Evening star., 1923-11-25
SLUGGED WITH PIPE
ON WARDMAN
WOMAN, 55,MAY DIE
Mrs. Anna M. Fiske, 1751
! Columbia Road, Is Found
Unconscious.
HAD JUST LEFT HOTEL
! AFTER VISITING SISTER
One Suspect Seized as Police Spread
Out Dragnet-Handbag
Is Missing.

Is missing.
Mrs. Anna NJ. Fiske. 1751 Columbia
road, was found by three boys in a
semi-conscious condition near a walk
leading to the Wardman Park Hotel
last night, suffering from a blow
evidently delivered by some blunt
instrument. Lying near her body was
an iron pipe wrapped in brown wrap
ping paper, splattered with blood.
She was picked up and rushed TO
Emergency Hospital. where specialists
in surgery were hurried to her bed
side. Her condition is regarded as
critical.
Police Suspect Maniac.
Although she carried beaded
handbag with her when she left her
sisters, Mrs. Elizabeth Northrop's
apartment in Wardman Park Hotel
at 9:30 o'clock and this has disap-
peared. police are reluctant to pro-
ceed on the theory that robbery was
the sole motive of her assailant and
they started to work on the case with
a view to the possibility of an assault
by maniac.
No outcry or sign of a struggle was
heard or seen by anyone police talked
10 at Wardman Park last night. How
she could have been struck down
without attracting attention of nu-
merous passersby at that time of
night is only one of many angles that
are unexplained.
IT was about a quarter to 10 o'clock
that the three boys, Saunders Weston
of 4125 Wisconsin avenue; Charles
Mangan of 1865 Biltnore street. and
Rodney Darnelle of 1859 Upton street,
found her form on the lawn about
twenty-five yards from the intersec-
tion of the private footpath leading to
Wardman Park from Woodley road.
and not far from the home of Harry
Wardman.
Frenchman Is Arrested.
Precinct Detective Carroll Of the
seventh precinct, about twenty minutes
after the discovery of Mrs. Fiske had
arrested Chevreux Fernand, a twenty
two-year- Frenchman, for investi-
CATION in another case. Police de-
clare him to be an enploye of Ward
man Park Hotel. It was not until
later that investigation was centered
upon his action during the period in
which Mrs. Fiske was attacked.
Carroll was sitting in the time
Keepers office at Wardman Park, he
declared, when he saw man answer
ing Fernand's description rush by. He
followed him. but lost him before he
reached Woodley road. For twenty
minutes thereafter he searched the
neighborhood and finally walked into
Fernand on 2sth street.
Carroll said he was impressed by the
mans palpabie nervousness. He had
just reached the substation at Tenley-
town when the report of the attack on
Mrs. Fiske came in. Carroll then rush
ed to Wardman Park Hotel. Later the
fact that the iron pipe could have been
obtained in shop in the hotel as well
as the wrapping paper which incased
it started the police, under the direction
Of Lieut.. Pearson of the 7th precinct,
upon an investigation to determine
whether any pipe or paper tallying with
that found near Mrs. Fiske could have
been taken.
roll in the kitchen of Wardman Park
Hotel and obtained segment of the pa
per on the roll to compare it with that
inclosing the iron pipe. The compar-
json failed to prove anything definite,
detectives said.
Four headquarters detectives and
about dozen police from the seventh
precinct under Lieut.. Pearson were
working on the case throughout the
night.
When Mrs. Fiske first arrived at
Emergency Hospital she attempted
to tell in half-intelligible sentences
the names of her relatives. 1t was
through letter on her person that
her identity was established. and COM
munication then was obtained with
Mrs. Elizabeth Northrop of Wardman
Park Hotel. her sister. Mrs. North
rop hurried to the hospital. She told
detectives there that her mother had
told her Mrs. Fiske left her apart
ment at $50 to go to her home on Co
lumbia road, where she lives with her
daughter and son-in-law, Mr.. and
Mrs D. v. Smythe. The latter is a
department manager at q local de-
partment store.
Seek Missing Bag.
While Inspector Grant and Lieut..
Emerson at the detective bureau
were centering the attention of their
detectives upon obtaining descrip-
tion of the assailant, Lieut.. Pearson,
assisted by Sgt. Burke and Precinct
Detectives Dowd and Carroll of the
seventh precinct were securing the
neighborhood of Wardman Park Hotel
for a sign of themissing beaded bag
which Mrs. Fiske carried with her.
Harry Dougherty, house detective at
Wa.dman Park Hotel, meanwhile
commenced a systematic search for
clues among the personnel Of the ho-
tel. He focused his attention upon
the vicinity Of the kitchen and store
room in the servants quarters at the
hotel in an endeavor to obtain leads
as to the pipe and wrapping paper.
This pipe was about two and a half
feet long and one and half inches
in diameter. The paper was about a
yard square.
While jazz music was enlivening
throngs of merrymakers at a dance
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