New Britain herald., 1928-05-15
AVIATOR ATTACKED
 WHILE IN M|D.A|R Rendered Unconscious by Ham. mer Blows From Maniac
 BOTH SERIOUSLY HURT
Plane Crashes on Insane Hospital Grounds in Michigan-Assailan Taken to Asylum Where He Raves All Night

Pontiac, Mich, May l5 CP,-The story of battle 2.00o feet in the air between two fliers, Harry An derson of Roseville. Mich.. pilot. and Clarence Frechett of Detroit, an aerial eXhibitionist, which resulted in the planes crashing and mira culous escape from death by the occupants, was under investigation today.
 Both Hurt
 Both men were found seriously injured, in the plane, which was de- molished in landing on the grounds Of the State Hospital for the Insane here late yesterday.
 Anderson told police he was at tackled by Frechett with a hammer while flying over Pontiac. Losing consciousness after repeated blows, Anderson declared he recovered aft CT the plane had taken a sheer drop of nearly l.S0O feet, in time to right it for a rough landing that averted almost certain death for himself and his alleged assailant.
 Fractured Skull
 Anderson's skull was fractured and he was painfully injured about the face, most of his teeth having been knocked out, supposedly by blows from the hammer. Frechett was less seriously injured but re- quired hospital treatment.
  hospital. Frechett rsved most of the night. From coherent parts of his talk. police said they pieced to- gether the information that the man is stunt flyer" and a parachute who went to an avia- ton school at Roseville q few days ago for instructions.
 Yesterday he engaged Anderson. who operates a small commercial flying concern there, to pilot him to Pontiac. From letters found in Fre- chctt's clothing police declared the purpose of the trip may have been 8. bizarre and preconceived plan of self destruction, the epilogue of which WAS to have been staged over the home town of his sweetheart.
 Death Is Message 2 One of the letters, addressed to g. Miss Georgia Pardee ot Pontiac which was couched in endearments. concluding as follows:
 "Death is my message, sweet heart
 Another addressed to Frechetts said he feared that death 9 approached"
 Anderson told the police the man appeared to be normal when he made arrangements for the flight. When they arrived over Pon- tiac. however. the pilot said the pas senger grabbed hammer and be- gan to belabor him over the head.
 Tried to Grapple
 Tt was awful" Anderson said. The first blow at me barely grazed my head. tried to grapple with him and at the same time keep my from pitching. One of the blows made everything go black. Then I remembered coming to. saw we were hea ding in a nose dive. jerked the controls and tried to right the plane. Just as I was swing ing out of the dive. felt the wheels of the undercarrlage touch the ground for some distance and then the ship went over the nose"
 Nose Dives to Earth
 Attaches at the asylum filled in the narrative. The plane approach ed Pontiac cruising leisurely at an of about 5000 feet they said. Suddenly it began to spiral about. This continued for about they said. then it banked at an angle of about 45 degrees and began dizzy plunge earthward, nose down. When within 200 feet of the ground, according to the wit nesses. the ship righted itself. and after attaining an even keel, made as if to land. When it touched land. however. the underpinning crump- ed. throwing the machine over sev- eral times.
 Found Unconscious
 Anderson was found unconscious, strapped In the pilots seat, badly iazed, still clutched In his hand, he handle of . broken hammer.