The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1901-07-11
ASSAULT BY FOUR CRlPPLEs.

Charlotte Observer, 9th.
About IL 80 o'clock yesterday after
noon Mr.. J. II. Overcast, carpenter
in this city, came near to losing his life
as the result of bioodthirsty assault
by four crippled white men.
Mr.. Overcast had been working for
Col. J. T. Anthony and was going along
the railroad track to Lewis lumber
yard. When he had come within a
short distance of the cotton compress,
he was accosted by four white men,
who asked for money. One of the men
had both legs off below the knee and
carried crutches, another had lost one
leg below the knee and also had
clutches. A third, who affected general
physical feebleness, also walked on
crutches, and the fourth carried an arm
in sling.
1--WE want SO CENTS" said one OF the
| men to MI. Overcast.
81 haven't get it," he replied. He
had started to walk on when the Grip
pies hobbled around him in threat
ening attitude.
"You have got to give us quarter
apiece to get our dinners" said the
man who had lost both legs.
Overcast did not like the looks on
the faces of the men, and, though he
is powerful man, he felt that the odds
were against him. He turned with the
intention of going for policemen, when
the man who had lost single leg
struck him across the bridge of the
nose with his crutch and felled him to
the ground.
In flash the four cripples covered
the PROSTATE man. The man whose
arm was in sling choked him violent
ly. The single legged man bit off
nearly all of Overcash's left ear, and
when Overcast jerked his head away,
leaving his mangled ear in the mouth
of his assallant, the cripple mouthed at
him again like bull dog and fastened
on Overcash's cheek. His teeth went
through the cheek to the bone, and
when the cripple pulled his head back
the second time he had in his mouth a
round piece of flesh that came from
Overcashis left cheek.
Simultaneously with this fierce at
tack the other cripples acted. They
bit and beat Overcast until finally by
a great effort he managed to tear him
self loose from his assailants and ran
j for help.
After the departure of Overcast the
men made small effort to escape, and
in a defiant manner awaited the ap-
proach of Policeman Yandle. When
Yandle told them to consider them
selves under arrest they laughed and
stated that they did not intend to be
arrested. Before second policeman
came up to the scene one of the men
produced pint flask of whiskey and
the four finished the bottle before the
second officer arrived. The cripples
then submitted to arrest and were
taken to the station.
The man with both legs missing
gave his name as H. L. Boyt; the
thu single legged man gave his name
as John Perry Ed Smith was the
name given by the man with his arm
in the sling and the fourth man, who
carried crutches and feigned sickness,
refused to give his name. All the
men declined to tell where they came
from.
The character Of the men is we'll
known to the police here. They are
hoboes, who travel together and work
towns separately. ach one, of course,
asks aims because of his affection. The
ability and strength of the cripples are
astonishing. The man with both legs
missing moves almost as rapidly as one
with both limbs uninjured he has
broad, powerful shoulders and arms,
and his face is evil and malignant.
The other three, also, have bad faces.
They take :heir imprisonment surlily,
talk little and seem utterly Indifferent
as to consequences. They will be
tried before the recorder this morning.
The manning OF Overcast is peniten-
tlary offense, and it is almost certain
that John Perry, who did the biting,
will suffer the full penalty of the law.
Overcast is marked for life. The
loss of his ear is an lrreparable mutila-
tion and his cheek will be SCARED for
life. He was very weak from the violence
OF the assault and from loss of blood.