The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-04-21
DIES FROM INJURIES
Claus Peterson Assaulted and Rob-
bed Near Durfee.

Claus Peterson, aged about forty
five years, died at the Oskaloosa hos
pital about one 70 clock5 Sunday morn.
ing, few hours after being admitted,
the direct result of injuries alleged
to have been received at the hands
Of couple of negroes who held up
Peterson and his companion last Mon
day evening, assaulted them and rob.
bed them. The injured man was
brought to. the hospital Saturday even
ing a few minutes before o'clock,
and was then in dying condition. He
had been unconscious or delerious
since Friday, when the first medical
attention was directed toward his
care. Communication with Oskaloo-
sa authorities resulted in the moving
of the man to the hospital without
delay. ..stt..s. ...ss
The cause of death is somewhat in
doubt. Numerous wounds had been
inflicted upon the head and face. There
we're a number of bad scalp wounds
and the skull seemed to be crushed
or depressed at the corner of the eye
Both eyes were swollen shut and
highly inflamed and blood poisoning
was we'll advanced. Death may have
been due to concussion of the brain
The man had been terribly punished
Peterson and a companion, both
miners, had been working at the
mines at and near Buxton. They hat
lately been engaged at No. Ia mine Of
the Buxton group, and were batch
ing" in an old shack near Durfee
They lived to themselves and it Is
said were quiet, unassuming fellows
who bothered no one and no one both
cred them. They were on the way
home from No ID Monday evening ant
were making short cut by means of
path through field. They were me
in sort of thicket or obsCured place
by a couple of negroes, who stepped
in front of them and asked where
they we're going. Peterson said, 1--WE
are just going home" One of thu
negroes knocked the other Swede t.
the earth with the remark, Not jus
yet, ye amt" Peterson was attacked
at the same time by the other Negro
and is said to have put up a goot
fight until the first negro joined il
the ARRAY and Peterson was knocked
out. The negroes went through" thu
Swedes and took every cent they hal
in cash and other belongings.
Peterson was half-killed and hat
to be carried to the shack, not IA
distant. The affair was not reporte'
to the police. Peterson did not rail-.
from the injuries he had sustained
He was up and around his house, bu
was not right. He did not take hi
clothes off following the assault an
had not been undressed until he wa
taken to the hospital.
Peterson was cared for by hi
"messmatei until the story was run
ored outside and someone told d.
Mcclure that the man was in a Sc
rious condition. The doctor went t
the shack and was surprised. at tn
terrible condition of the injured ma
and reported the case to the count
attorney. This was on Friday aftel
noon, when Peterson had become d.
ferrous. 1t was the first informatio
that had been given to the authorize
of the assault and the robbery. Coul
ty Attorney Patterson took steps in
mediately to apprehend the partie
guilty of the murder, for such it ha
become. Neither of the Swedes kne'
the colored men by whom they wer
assaulted. So far as they were abl
to tell they had never seen them b.
fore and knew nothing about then
; Peterson, it is said, left marks o
! the man who tackled him first ths
may serve for Identification. With S
little information the officers have Ii
tie or nothing upon which to worl
The information being given so Ia
, Oily is an aid toward the escape of tn
guilty parties.