Evening star., 1918-02-07
INSANE MAN Stays /
D. C. NURSE, CUTS 5
Patient at st. Elizabeth Hos.
pital Runs Amuck With Kitch-
~
en- Carving Knives.
-
SUBDUE0 WITH MOP

Running amuck with two large butch.
er knives, Harry Oberle, an insane ps.
tlent at st. Elizabeth's Hospital, early
this morning killed one and injured
five other persons before he was finally
subdued.
Miss May Medley. a nurse, thirty-thres
years old. was killed
The injured are Bert Lanham, q
patient cut in the neck; Philip RAJ
quette, a patient cut on the face;
Robert Craig, colored. a cook. cut on
chin; Clifford Pumphrey, an icemar,
stabbed in forehead. and George FieldaL
a patient. cut behind the ear.
None Of the injured was badly hurt :,
Patient Since 1915.
oberle. who is thirty-two Year, old
has been a patient at the hospital sinos
February. 1915. He was a deserter from
the United States Army. it was stated
at the institution. For several months
he has been working about the kitchen
In one Of the buildings Of the Richard
son group. located on the east side OF
Nichols avenue, across the roadway
from the main buildings of the instttu.
tion. He had never shown the least
signs OF being dangerous, it was stated,
having always been quiet and inoffen.
sive.
About 6:45 o'clock this morning
Gladys Sellner, who is employed in the
kitchen. where oberle was also allowed
to work, obtained two knives from q
locker, where they are kept under lock
room at the time. He picked up one Of
the knives.
Miss Sellner told one of the hospital
until she asked Oberle for the knife to
cut bread. In playful manner Oberle
pointed the knife toward her. Miss
Sellner demonstrated with the patient
knife. She became alarmed at his 40.
tions. 81
Obtains Second Knife.
Wheeling suddenly. Oberle ran down
the room. having picked up a similar
knife. He first met a patient who had
just entered the room. and made o
lunge at him with one Of the knives.
Robert Craig, the cook, was next met,
and the man cut him on the chin.
Running down two flights of stairs.
part of the building. There he en-.
countered Lanham and Raquette, pa.
tients. whom he slashed with the
knives. He threw himself through .
transom of a doorway and gained ac.
cess to the yard. Running across the
yard. the insane man entered the tunnel
leading from the buildings on the east
side of Nichols avenue to the main
grounds. He ran through this tunnel
Entering the main grounds, Miss
Medley. who was just going or duty
and was on her way to report at the
the first person oberle met. She had
just passed the administration building
when the man ran up beside her and
stabbed her in the left side OF the neck.
of the building. and a little distance
farther attempted to get upon the seat
of an ice wagon OF Clifford Pumphrey,
Tried to Stop Patient.
Pumphrey attempted to keep oberis
from getting on the wagon and was
stabbed in the chin. Oberle then start.
ed toward the main entrance of thu
grounds. P. K. Pumphrey. a supervisor.
and Robert Fields. a patient. were
standing in his way. however. Oberio
made an attempt to get at the men.
Fields had a mop in his hands and
struck the patient with it. Pumphrey
him from the rear. overpower-
ing him. Fields was cut behind the ear
during this fight. Oberle was taken to
a confinement room and detained.
The killing of Miss Medley was wit.
messed by F. c. Withard. a sailor, de-
tailed at the institution, and several
patients. DR.. NJ. Sheetz. physician az
the institution. went to the aid of Miss
Medley. but she died a few minutsS
later.
After oberle became quiet he said he
was in the kitchen and had picked up
one of the knives to cut some bread
He said another patient, whom he does
not know. but can identify. struck him
on the hand and that he struck at the
man. He then told a story of persons
him. and said he remembered
having cut several persons.
Detectives Patrick O'Brien and Charles
Mullen made an investigation of the
crime and summoned witnesses to at.
tend an inquest to be held by Coroner
hewitt at the District morgue late thi0
afternoon.
Miss Medley had been a nurse at the
hospital for six years. Oberle has Nd
relatives in this country, II was stated
ais parents being natives Of Au1tSn11MS
Ia rna1ded at 1919 9Th afPaat n0nrfhynnGk. =