Evening star., 1903-07-21
ASSAULT AND ROBBERY
BRUTAL TREATMENT ALLEGED
BY PATIENT AT HOSPITAL.
Claims He Fell Into the Hands of q
Rufian at Chesapeake juno
ton Sunday.

John McNerhany, who is here from Cleve-
land, Ohio. on visit to his brother, is a
patient at the Emergency Hospital. His
condition is serious and the surgeons fear
he will develop pneumonia. McNerhany
had an experience in the vicinity OF Ches-
apeake Junction Sunday which he will
probably never forget. He declares he was
assaulted and robbed. and his assailant used
his feet on him and inflicted cuts and
bruises from his head to his feet. That the
victim rendered unconscious there
seems to be no doubt.
1t was early Sunday night when he
assaulted and 1T was not until last night
that he reached the hospital. All the inter-
vening time he had spent in the woods. but
in just what particular woods he could not
tell So far as he can determine he
not more than one-quarter mile from the
resorts at Chesapeake Junction. in Prince
Georges county. He had about SO in mis-
pockets when he reached the resort, but he
was practically penniless when he reached
the hospital. 1t was about $50 O'Clock
when the police at headquarters learned Of
the case. There was not much that they
could do In the matter as the assault and
robbery occurred beyond the District line.
McNerhany is forty-six years old. He met
a stranger on street car Sunday and rode
with him far the junction. Upon
reaching there the man from Ohio sug
geSted that he would enjoy some liquid re-
freshments, and his acquaintance of a few
minutes accompanied him to drinking re-
sort. After they had a drink the Wash ng-
ton man told McNerhany that he had built
some houses in the county and asked him
to take walk to them. McNerhany had
nothing particular on hand and he con-
sented to take the walk. A short distance
away the couple stopped and McNerhany
says he found he was in the hands of ruff
fan.
In Woods All Night.
Just what occurred after this the victim
of the brutal assault does not remember.
He remained in the woods all night and all
day yesterday before he regained conscious
ness and was able to make a start to get to
the home of his brother. Wandering through
the country, he managed to reach Land
over, a station on the Baltimore and Po-
tomac railroad, nine miles from this city.
He boarded an incoming train and reached
here in time to get to the hospital about
o'clock.
When the surgeons at the hospital saw
the man they expressed the belief that he
would not recover. They found him a mass
of cuts and bruises, and while he had re-
gained consciousness, he had not recovered
from the shock. His condition was made
worse by exposure. and this. 1t was feared,
would result in attack of pneumonia
The patient was unable to give an intelli-
gent account of his experience until today.
He then told of what had taken place and
gave description of his aSsailant. Nobody
who had seen McNerhany or who knew
anything of the assault and robbery could
be found at Chesapeake Junction today.
Sergt. Hartman of the ninth precinct made
an investigation of the affair last night
after the wounded man had reached the
hospital. but was unable to ascertain any,
thing which would lead to the arrest of the
assailant 1t was stated this afternoon at
the hospital that the injured man was bet
ter and that he will in all probability re-
cover.