The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-04-07
Eerchant Protects Girl From Attack, Then is Made Victim of Murder oI1s Assault Under Cover of Darkness-Lies Unat tended on Doorstep.
twain Arrested Late at Night Deny Knowledge of Attack Rushed to Lock up While Frenzied Towns folk Threaten Them With Violence.
Especial to The Farmer.)

Newtown, April Hundreds of frenzied villagers of Sandy Hook attempted to wrest two. prisoners from Sheriff A. B. Blakeman and several con- stables last night after Ezra J.. Hall, a plumber. had been mur-H derously assaulted with an. iron bar and knocked nsensible on the doorstep of his shop
 Only the speed of the officers in rushing the prisoners to the town lookup and boiling the doors on them prevented what might have led to a 1ynching when the angered crowd surg ed about them c1amoring for 8 chance to get at the men.
 John Thome and George Ball. finger, both of New York, were arrested after Hall had been found lying unconscious They narrowly escaped with their lives
 The theory of the assault upon Hall ae generally accepted throughout Newtown is that Hall was the victim Of revenge. inspired because he had pr0tecfed a Newtown girl from at-s life Gf NeMtown- Soon after o'clock last night he closed his shop and was asazf<1e it when he was struck on the head with a heavy iron bar He fell unconscious to the ground. not Knowing who had hit him, because Hhe exterior of the store vas in darkness Half an hour later he recovered consciousness and nlan- aged to stagEer to the store of Cor betf & Grove, and there he again fell uncpnAczous Mr. Grove gave first aid end then teIephoned to Drs. ". Kfernan and w Clement Ken- nedy Dr. Kiernan rushed HaltSi to the Bridgeport hospital in an au- fonobile.
 At the hospital today it was said aaaat Halls jaw is broken and he is sunsrdnG from many Iacerations on his head His condition is favora- ble. however.
 been noised around Newtown, Sherin Baakeman and his constables were summoned and they commenced a search for the assailants of the fIuznbers Acting on the substance of a story that is well known in New town, they ixnm ediate1y got on the trail of Thome and Ballinger, who are employed at Mile Hf1I. by Joseph F. Webber a New York business man. Within two hours these men were arrested They were found in bed. Both denied having been in the viI- 1age that night, but on examination they admitted having lied. They d e. nied any Knowledge of the crime. however.
 While the prisoners were being talk en to the Jail. the populace of San- dy Hook, which is well acquainted with the theory of the assault, gath cred and menaced the prisoners clam bring for a chance to get at them The policemen rushed them to the 5aI and bo1ted the doors so that the people could not harm them.
 ThoIne< and Ballfnger will be heard before Justice of the Peace J. H. Mo- Carthy at 6 o'clock this evening They will be charged with assault.
 According to the general talk in EewSoWn, Hall once protected a young woman of this town from the two men and they have planned revenge. The popularity of Ha1i, his age, 50 years old, and the fact that he has been1 an eetimable business man here for 25 years combined with the al- Ieged motive, have worked the peo- pie here into a state of anger al hl1e I1risoners and but for the ac- Hos of the officer it is probable that They would Suffered at the hands ef 1.-the Sandy Hook residents.