The San Francisco call., 1905-08-02
Man Held in Cap
tiVity for Three
Weeks.
Pins Are Stuck Into
His Body and His
Feet Branded.
Victim, Now Near Death. in
Wild Delirium Begs for
Mercy.
Special Dispatch TO The Call.

CHICAGO, Aug. Apparent l. evil
dence that labor sluggers maintain in
Chicago a place where systematic tor
tnre is meted out to those who incur
their displeasure has just come to light
In the strange case or William n. Will
der Wilder was formerly an army Of
icer and at the time of the recent
teamsters' strike was claim agent for
a Chicago package express company.
He disappeared on July s, was held
captive for three weeks and was then
set at liberty, half-starved and so
dazed that he has not been able to give
a coherent account of his captivity He
was found by a friend wandering aim
lessly about near the Union depot, at
Canal and Adams streets, and was TAX
en- 10 his home at Downers Grove.
Physicians pronounced his physical
and mental condition such that he may
not recover.
Much of the time he raves wildly
and, as though still under torture, begs
for mercy. Marks all over his body
show that he had been bound with
heavy cords.
Wilder is an Englishman who saw
service in the American army in Cuba
and the Philippines and held a COM
mission as a second lieutenant in the
regular army. He is bold, outspoken
fellow of 81, who gloried in his physf-
cal ability to take care of himself and
defied pickets or sluggers to intimidate
him.
Since Saturday night, when Wilder
regained consciousness and was able to
make his way home, he has been under
the care of his wife and DR.. w. A.
Tope He had been convalescing slow
ly, but surely and it was believed that
by the end of this week he would be
improved enough to give more COM
plete and detailed story, which would
result in several arrests, but to-day
he had relapse. He was taken with
hallucinations. which made him violent.
Don't tie my feet" he cried, repeat
edly.
"oh, DON'T Oh, don't stick me! Don t
tickle my feetYs 800
Members of the Royal League and
fellow veterans of the Spanish war who
saw Wilder last before the assault to-
day lent their aid to the detectives to
hunt down the sluggers. The police
have shown a disposition to let the
matter drop and John E. Van Malta,
lawyer and captain in the Second
Illinois Regiment, of which Wilder was
a member is directing the inquiry.
Money and revenge were the objects
of the assault, which took place di-
rectIy In front of the teamsters head
quarters at 274 Madison street When
they had secured all the money he
possessed ($160), the f1ends tortured
their victim. binding him to the floor
and sticking pins into his flesh. When
he regained consciousness he was
bound and gagged and left lying naked
on the floor of the room, which had
been darkened by hanging a blanket
over the only window in it 5's
For two days, at least, he says. he
lay on the floor of this room, bound and
gagged, while three men stood over
him, at intervals making use Of differ
ent forms of torture, including threats
to burn his house and inture his wife.
His wrists and ankles now. bear the
marks of the cords with which he was
tied; his. mouth is cut and torn, from
the gag, and his body is covered with
pin pricks, while marks on his feet
bear out his claim that he was branded
with hot irons.