The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-03-15
HEAD CRUSHED
| BY ROBBER
Burlington Hotel Night Fireman
Found in His Bed With Head
Most Rrutslly
Beaten.
IN A SERIOUS CONDITION.
Charles Baldwin Assaulted While
Asleep With Heavy Iron
Soft and Robbed of
Money.
I IN A SERIOUS CONDITIONS

Charles Baldwin, night fireman at
the Hotel Delano in Burlington, receiv-
ed what may prove to be fatal injur-
les from the hands of an unknown as
tsailant some time yesterday Robbery,
lit is believed. furnished the motive
for the atroeious attack. which is eN-
tremely likely to result in Baldwin's
death. The injured man is now at the
Burlington hospital.
Baldwin was found unconscious on
a cot in the basement of the hotel at
$50 O'Clock in the afternoon by 9th
er employees of the hotel. On a small
stand at the side of the cot was
heavy iron bolt ten inches long. At
one end We're two nuts. and these
We're incrusted with blood This was
the weapon used by the would-be muir
derer in striking the sleeping fireman.
Baldwin has fourteen separate and
distinct wounds on his head and face.
some OF these being very serious. He
also has two bad Commissions on his
chest and shoulder. On the left of the
skull, at about the center, an exten.
sive fracture was found There is {,
deep cut over the right ear and anoth
er over the left eye.
The man is suffering from concus'
sion OF the brain as result of the
terrific blows rained down upon him
by the frenzied assailant
DR.. Fl. A. Lepziger, who conducted
I the examination of the wounded man,
stated at ten O'Clock last night that
Baldwin's condition was critical.
The man was placed on the operating
table and forty stitches were taken in
his wounds 1t was thought best not to
attempt to do anything with the frae
| tured skull last night. DR.. Leipziger
stated twelve hours might decide
/ Baldwin's fate
4 The police were at once notified of
the crime and Chief Hiltz undertook
| the Investigation in person. A search
of the pockets of Baldwin's clothing
showed they had been stripped of any
valuables they may have contained
Manager Conner, of the hotel said
! that the fireman was in the habit Of
carrying considerable money about
with him sometimes as much as 500
Not cent was found in Baldwins
clothing. Chief iIiltz believes that rob.
berry formed the incentive for the
crime.
The man had been employed at the
i Delano through the winter, working
as fireman in the boiler room at
might. 1t was his custom 10 sleep the
entire day in little room in an out
of-theway corner OF the basement.
There is a cot in this room, but the
apartment has no door, 1t is lonely
corner and there is little occasion for
any of the employees other than Bald
win to visit the corner
Yesterday morning the fireman
went to sleep as usual and he was
mot seen during the day Nothing out
of the way was noticed about the
basement. and no sound of combat.
At $50 O'Clock the fireman is expect
ed to go on duty for the night When
Baldwin did not report, ore of the
employees went to call him. He
thought the man was asleep, but up
on closer examination of the recum-
bent form discovered that Baldwin
was fearfully wounded, his face being
covered with clotted blood.
Maager Conner was called to the
basement in hurry, and telephoned
4 for the police as soon as he saw Bald.
wins condition. After rapid exami-
nation of the mans pockets which
showed they We're empty. Baldwin
was placed in an ambulance and tax
en- TO Burlington hospital
All of the employees of the hotel
were questioned, but were unable to
throw any light upon the shocking
crime. 1t is evident that some person
familiar with the surroundings and
Baldwin's habits is responsible fol-
the brutal attack which may result in
the fireman's death. The police arr
working on this theory, and develop