was carefully treat
ed. his condition Is certainly very
z ave-" said the Doctor. an nOur later.
Sergeant Cosby. from the Second Police
Station. communicated by phone with
the Manchester police, and learned that
the Purcells lived on the extreme outside
Of Swansboro', and could not be reached
except by a special messenger. Owing 10
the very lateness OF the hour IL was de-
cded best not to break the news TO the
family until this morning. The South Side
officers said that Purcell bore a good
reputation as a hard-working. honest
nan. but was addicted to drinking hard
at times.
When young Joseph had been made as
comfortable as possible at the almshouse.
Dir. Nuckols asked him how he was hurt.
He said that his father had made him
come from home with him last night.
He was drinking at the time, and drank
great deal afterwards. He had him
self taken a glass of beer in one saloon.
They were standing at Ninth and Main
streets, he continued, when ii occurred
to him how late it was, and he took his
father by the arm and begged him to go
home. Just then some one he had not
seen, and did not see struck him from
behind with a rock and knocked him
down. He was explicitly asked IL his
1atner STRUCK MN, anu ne Sd4u as OK
plcitly that he did not.
The man was too drunk to make any
ineligible statement, but the theory sug-
gested by the question above is that
strongly in the minds OF the police.
Not satisfied with. what the lad had
told DR.. Nuckols, Sergeant Cosby after
wards gent officer Wren also to talk with
him. Joseph told Mr. Wren that he and
his father were on Ninth and Cary
streets, and that when he begged the
father 20 go home the drunken man
turned on him and slapped him. He fell
md must have struck his head against
he curling. The police and the firemen
nave given the circumstances the closest
attention, and believe, all things con-
,ldered. that the last statement Of the
,oy that his father knocked him down,
s the true one.