Imperial Valley press., 1919-05-12
j. 8. CAP TAIN
JOINS HUNT 7
FOR MYSTERY
A SIS A /. An 7 I
Army Officer Is Severely
Beaten When Attacked by
a Stranger on the Calex-
leo Highway.

Practically recovered from his
wounds, Captain G. ". Stevens, a
regular army officer who is we'll
known in Ell Centro through his serv-
ice on the border during the MeXi-
can crisis of 1916, has joined with the
peace officers in the search for the
man who assaulted and severaly
mauled him last Wednesday evening
on a lonesome road near CaleXico.
The identity of the captains assail-
ant Is a mystery, as are most OF the
circumstances surrounding the case.
Tie only fact known are that the at
tack occurred and the officer received
eventeen blows about the head and
bcdy from a bludgeon.
Captain Stevens, who is on fur
Tough from active duty on the coast
and is the guest of Mayor Casey Abb
bott of the border city, was driving
along the road in "hizzoners car III
company with Miss Florence Baskin,
d school teacher, when masked man
jumped from d clump OF brush. The
car was barely moving at The time.
The first intimation the occupants
of the car had of the presence of
danger was hoarse cry 10 stop and
the appearance of begrfmed hand
at the door of the tonneau.
Captain Baskin sprang from the
car for q clinch just as his assail-
ant started to rain blows from
heavy club. Within few seconds
the officer was knocked out, but
moment later returned to the fray.
The battle continued for several min
utes over a hundred-foot stretch Of
the road.
Miss Baskin sprang to the captains
assistance, but was warned away by
the threatening action of the stran-
ger, Three times the captain was
knocked down and it was Miss Bas-
kin's prompt action that undoubted-
ly saved him from severe INJURY.
Throughout the fight the only
words voiced bv the attacker were
the repetition of one profane word,
Frightened by Miss Baskin starting
the car, the stranger fled off into the
brush. According to the AUTOMOBILE
lists, the man had the appearance of
being a Hindu or Mexican, this sup
position being confirmed by the ac-
cent of his speech.
He is described as being tall, dark
completed, and dressed in black with
a black sombrero and bandana hand
kerchief tied about the lower part of
his face. The mask slipped down du-
ring the fight, but in the darkness
the features of the man could not be
ascertaned. Ell was baretooted.
A posse was hastily organized and
the man tracked to spot about 100
yards from the road, where he had
evidently stopped to don ms shoes.
The trail was lost some distance from
that point.
81 have no enemy in the whole Val
ley. far as | know said Captain
Stevens today, in telling the first
story of the assault. "The only eX-
planation | have of the incident is
that the man Rad some fancied grudge
against my host, Mr. Abbott, and, ,
recognizing the car, thought he was
taking out his revenge on the mayor
or he may have been a degenerate
seeking to attack the girl. In any
event | do not think he was a high
wayman, for he made no demand for
money, and had the opportunity TO
rob me when | was down and but
partially conscious, but he failed to
do So"
Although the sensational attack
took place last week, this is the first
account Of it to reach a newspaper.