Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-30
FORMER ATLANT|AN
WINS OUT IN DUEL
WITH KEEN RAZORS
DR., John MCEIroy and Ralph
Burkhart Wage\ Twenty
Minute Affair in New
York Hotel

NEW YORK, Nov. Platter a des-
perate battle with a razor, lasting
twenty minutes over an affront said
to have been directed at a nurse, two
men are under arrest today charged
with felonious assault.
One of the men, Ralph Burkhardt
is in a serious condition in st. Vim
cents hospital. He has a deep stab
wound in the neck and may die.
Detectives are Investigating the
story of the fight which occurred
last night in room 651 of the Hotel
Albert, AZ East Eleventh street,
which has been occupied for three
months by DR.. John McElroy. of At
lanta, Ga, now on the staff Of the
Post Graduate hospital.
DIR. McElroy was released under
$4,000 bond.
The stories told by the two men
conflict on several points. The tele-
phone operator at the hotel, Miss
Mary Hannigan, discovered that there
was fight in progress upon receipt
of a signal from the telephone in
lOO1ll uOl' NhoIh IiIE9 q SOhICSIIOH w III
the room, Miss Hannigan listened on
the wire but no voice sounded.
After waiting a few minutes the
operator went in on the wire again
and then heard sounds of a desperate
struggle. Voices of two men were
shrieking and their yells were broken
occasionally by the crash ing of furni-
ture and glass. Summoning the man.
ager, E. D. Fowler, Miss Hannigan
informed him that she heard two
men threatening to kill each other.
The manager hurried to the room,
accompanied by two negro bell boys
and DR.. Thum, the house physician.
Upon entering. the room Manager
Fowler. according to his story to the
police, found Dr.. McElroy bleeding
from wounds and with his clothing
covered with blood standing in the
center Of the room. SPRAYED on the
bed was Burkhardt, who was bleed
ing freely from a deep cut in his
neck.
Admits Cutting
Mr. Fowler said he asked: Did
you do this. doctor?"
I'm here to tell the world / did, "
he quotes the physician as answer
ing. Il would have shot him if l
had had a gun; it was his life or
mine"
The story attributed to DR.. McEl-
using the telephone when his room
door opened and Burkhardt entered.
The physician denied, the police say.
ever seeing Burkhardt before, but
said that the. apartment house, super
intendent announced that he would
get'' the doctor. The police say that
DIR. McElroy charged Burkhardt drew
the razor, the physician struck him
and then the fight started.
Burkhardt's serious condition has
prevented him from saying very
much about the struggle, but his
story told to the police at the hos
pital disagrees with Dr.. McElroy's
explanation of the fight. The in
jured man told the police he went to
see the doctor because the latter had
twice insulted a girl friend of his. a
trained nurse. Warning the physl-
clan to let the girl alone, Burkhardt
says DR.. McElroy took the razor and
attacked him. DR.. McElroy. who is
member of a prominent Georgia
family, told the police he served with
the British army at the start OF the
war, enlisting in the Gordon High
landers. When this country entered
the war he was transferred to the
American army and rose from a lieu
tenant to a major.