The San Francisco call., 1899-07-12
OAKLAND POLICE
ARE PUzzL|NG
OVER A MYSTERY
Jack StantOn'S Skull
Crushed.
Injured Man Walks to the Hospital,
but His Lips Are Sealed and
He Is Unable to Give Ac-
count of the Affair.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
qn2 Qrna dwav I1Ilv II

S1S broadway, July IL
An air of deepest mystery surrounds
the case of Jack Stanton, q roaming
waiter and cook, who at about O'Clock
this morning walked into the Receiving
Hospital TO be treated for compound
fracture of the skull
How he sustained the injury that may
prove fatal is not known. When asked
by Steward Borchert, Stanton tried to
speak but his lips seemed sealed. for the
injury TO his brain had affected the nerve
controlling the power of speech. and he
seemed semi-unconscious, though he pos
sessed the presence of mind to hasten TO
the place where relief might be afforded
him.
On slip of paper he slowly wrote these
words rather unintelligtbiy: runaway
was in Oakland. J. Stanton" Then his
strength failed him and he dropped the
pencil.
From a wound at the left side Of the
rating his clothes. The case so puzzled
the hos pital steward that the latter
promptly SUMMONED Dr. Porter ana later
Drs. Milton and Rowe.
After Stanton was put under the tnfiu-
ence of anesthetics DR.. Porter lald open
injuries appeared. The doctors found very
little hCmoTrhage. The skull was badly
fractured, while the wound through the
scalp appeared only. as large as silver
quarter, There was also a slight wound
on the top of his head. Ii was found nee
essary to remove several pieces of the
shattered bone and about an ounce OF
brain matter The operation lasted over
two hours and the doctors express little
hope for his recovery.
There are many conjectures as to how
Stanton received his injury, Whlch pears
the appea rance of having been inflicted
with a hammer. Then gain. 1t Is thought
that he fell out of a wagon. his nead
striking upon a sharp. small rock Others
go so far as TO say that the element Of
murder may be involved
Stanton was later in the day ldenthed
by Dave Smith. a waiter at the Pnliadel-
phia restaurant on Broadway. where the
injured man had been employed IN the
same capacity several months ago:
stanton was drinking man, SAID
Smith and when in his cups ne was eX-
ceedingly quarrelsome. 1 feel almost sure
that his injury is the result OF an early
morning hight. l had trouble with MIN
at the restaurant when ne WORKED there
for short time and that's why he quit
the job"
chief of Police Hodgkins has detailed
Detectives Holland and Quigley to tnves-
tigate the case. but after working all day
on the matter report il difficult to gather
any facts. No runaways have been heard
of and thus far no one has been found
who can give any IaCtS turtheF IAdH tHoSe
stanton is about "a years of age. II IS
said that he has wife living in this city ,
but the name J. stanton does hot lap ap5
pear in the directory, and he is supposed
to have come here recently from SAINT
Cruz. where his father is printer on the
Sentinel and where his mother conducts
the Duncan House. Judging from the
notes in a diary. found on stanton, giving
a record OF his doings and travels, ne mas
been wandering all over the State IN his
pockets were also found COMP, cake Oh
soap, razor and strap, in short, the COM
pIete outfit of a wanderer of the road.
At the hospital he appeared in a neat
suit of clothes and there was no dirt or
dust to indicate that he had rolled in the
roadway.