The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-29
DR.. ATTACKED IN THE DARK.
DIR. j. L. SMITH LURED INTO A BACK
ROOM AND BEATEN MURDER
oUSLY.

Electrical Machtne-AS the Ut. En-
tered His Operating Room to show
Them He Was Knocked Down by
Man Crouched There and was
Beaten Into Seeming Unconscious
ness With BfIlies and Brass
knuckS His Cries of Murder
Brought No Response Leaving
Their Victim Half Dead the As
sniIants Fled.
A murderous attack was made upon
DR.. ]. L. Smith last night by three white
men, VINO entered his Office, No. Is LIB
erty street, west, and induced him TO so
into one Of the rear rooms. where they as
ssulted him with billy, brick and knucks.
After breaking both of his hands and COW
ering his head with cuts and bruises they
coolly left the house and made their es-
cape.
The story Of the assault as told by the
doctor is that he was sitting in his Of
fee about $50 O'Clock, when two men came
in ana inquired if DR.. Cochrane, with
whom DR.. Smith practices, was there.
Or. Smith answered that he was not
then in, but probably would be within
half an hour or so. one of the men ask
ed II DR.. Cochrane did not treat nervous
diseases, and being Informed that he did,
asked that he might see the electric ma
chine that is used in the treatment. The
doctor said he would be glad to show II
and went from his office, followed by the
snt1 tla af NI7a
fiat where the machine is kept The room
was without light and no sooner had
the doctor entered il, than man, who
was concealed in the room, struck him
heavily over the head. knocking him
down He got up, and though nearly
dazed by the blow in turn struck his as
sailant and 1oored him, but the other men
who had followed him into the room took
hand. and being overcome by the three.
the doctor was beaten into seeming in
eensibilty.
When first attacked he shouted muir
der and police" but no aid coming, he
feared that the men would beat him into
snsensibiity, and so feigned unconscious
ness in order that they might think their
Their attacks. When his assailants found
that he no longer moved or struggled,
they let up with their blows. One of
them told his companion to get out of
the way and give him a chance to shoot
but to this the other demurred, telling
him that the man was done for, as u
was, and that 70 shoot would only at
at% ba
doctors story, the men searched the back
pockets OF his trousers, and walked out
leaving him apparently dead on
the floor. When he was sure that they
had gone. he staggered 90 the
the door, and seeing hack standing near
the curb sent the driver for Dr. Coch-
rsne. AS soon as the latter arrived and
saw the extent and nature of his friends
wounds he took him to the Savannah Hos
pital and sent for DR.. T. ]. Charlton. At
ter examining and dressing the wounds,
DR. Charlton said that while extremely
painful they were not dangerous
The colored hack driver who was sent
for DR.. Cochrane, says that he was in his
hack at the curb, almost in front of the
door of the house when the three men
entered, and that shortly after they had
gone into the house he heard the cries
for the police, and also the cry Of muir
der" but that he wasn't paying much at
tention and neither investigated nor re-
ported the matter TO anyone. When the
cries were first heard. he said "a white
man who had come to the house with
r.
still standing at the bottom of the steps,
went up to the front door and closed it
with the purpose, apparently, of prevent
ing the cries being heard in the street. A
few minutes afterward the three men
Joined the one on the outside, and they
walked leisurely up Liberty street.
The assault was reported by DIR. Coch-
rane at the police barracks as soon as he
reached the house. aud the entire detec-
tive force went to the scene of the at
tack and made an investigation. 1t was
there they found the hackman and heard
his story. 1t was also reported that a
gentleman who had been sitting in front
of the store of Mr. ]. H. Helmken had
seen the men as they came from the house
and said that DR.. Smith had appeared at
the door of his house and asked that they
send him doctor. This request was made
when they were quite near the store and
one OF the men remarked to his compan-
ions: Il guess we'd better send doctor
TO the =" According to the story
of this witness the men were white and
were well dressed
DR.. Smith was unable TO give a descrip-
zion of his assailants, and he doubted
his ability to identify them, even should
they be arrested. He said that the light
in his office was dim and prevented HIS
getting a good look at them, and after
he entered the other room, he was in to-
tai darkness. OF only one thing in con-
nection with their appearance was he
sure, and that is that two of the men
wore straw hats. and the third gray
or white felt hat. He also thinks that
the men are medium sized.
The police are puzzled TO account for
the attack. The idea of robbery is not
considered for a moment, for though the
men went through the pockets OF their
victim, only the rear, or pistol, pockets
were searched, doubles to make sure that
no weapon was left with which he might
injure them as they left the house. Had