The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-12-28
WINE MOCKED HIM
Full of Yuletide Spirit, He
Told Of Robbery.
DIAMOND RING AND $4,000
But New Workers. LandIady Says
When lie Left Home lie Had but
80 Cents and Large Package, I'm
Which She II Certain There Was
No JeUeIry-Other Assets Gone.

New York. Dec Zl.-WeH It ali goes TO
show that wine Is nOcker, that strong
drink is outrageous. and that couple
Of glasses Of beer on an empty stomach
are things to be abstained from, tee
totally, unless you've a very strong
head. Because. II you happen TO be
loaded down with enough ready cash TO
set the knickerbocker Trust Company
going again fun blast. sufficient dia-
monds 70 make "a good-sized safe bulge
IKE a subway express At the rush hours.
aud Christmas package OF extraordi-
nary dimensions. there are safer places
for you than the streets of this wicked
city. As witness the case Of Robert J.
Potter. Of 30 West l21st street.
The spirit OF the merry yuletlde filed
the bosom of Robert j. Potter when he
left his residence some time on Thursday
morning. All the world looked glad TO
Potter.
II will circulate said he, or words 20
that general effect
All Hollow Mockery.
Circulation has various results with va
Ti0us persons. With some IL enshrouds the
world in gloom that deepens as the cir
culatory process progresses In the end
this earth becomes a little better than a
mOrgue-the universe naught bur hollow
mockery. But to others circulation means
Joy in general. and wealth specifically
SO il was with Robert J. Potter. As he
continued TO circulate, liabilities faded
away. In the end the world contained
nothing but assets-negOtabIe assets
and most Of 'em were in the possession
OF Robert J. Potter.
II was a few minutes before II
o'clock on Thursday night that Police
man Michael Sheehan encountered Mr..
Potter at 18th street and Seventh avenue
Mr.. Potter appeared much attached 10
lamp post that did not appreciate his
society. and was frantically endeavoring
10 elude him, but Mr.. Potter was foiling
the reluctant lamp post with one hand
and with the other he was trying TO
staunch a flow Of blood that was pouring
from cut on his face
Policeman Sheehan. being well trained,
engaged Potter in conversation, and
learned that he had been attacked by an
army Of thugs, who had beaten him Sc
verely and then robbed him of $500 in
cash and a many-carated diamond ring,
light-heartedly.
Mr. Potter made light OF his injuries.
II was the loss of his assets that grieved
him. He allowed the lamp post. 10 de-
part uncertainty down the street, and
subsequently relied upon the policeman
for support. AS he told of his loss he
wept Unaffectedly on Sheehan's sympa-
thetic shoulder.
Detectives start Ont.
The policeman called an ambulance
from the Harlem Hospital. and. having
seen Potter on his way to medical relief
made report 70 the West I25th street
police station. IN trice. or at any
rate, in a period OF time not much more
extended than that. the station had in
formed the Harlem detective bureau.
which hustled Detectives Haggerty and
Hughes up 10 the hospital
When the detectives arrived Mr.. Pot
ter was still engaged in having his face
embroidered with catgut When finished.
1t made a pretty pattern. On being in
terviewed. Mr.. Potter again related his
story of having been attacked by thugs.
He was quite sure that he would have
won the battle had not another of these
total strangers struck him somewhat
brusquely with a bagful of paving stones.
Mr.. Potter AT this point informed the
detectives In answer TO their questions
that ne lived at 232 West 12Sth street.
This turned out to be a vacant lot and.
when the detectives returned with this
information. Mr. Potter much regretted
having "un-in-tensh' nally" misled the de-
tectives. He had intended TO say he
lived at % West 12lst street The de-