Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-12
MAN ARRESTED NOT
RATCHET F|END''
So Believe Police After Hearing in
Room of Sick Woman; Have
No Clues

Propped up in pillows on a couch in
the sitting room of her home, 669
South Front street, this morning, Mrs.
Annie Gutschall identified Joe Caleta,
a South Third street foreigner, as the
man who entered her home late on
Tuesday night and attacked her.
This was the only ceveropment in
the mysterious "hatchet fiend" cases
which have stirred Steelton recently
within the past twenty-four hours.
Caleta was taken into custody yes
terday by Constable Jonn Gibb, after
he had escaped from William M.
Gutschall, husband of the woman who
was assaulted, through the aid of a
menacing crowd of foreigners.
This morning he was taken to the
scene of the attack where Squire
Thomas V. Gardner conducted a pre-
liminary hearing. On account of the
precarious condition of MRS. Gutschall,
who is an invalid, now ser1ously-ill as
result of her nervous shock Tues
day night, the hearing could not be
held in the Squire's office.
After declaring that Caleta was the
man who attacked her, Mrs. Gutschall
described how the foreigner had enter
ed her home during her husbands
absence, and how she escaped his at
tack and rushed to the front porch
where she was found in a swoon by
her husband.
Caleta was represented by Robert
Rosenberg, attorney, who declined to
allow his client to take the witness
stand. After the woman's husband
testified concerning has pursuit of
Caleta, his capture ana subsequent
escape after other foreigners came to
his aid, Squire Gardner held the
foreigner for court. In default of 81,
500 bail he was sent to Jail.
After questioning Caleta, Squire
Gardner is of the opinion that he can
not be connected with any of the half
dozen or more mysterious assaults
upon sleeping women, whicn have stir
red Steelton recently. In answer to a
question from the Squire, however, the
prisoner admitted that he was IN the
West Side Monday night-the evening
Mrs. John Patterson of 401 Francis
street, was attacked with an ak.
Mrs. Patterson, the latest victim of
the "hatchet fiend' is still in the Har-
risburg hospital. Physicians there,
however, now hope for her recovery.
Police Are at Sea
Now that it appears Caleta has no
connection with the mysterious
Steelton police are entirely at sea.
They have no clue upon which to
work.
So shrewd is the "hatchet fiend," it
developed to-day, that he apparently
covers every trace of his going and
coming and takes nothing in his raids
which might result in clue leading
to his capture.
Monday night when the mysterious
criminal attacked Mrs. Patterson and
robbed her house and an adjoining
home, he took nothing but money and
jewelry In selecting the jewelry the
thief carefully avoided those articles
bearing any Identifying marks A
number of plain rings were stolen but
an engraved necklace, of far more
value than all the other loot COM
bined, was left behind.
So alarmed have become the resi-
dents of Steelton ana particularly
those residing near the foreign Sec
tions. where the "hatchet fend" seems
to m AXE his most frequent visits, that
they have appealed to Burgess Fred
Wigfield to ask for State Police to help
apprehend the criminal. At least a
score of appeals. the burgess says,