Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-07-18
BAD CUTTING AFFRAY
AT THE B. & 0. SHOPS
Erwin Brown Slabs Walter Palmer
In Alteration.
FIGHT FOLLOWED ARGUMENT
Wounded Man Walked to City Hos
pitaf and Had Ugly Cut sewed
up--May Recover.

Up-May Recover.
Considerable excitement was raised
Monday evening shortly after eight
O'Clock by the report OF cutting af-
fray down at the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad shops, in which Walter
Palmer WAS very severely cut In the
abdomen with knife in the hands OF
Erwin Brown as the result of an al
tercation between the two men.
Palmer, who is a bill poster in
town, is the son OF Charles Palmer
and lives with his parents on Avery
street. Brown is young married man
employed on the b. and o. floating
gang and lives at goo Emlalia street
not far from Palmer.
The two men, it seems, met be-
tween the round house and machine
shop where they got into coUso-
yersy as to which one of them had
travelled over the most territory in
the United States. Both men were in
toxicated and the argument waxed
warm. Ugly words were passed and
Brown hit Palmer, but bystander
separated them. Then Brown walked
short distance away and picked up
piece of iron with the evident in
tention of doing up Palmer. Noticing
the act, Palmer walked up to Brown
and said: You throw
down that iron and fight me like a
man." Brown did so and then there
was lively setto Palmer knocked
Brown down and seemed to have the
best Of the fight when Brown suddenly
made lunge at Palmer with pen.
knife, which he had concealed about
his person, and stabbed him in the
abdomen. Brown then hastily left the
scene and crossed the foot bridge over
the Tuscarora creek, going in the
direction of his home.
Although the wound bled profusely
Palmer did not realize that he was
much hurt and walked up town TN.
attended. Going to the mayors Of
fee he swore out a warrant for the
arrest of Brown and then went to the
City hospital for treatment Palmer
was very weak when he got there
from loss Of blood and was suffering a
good deal of pain. -
On examination OF the wound DR..
Oates found that the knife blade had
entered the abdomen just above the
navel and penetrated to the perito-
neum, depth of over an inch, and an
ugly cut three inches long horizon
tally across the abdomen, severing
the right rectus muscle. 1t was stab
and slash with one quick motion OF
the assailant Palmer was in his
shirt sleeves when the fight occurred
and the stab was above the waistband
of his trousers.
After DIR. Oates sewed up the
wound and bandaged it Palmer got in
a cab and was taken home. The
wound, though severe, is not neces-
sarily dangerous unless it should be-
come affected and then Palmer will
have some trouble.
Police After Brown.
When the fight was reported at
police headquarters posse at once
started after Brown. The officers
were Policemen 'Wigginton, Hollis,
and Blake, Constable Wild and Deputy
Sheriffs Wolf and Lemen. The posse
searched around the Brown premises
and certain places that he was known
to frequent, but no trace OF him could
be found. Then they secured the
| Hill back of the b. and o. shops and
out around Green Hill cemetery with
the same result. Then Officers Wild
and Will got III a buggy and drove out
to Flagg's crossing, but came back
eanpty-handed. Brown nad skipped out
and made good his escape or else he
knows good place in town to hide.
1t is hoped, however. that Brown may
soon be apprehended for his murder
GUS attack on Palmer. who, it is said,
though sometimes noisy, is rather an
| inoffensiye man, while the reputation
of his assailant is more of the oppo-
site.