The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-07-13
STABBING OF GRINLEY
HE CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN At
Tackled BY MEMBERS OF A GANG.
Stories Told by GrfnIey and His Wife
Not BeIievcd-Wound Not
Dangerous.

Thomas +. Grinley, balloonist, living at
$50 South West street. is lying at his home
with a knife wound in his back which be
cannot account for, and that is surrounded
with mysterious circumstances. wednes-
day night. about 1890, as he alighted from
his wheel. he says there was a crowd of
men and boys in front of his door fighting.
and as he stepped on the sidewalk he was
stabbed. He says he did not feel it much
at first, but he called to his wife. He says
she was sleeping i'm the front room, which
comes to the sidewalk, but did not get up
until after he had pushed the door open
and entered. This is all he claims to know
about the stabbing. other than the supposi-
ton that he was mistaken for one of the
men in the fray when struck. His wife
says she knows nothing about it.
The police department was not notified
until yesterday afternoon about o'clock,
when Mrs. Grinley came to the dispensary
for a doctor. About the same time infor-
nation came from another source, and
Bicycle Policemen Bray and Losh were
sent to investigate, and DR.. Waggoner
went to dress the mans wound Mrs. Grin
ley told the policemen that the reason she
did not notify them Wednesday night was
because she could not reach telephone.
She claims to have tried to call up once or
twice, but could get no one There are
several telephones in the neighborhood
available. but she did not attempt to use
them.
The wound is about quarter of inch
wide, and appears TO have been inflicted by
a thin bladed knife or small instrument.
1t is about an inch deep and near the
heart, but is not thought to be dangerous.
Paul Bonner, who runs a saloon next
door, says he did not see any crowd in
front of the house at the time stated by
Grinley or at any other time during the
evening. He says he knows of no fight.
Grinley was in the saloon till after 3
o'clock, and then, he says, he went up town
10 look after some contracts Tor making
balloon ascensions. Mrs. Grinley says an
elderly woman named Mrs. Mary Hall was
at the house shortly before 10 O'Clock, hav-
ing spent the evening with her, but she
did not know where Mrs. Hall lived She
says she left the house 10 take car home,
standing on the corner on the opposite side
OF the street, almost directly in front OF
the house. She says she missed the car,
but did not return until after Grinley had
come i'm stabbed. Asked il Mrs. Hall saw
the crowd in front of their house. she re-
piled that because of her age her eyes
were very weak. and that after night she
did not think IL possible for her to see
across the street After she came TO the
house, Mrs. Grinley says. she went to the
residence of DR.. Rhodes, about two squares
south, for some morphine for the old lady.
She says this was about IL o'clock, and
that Mrs. Rhodes answered the bell by
coming to an upstairs window and asking
what was wanted. Mrs. Grinley says she
asked to have n prescription filled, and,
after conversing with her husband, Mrs.
Rhodes told her the doctor would not open
the store for less than a 5O-cent sale. She
gave as her realon for not telling DR..
Rhodes that her husband was stabbed that
corner waiting for a car, and she did not
want 10 attract crowd TO their residence.
DR.. Rhodes says the woman wakened
him some time after II o'clock. He says he
went to the front window himself and
looked out on the street, but saw no one.
Then he went to a side window and called
10 her. He says she wanted Decent pre-
scription filled, saying it was for Mrs. Hail.
who had a severe attack of the cramps
He says he told her he could not open the
store for that amount and that she then
cursed him and went away.
1t is said by the neigbors and the men in
the saloon adjoining the house that Grin
ley and his wife had fight that night
and one makes the statement that Griney
was heard TO say: There; you'll not stab
me I'm the back again." Then followed a
long silence according TO the story. 1t is
said that Grinley and his wife have fire.
quent troubles. and about six weeks ago
she hit him on the head with a Ratchet
rendering him unconscious. Bonner, the
men in the saloon and DR.. Rhodes helped
10 revive him.
The police have been unable TO gather
any clew as TO a crowd congregated in
front of the Grinley residence at the time
he says he was stabbed.