Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-01
ACCUSED BY INJURED MAN
Says Men Who Welded Knife Wore
Military Uniforms.
COMPLAINT FILED
War Department Notified Mont
gomery County Will Insist on
Trying Assailants.
Special From a stan Correspondent.


GAITHERSBURG, Md. July l.
While States Attorney Bowie Waters
and Magistrate James Garrett have
taken the sworn statement of Henry
Bernard Stewart, colored. victim of the
atrocious assault which occurred on the
Goshen road last Sunday night, and
are making every effort to bring about
the arrest OF the perpetrators of it..
it is not the belief of every resident
of this section that two Of Uncle Sans
soldiers are the guilty persons. Stew
art still insists that two soldiers. who
were on horseback. alighted on the
road and assaulted him without speak
ing a word and without any provoca-
tion.
What motive would strangers have
had for committing SO revolving a
crime?" several of the residents asked
a Star reporter. Perhaps" they added,
Stewart is mistaken about soldiers hav-
ing attacked him.
Engineer Battalion in Camp.
If the crime. was committed by soldiers
it is more than probable that they were
members of the 1st Battalion. Engineer
Corps, U. s. A, from the Washington bar
racks, two companies of engineers hav-
Ing been encamped Saturday and Sunday
on the farm Of Robert Kanode on the
Big Seneca branch. near Middlebrook.
Capt. Curtis w. Otwell was in command
of the detachment. while Lieut. Charles
l.. Hall attended to what business II
was necessary to transact here.
Accompanying Companies A and d OF
the Engineer corps was a pack train.
drawn by thirty-nine horses and forty
l~@
portable searchlight with them. They
passed through here Saturday and went
as far as the Big Seneca, camping about
three miles from here until Monday
They will not pass through
here on their return trip. Word was
place of encampment. yesterday that
the captain in charge of the detach-
ment reported that none of his men
was away from camp Sunday night
after 6 O'Clock. but residents of the
town say they saw soldiers afoot here
Sunday night.
The wounded man, who is twenty-three
years old and unmarried, Is employed an
the dairy farm of Mack Walker. only a
short distance from here, being about
one mile from the station. Stewart denied
to a Star reporter yesterday that he
had been drinking Sunday or that he
detected liquor on the breaths of the
two men who assaulted him. The men.
he declared. were dressed in the uni
form of Uncle Sans soldier. The colored
man was on his way from the house of
relatives and friends not far from town,
about $50 o'clock.
Not Found Till Midnight.
Stewart was near a big oak tree on the
Goshen road, not more than 100 yards
from the home Of Morton Stewart, his
married brother, when. he was attacked.
and, although he screamed at the top or
his voice. when he regained conscious
ness. his cries were not heard by his
brothers family or other residents OF
the colored settlement, and it was nearly
midnight when he was found and taken
to the home of his brother.
II was alone" said Stewart. THE
night was dark, but 1 could see the two
men approaching on horseback. When
they got near the big oak tree at the
entrance to the farm Of Thomas Gloyd
they stopped and dismounted. fastening
their horses to the fence. l saw them,
but did not have the slightest thought
that they were going to annoy me. They
crossed the road and stood as if they
were looking into the woods, saying not
a word to me or doing any talking.
Presently" he continued, "one grabbed
me in front and the other grabbed me-
from behind. When l realized they were
about to assault me l struck at one OF
them with my fist and we tussled for
short while. Then l tried to kick the
other man, but the one who held me
around the waist and had my arms PIN
ioned threw me to the ground. One of
them put his handkerchief over my
mouth. and that was the last knew until
1 was found and taken to my brothers
house"
Mrs. Taylor, wife of the Rev. c. G.
Taylor, pastor Of Emory Grove Methodist
Church. was taken Ill late Sunday night
and Vernon Holland, colored, one of the
members of the church. was sent here to
summon a physician to attend her. and
it was Holland who found the wounded
man lying on the road. Stewart had re-
gained consciousness at that time and
was shouting Justify for assistance.
In a Frightful Condition.
Holland was riding a horse. He dis
and made an investigation. Srik-
ing a match he made light enough to see
a pool of blood. in the road. and the
ground showed evidences that a desper-
more of a struggle than Stewart had de-
scribed. Stewart was In SO frightful q
condition from the severe knife wound
that had been inflicted that he was un-
able to arise, not even with the assist
auCe OF f1OfiduO
Leaving the wounded man on the side
of the road beneath the big oak tree,
Holland hurried to the Office Of DIR. Carl
ton Etchison, stopping at the house of
Morton Stewart long enough to tell TIE
brother of the condition and whereabouts
of the victim of the unidentified assail-
ants. DIR. EtchisOn responded without de-
Law and superintended the moving of the
wounded man to the house of his brother,
the house nearest the scene of the as
sault. The performance of a delicate
operation was necessary, the colored
mans assailants having filled the wound
with dirt.
Because Of the serious condition Of the
wounded man some of his friends sug-
gested that he be taken to a hospital in
but Stewart preferred to re-
main among his friends Yesterday Dr.
Etchison called DR.. Thomas Joghson of
the City Hospital, Frederick, Md, in con-
sultation. The two physicians redressed
the wound. and today the patient is rest
ing comfortably.
Statement Under Oath.
States Attorney Waters. who saw
Stewart Wednesday. visited him again
Yesterday afternoon. Magistrate Garrett
him to the house and hea rd
his statement of the affair under oath.
His statement was reduced to writing,
the name of the officer in command Of