Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-22

he met another patient. Elizabeth E. Rob
ertson. and aimed vicious blow at her.
following it with another. The woman
received bad cut on the head and one
of her arms was broken. She fell to the
walk
Lightfoot, believing she was dead. pro-
ceeded on a trot toward the southeast
corner of the asylum grounds.
Lightfoot Is Pursued.
By this time some patients only slightly
demented and others regarded as nearly
cured. who were on the grounds taking
their morning exercise. Joined in the pur-
suit of Lightfoot Several attendants and
physicians Joined the chase.
Before Lightfoot reached the wall the
patients began stoning him and calling
upon him to halt. The maniac was
struck several heavy blows on the head
and body with heavy cobblestones.
After each blow he merely shook him
self like duck shaking water from its
back and continued toward the wall
Being atheletic man, he got over the
wall easily and quickly disappeared in the
thicket and heavy woods near the banks
of the Potomac.
Clement F. Wood. patient. ran out OF
the upper gate of the asylum grounds
and notified residents of the country
within a radius of about three miles that
a madman and murderer armed with
crowbar had escaped from the asylum,
and advised them to be on the lookout.
A telephone message had in the mean
time been sent to Lieut. Anderson, COM
manding the AnacoStia police precinct.
He hurried to the scene of the tragedy
with all available men.
Before leaving he notified police head
quarters. Capt. Peck and Detective
Charles A Evans hurried to the institu-
ton. Lieut.. Anderson and Capt Mathews
joined in the pursuit of the maniac.
DR.. Fitch of the institution. ten police
men from the Anacostia precinct and
three bicycle policemen were in the chase.
Pursuit of Lightfoot.
After leaving the hospital grounds
Lightfoot took a southeasterly course
through the woods skirting the Giesboro
road. and, continuing in that direction,
reached the Potomac river Following
the river bank for several miles, he
then struck off across the country in an
easterly direction and again ran through
the woods skirting the Giesboro road
He passed to the east of the Giesboro
steel works and crossed a number OF
truck farms before he finally got near
Shepherds landing. He started down
small road leading to the landing. which
is located almost directly across from the
northern part of Alexandria.
Continuing along the path a short dis
tance. he found he could not go very far
in that direction. and retraced his steps.
BY this time a posse of from fifteen TO
twenty men and boys were at his heels.
The maniac ran across several truck
farms of the Home for the Aged and In
firm at Blue Plains and thence through a
small clump of woods, in which number
of inmates of the ColOred Industrial
School for Boys were employed chopping
wood. He managed to get by the boys
and then ran within short distance or
the main buildings Of the home.
Then a number of employees and DR.. l.
G. Kirby of that place took up the
chase. A telephone message from Con-
gress Heights had informed them the
man was going in that direction.
About the same time he was seen by
Dr. Kirby, Supt. George w. Cook and
number of TRUSTEES OF the Industrial Home
School. situated a short distance away,
who were working on road near the
place. They saw the man run through
tho woods and at once started after him
in response to a call from DR.. Kirby.
Continuing across the fields, Light