The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-06-11
Inexpressibly
Sad Tragedy

This entire community was deeply
shocked last Friday evening when
news reached here that C. G. Vando-
yer, the popular and efficient Secre-
tary at State Hospital No. 4, had
been shot in the left leg, below the
knee, by an inmate who had escaped
from that institution. The tragedy
was caused from a shot gun, fired at
close quarters, while Mr.. Vandover
was standing on the porch Of the home
of the escaped patient, talking to the
mother of the patient, in DeSoto.
The wounded man was hurried to
st. Mary's Hospital in st. Louis,
where every effort was made to save
the leg, both bones of which had been
shattered, the foot being almost sew
cred. The great shock also reacted
greatly to the detriment of the wound
ed man, and for time his chances of
recovery seemed slim. DR.. S. P. Van
dover, superintendent of st. Mary's
Hospital, who is cousin of C. G. Van
dover, finally determined that further
efforts to save the foot were useless,
and amputation was made below the
knee about noon Monday, with the pa
tient then in very critical condition.
His host of friends in this community,
and throughout this section of the
State, will be pleased to learn that at
last reports he was in an improved
condition.
The full story of the crime, as The
Times has been able to CLEAN it, is as
follows: Geo. Stoker is an ex-soldier,
and government patient at State
Hospital No. H. The story published
in the metropolitan press was that
Stoker had been gassed n France This
is an error, as he had never been out
Of cantoament. The report of the
government physicians is that he
presents a stigma of degeneration,
and is of low order of development,
probably congenital." He had been in
the hospital for several weeks, and
was considered to be harmless, with
no outstanding ailment. He had
therefore been given the freedom of
the grounds and had worked in the
general dining room.
HU HAD been given permission to 60
20 a UuVing picture show Monday
G hlug, and took that opportunity to
aete his escape. The hospital man
ae neut soon learned that Stoker was
a5 1e home Of his parents in DeSoto,
ata VI. Vandover volunteered to go
lne ing him back. He left in an
aa bile soon after noon Friday,
n ny with Luther Matkin,
ehanrleur, and VIM. Hawkins, farm
kand, On reach,Ag the Stolser home
la NJ ie4. Il, IT ient's mother de.
taineH him for a time at the gate, af-
ter Which Mr.. Vandover entered the
house and saw Stoker sitting on bed.
After that he again stepped out on
the porch and continued to talk to
the patients mother, when suddenly
and without warning the shot was
fred through the doorway, causing
Mr.. Vandover to stumble down the
steps and fall. This was about four
o'clock. Stoker then made his escape
through the rear door, and it was late
evening before he was apprehended in
q nearby pasture. He was returned
to the hospital the same night, and
has since been kept in confinement.
Superintendent Eaton put him through
a severe examination the following
day, to try and discover why he had
thus cruelty and heartlessly shot a
man who had indicated nothing but
friendship for him, and whether or not
his adopted mother Che having been
adopted and brought up by the Stok-
ers) had anything to do with encour-
aging him to do the dastardly deed.
He tried to excuse himself from blame
by assuming deranged state of mind
foreign to him, which DR.. Eaton was
quick to detect. His replies were
somewhat disconnected, and yet they
served to connect Mrs. Stoker with
the crime. But it was only the con-
fession of mental degenerate, which
promises little, at best, even toward
melting out of suitable punishment to
the guilty party, or parties.
If Mr.. Yandover will but be per-
mitted to return to the position he
has SO creditably filed in State Hos
pital No. for the past seven years,
even though without his left foot, his
host of friends will be filed with
heartfelt thankfulness for the return
tO them of this most aycallant I,nt,unr