New-York tribune., 1911-12-24
TELEPHONE GIRL
ATTACKED AND BEATEN
CraWIS on Hands and Knees to
Staten Island Drug Store
After Assault.
ROBBERY, CORONER THEORY
Had Received Pay Envelope at
Noon and Taken 1t Home, SO
That Assailant's Efforts
Were in Vain.

Spurred on by the angry threats or
hundreds of citizens who joined with
them in the search for the criminal. the
Staten Island police were still working
at O. late hour this morning 10 get n
tackled Anna Kelar, a telephone opera
tor. on the Richmond Turnpike. within
two hundred yards of her home about
o'clock last night and beat her into
unconscioUsness
Miss Kellar was on her way home last
evening from the West New Brighton
exchange and had arrived at Richmond
avenue and Hatfield Place when a short.
thick-set man. wearing "A cap, walked
up behind her and struck her on the
head with a heavy instrument. The girl
pitched off the sidewalk into the gutter,
where she lay unconscious for several
minutes.
When she had sufficiently recovered
her senses Miss Kelar began to drag
herself on her hands and knees toward
the lights of drug store down the street
Cropping with her hands and working
herself along foot by foot the girl
crawled until she was opposite the phar-
macy and managed - get across the
sidewalk to the doorway before she
tainted away. There she was found and
carried inside the store. Word was sent
to the police. and an ambulance was in
stantly sent down from the Smith In
frmary. at New Brighton. and the girl
was rushed there at top speed.
AS soon as she reached the hospital
Miss Kellar was put on an operating
table. II was found she had a compound
fracture Of The skull, so serious that the
surgeons at once gave up any hope for
her recovery. \ Jagged cash in her scalp
marked the place where her assailant
had struck her The skull was not pene-
trated. but the fearful force with which
the assailant's weapon had landed
crushed the bones and crowded them
down upon the brain
The meagre description Of the criminal
which was given to the police was OBJ
tained by Coroner Jackson. who rode to
the hospital in the ambulance and talked
with the suffering girl during the few
brief minutes of the ride when she was
conscious.
She told the Coroner that just before
she was struck down she glanced behind
her and saw a short man. dressed in
dark clothes and wearing a cloth cap,
about to jump at her At the moment
when she turned her head away she felt
a crushing blow on. the head and rcmem-
bered nothing more.
Miss Kellar has been employed in the
West New Brighton exchange for sew
eral years She received her Christmas
pay envelope at noon and took it home
at that time. The Coroner thinks that
the thug who attacked her knew who she
was and struck her down with the in
tention of robbing her.
Miss Kellar lived at No. 325 Grant
street, with her mother and brother. As
soon as the news Of her assault became
known In the neighborhood last night
hundreds Of citizens armed themselves
with weapons and started out in pursuit
Of the man. Up to midnight last night
the police were watching all the ferries
and every point from which the criminal
could escape from the island.
The crime was committed only half a
mile from the Port Richmond ferry.
The police worked on one theory, that
the man might have escaped and was
trying to hide in Jersey. The police of
every part of Manhattan and Jersey are
on the lookout for him.