Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1913-11-07
WOMAN IS eADLY BEATEN.
Mrs. John Turner Dangerously Ialur,
ed BY Unknown AssaiIant

"SSEOaety tuIM
ed BY Unknown AssaiIant
Mrs. john Turner, Is years Of 60
was dangerously and probably fatsk
ly injured at the family home Tut
east Of the Charles Lumber ywa
about half past nine O'Clock Mouhav
night. by an unknown assailant, VIA
SO far has not been apprehended.
Mrs. Turner with her young baby
had been to the picture show, com,
ing home shortly after 8 O'Clock
She unlocked the house and goinR
in. placed the baby on the bed aha.
hit lamp. She took off her wa0
and started to hang 1t up IN a clCs.
ct off the bed room, and Just as she
opened the closet door, some -pes0n.
concealed inside sprang out and &
once struck her over the head with
a heavy carpenters hammer, knock
ing her to the floor but not render.
ing her entirely unconscious and n
the struggle which ensued the bruta
continued striking her ON the bead
with the hammer, until there are IN
places where the head Of the hammer
went entirely through the skin and
flesh of the head and there ara
some bad conclusions Of the skull m
that her recovery is very doubtfll
During the struggle about the room
blood from her wounds was scatter
ed all over the room, and the assaiA
ant left the marks of his bloody
fingers in several places IN the room.
Mr.. Turner is proprietor Of a pooh
and billiard hall and did not go homa
until about II O'Clock. When be a.
rived at the place the front door war
unlocked and he heard the baby ery-
ing and going into the bed room dis-
covered the woman and child lying
on the bed covered with blood.
The officers were immediately nutt
fled and a strict search was made Ot
the premises for any clue which IN
the least would tend to throw light
on the subject, but nothing was to
he found with the exception Of tn
hmmer, which had been brought to
tshe place by whoever the ra3t sN'oe
and had been left behind when be
had made his escape. BloodhoundR
were sent for from COncordia, Rrrfy-
ing here shortly before noon the
next day, but On account Of the rain
which had fallen after the Occurrences
they we've unable to pick up ascent.
Mrs. Turner was hurried to the hos
pital where 1t was necessary TO take
sixtyfour stitches in the wounds IN
her head. She has been partially, con
scious a part OF the time since, bs1
not enough so to throw amy iight on
the mystery, as she says. she cou'1
remember nothing after gong b
the closet and being struck the first
time. except a fearful struggle and
later dragging herself onto the bed
to try and quiet the baby which had
been awakened by the struggle and
was crying.
Just what motive there could have
been for the crime Is hard to deter
mine. Certainly it was not robbery,
for not a thing In the house bad
Oeen disturbed. No assault was at
tempted on the woman, and II looks
about as much like the work Of q
mmderous lunatic as anything else.
The Turner family have. only been
residents of the city but a feV
months, coming here from Eh.nw0od.
They are most highly regarded BY
lan who know them, and 1t would
have gone hard with the brute indeed
had he fallen into the hands OF the
crowd that was assisting in the
hunt the next day. The chances are
that 18th century decorum would have
been forgotten, and the culprit have
been the chief figure at a necktie
party.
So far the officers have not found
any clues Of especial benefit, but
they are working hand and expect to
get results shortly. The county com
missioners have offered a reward d
5000.