The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-28
MAN IS VICTIM Of
COWARDLY ATTACK
Charles H. Rance Is Struck
Down From Behind and
Stabbed.
INJURIES ARE SERIOUS
BAYS HE DON'T KNOW ASsAIL-
ANT-POLICE SUSPICIOUS.

MurderouSly assaulted from behind and
left for dead at the stable door, with the
blood pouring from a deep stab wound in
the left side of the throat Charles H.
Rance, formerly a bartender at Hogle
Bros. saloon, was discovered by William
Marion and Mrs. W. NJ. Risley, a sister
Of Rance, in the rear of the Risley resi-
dence, 729 East Fourth South street, at
about $40 o'clock yesterday morning.
Rance was unconscious when found from
the effects of blow delivered with some
blunt instrument at the back of the head,
and a continuous hemorrhage from the
right ear indicated a fracture at the base
of the skull. The knife wound had evil
IDENTIFY been inflicted after Rance had
been struck down from behind.
DR.. w. s. Ellerbeck attended the in
jured man, and the sheriff's office was
at once notified of the attempted murder.
Or. ElerbeckS examination disclosed
that Rance had received a blow behind
the right ear, which had probably result
ed in a fracture of the skull at the base
of the brain. This blow was probably in
flicted with a heavy club, the length of
the confusion extending to the right jaw
bone, several teeth having been knocked
out and a hemOrrhage of the brain re-
sulting. When Rance was first discov-
cred by Marion and Mrs. Risley he was
lying in a crumpled heap directly behind
horse he had harnessed before the
breakfast hour. This led to the suppO-
sition that Rance had been kicked, but
the nature of the wounds proved this TO
be improbable.
Rance was unconscious for an hour, and
with returning consciousness was unable
to throw any light on the identity of his
mysterious assailant He said he had
stepped to the door OF the harness room
to secure the bride. when something
struck him from behind and everything
became a blank. He said he saw no one
and that the person who assaulted him
had probably been concealed behind the
corner of a shed or in the stable. He
had fallen face downward and was in
that position when found, his scream hav-
ing aroused Marion and Mrs. Risley, who
were seated at the breakfast table.
Saw No One.
Mrs. Risley stated that they saw no one
when they came into the yard. Foot
prints in the soft mud behind a shed to
the right Of the stable led away from the
scene of the attempted murder. These
footprints were made by a man wearing
about a No. Z shoe, and led directly to
fence at the rear of the yard. This fence
separates the Risley yard from another
yard that opens on Third South street
My brother had left the house only a
moment before I heard his scream" said
Mrs. Risley. Il ran into the yard and
saw him lying by the stable. / called to
Mr.. Marion, who was in the kitchen, and
together we went to the bOuy and saw the
blood gushing from the wound in the
throat. There was no weapon of any kind
near the body, and although we searched
everywhere about the premises, we could
not find a club or knife that might have
been used"
Assistant County Attorney Aaron Ny
Crs visited the Risley home yesterday aft
eTnOon and gave il as his opinion that
Rance had been kicked by the horse. DR..
Ellerbeck said that a horses hOOfs could
not have inflicted the wounds. He said
the wound in the left side of the throat |
had narrowly missed the arteries and was
clean cut, as though a knife had been
thrust into the throat Immediately under
the chin. The wound was only about two
inches in length and extended into the
throat for a depth of three inches. The
blow upon the side of the head showed
no marks of a horses hOOf and might I
have been made with a slungshOt or |
sandbag. The physician stated that the |
cut in the throat had undoubtedly been |
made by a knife and could not have been |
made by the caulk on a horses shoe.
Was Struck Down.
'T have no enemies that I know Of" |
said Rance to a reporter Of The Herald |
Republican yesterday afternoon. 81 was /
not kicked by the horse and had not gone |
behind the horse when I was struck 1 /
was not Immediately opposite the door |
Of the stable, but was thrown in thatspO /
sition by the blow. I did not see anyone |
when I stepped from the bride room, and /
believe someone was standing behind /
the door of the stable or at the corner Of |
the she'd
Rance has been driving Saratoga chip |
wagon for w NJ. Risley since last We'd /
nesday, Mr.. Risley being confined to the /
house with Illness. Marion, the man who /
was first to reach the body, works at the /
Risley. residence manufacturing Saratoga /
chips.
The police and sherifFs office do not /
credit RANGES story. It is believed by /
them that he saw the person vino struck /
MIN. Rance has been involved in serious /
trouble within the past three months, |
having been arrested twice and FORGETTING /
a 500 bond furnished by W. NJ. Risley on /
July u last He has a divorced wife and |
three children living in this city, and |
he was arrested July on a charge OF /
the peace. It was alleged that |
he had created a disturbance and had |
threatened to kill his wife. He was re-
leased on the wifes plea for mercy, and |
was rearrested on a complaint filed by /
A. H Niece who alleged that Rance had |
attempted TO shoot him.
The hearing in the latter case was set
for July y and Rance forfeited his bond
Of 800 A bench warrant was issued, but
Rance did not again appear in court. His
wife secured a divorce about one month
ago.