Omaha daily bee., 1922-03-20
Man Blind
After Blow
by Bandits
Truck Driver Tied Hand and
Foot After Being Knocked
Unconscious by Auto
mobile Robbers.
Aged Woman Helps Him

Vance Wilson, 1901 Emmett street,
may suffer permanent blindness as 4
result OF being struck in the back OF
the head by highwaymen, according
10 DR.. Lyman Cook. who attended
him. He was robbed OF 500.
Wilson, drenehed 10 the skin, was
found bound hand and loot in the
hack OF his truck in the rear OF the
Roland apartments, Eighteenth ani
Yates streets. by Mrs. Nellie Austin,
an aged woman, who resides III
apartment q OF the Roland.
Mrs. Austin was with her daugh.
ter. Mrs. Carl Sinclair, when she
heard moans from the direction OF
the alley in the rear. below her
apartment.
"Come here and help me. | have
been robbed" the voice cried out in
the darkness.
Mrs. Austin opened her window
and peered into the darkness.
Where are you?" she yelled down
10 the moaning man.
"Down here in the truck" was the
reply. II am tied hand and foot"
Woman Cuts Ropes.
Mrs. Austin grabbed large
butcher knife and ran down the rear
steps through the darkness and the
rain to the truck. She climbed the
body of the truck and cut the ropes
that bound Wilson.
Meanwhile persons in the apart
ment next to Mrs. Austin's called
police and told them that man had
been robbed. According to II. c.
Sheridan, apartment 8, the police
were called three times and then he
called Chief OF Detectives Van Deu.
sen at his home.
Van Deusen called Police Captain
Russell and told him OF the COM
plant. Police Surgeon Kinoun and
two officers were sent to investigate.
Several men stuck their heads out
Of windows when ! yelled for help,
but none OF them had the nerve to
come down and cut me loose except
Mrs. Austin" said Wilson. "She
showed plenty OF nerve.
Unconscious for Long Time.
81 must have been unconscious in
the truck for more than an hour. |
delivered a suit of clothes for the
Lathrop Cleaners to the apartment OF
Frank RuNton. in the Roland apart
ments. when l saw large touring
car drive. up behind my truck. |
went out to my truck and asked the
driver of the car if he wanted me to
move to one side with my truck.
"The driver answered that he did
and | got in my truck and had driven
about Is feet when I got blow on
the head. That's all ] knew until
I became conscious and found my
self bound hand aud foot My hands
had been pulled behind me and tied
to my legs. l could not move. The
rain poured down on me and I
yelled for help"
Found No Bruises.
Police Surgeon Kinyoun, in his
report to police, said he could find
no bruises about the body or head of
the bandits victim. DR.. Cook,
physician and surgeon for the Swift
Packing company, who attended Will
son, told newspapermen that Wilson
was struck on the head and wrenched
his back severely when he was
thrown into the rear of the truck.
"He may have concussion of the
BRAIN" said DR.. Cook. HE is SUI
iering from temporary blindness with
a possibility of it resulting in perma-
nent blindness.
Wilson, when interviewed at his
home. said that he could not see and
complained of severe headaches.
"The calls which came into the
police station said that the trouble
was at Eighteenth and Grace streets
said Capt. Russell. Each time the
men went out there they reported
back that they could find nothing
wrong"
Wilson was beaten severely about
the lead two months ago at. Six
teenth and Binney streets by two
holdup men who obtained 81 IRON
him. His wife said last night she
fears someone is deliberately trying
~ ;,,,,,ra or Lii him