Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-09-29
Burt Brechtbill. Beaten and Rob.
bed. is Left for Dead on
Chicago Streets
WAS SEVEN DAYS UNCONSCIOUS
MarshalItown Man Has Most Terrible
Experience at the Hands of Thugs
Lives to Tell the Tale, But Has Pass
ed Thru Enough to Kill Dozen Men
still Suffering From Effects Of
Beating.
Beating.

street, now an employe of Arson & Co.,
who recently returned from Chicago,
passed thru, while in that city, one of
the most terrible experiences inagina-
full constitution and the watch care of
an all-wise Providence for his ability
to emerge alive. Brechtbill was attack
ed on the streets of Chicago by thugs
and was left for dead after having been
horribly beaten and robbed. Later he
was found by friends, after he had
roamed the streets of the city in an un-
conscious condition for an hour. He
was taken to the Cook county hospital,
and lay for days without regaining
consciousness of his surroundings. For
weeks, torn, broken and bruised, his life
was all but gone. Medical treatment
and constitution of iron triumphed.
however, and he still lives to tell one
of the most awful tales of suffering that
was ever heard from mans lips.
Brechtbill was former employe OF
the Glucose Sugar Refining Company,
but some little time after that factory
had closed in this city he secured en-
ployment in the Chicago works of the
same firm. While on his way to his
room, at No. SIS Taylor street, one eve-
ming about 9 o'clock, as he neared an
alley on Taylor street just off of Lo-
Gust, he was set upon by thieves, whose
oh n1Sy q
their victim, but also STAY him. After
the first blow Brechtbill remembers
nothing until seven days afterwards,
when he awoke in the Cook county hos
pital. After telling their mar the
thieves rified his pockets and took
'therefrom $22.O6, all the money that
Brechtbill possessed. They then made
off, leaving him for dead. Nature soon
revived the young man, but did not
give him back his reason and, hatless,
his clothes torn and c1otted with blood,
his face besmeared with blood from a
terrible wound in his forehead and from
a long cash in his chin, with his right
ankle broken. in three places and with
one jaw crushed. wounded on the back
of the head and with his sternum near
sly fractured, he wandered on thru the
dark and deserted streets of Chicago
until o'clock the following morning.
1t was only by accident that he was
found and the good Samaritan proved
to be one of the young men at his
boarding house. Brechtbill was taken
to his room and physicians We're sum-
moned. They refused to take the case
unless he were taken to the Cook coun-
ty hospital, and said he had not one
chance In a thousand of ever recover
ing. He was at once removed to the
hospital and the physicians began the
task of reducing the fractures and sew
ing up the gashes torn in his face and
head. For seven days he lay in a ward
apparently dead. Finally, however he
regained consciousness and slowly be-
gan to mend.
Owing to the fracture of his jaw bone
and theaawful wound in his mouth and
chin he was compelled for two weeks to
take nourishment thru a glass tube. AS
time passed. however, he very slowly
recovered, but the days dragged and
dragged, and 1t was weeks and months
before he began to gain anything like
his former good health. While Mr..
Brechtbill has but recently recovered,
so that he could return home, he ar
rived a short time ago and is now at
work receiving brick as they are turned
from the machine at the south side
brick yards. He still walks with a limp
and shows plainly the marks of the
wounds and the suffering thru which he
has passed.
Mr. Brechtbill says that he would not
be able to work at all, were 1t not for
the fact that the work he is doing does
not require him to be on his feet and is
light. His recovery after such terri
BILE experience is nothing short of re-
markable.