Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 273, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1916 — STABS FOUR AT . SOLDIERS’ HOME [ARTICLE]

STABS FOUR AT . SOLDIERS’ HOME

Hobart Davis, Crazed By Drink, Slashes Tour at State Soldiers Home at Lafayette.

Crazed by jealousy and his mini driven to a fury by drink, Hobart Davis, 21 years of age, brutally stabbed four persons at the Nurses’ Home £t the Indiana State Soldiers’ Home at Lafayette about 11 o’clock Monday night and was himself shot in the right hip. His viotoms were: Miss Beatrice Compton, seriously wounded; Miss Bertha Bilderbeck, a nurse, stabbed ( n left arm; James J. Bilderbeck, seriously wounded; and James R. Griffin, slightly wounded. • * The trouble grew out of Davis’ jealousy of Miss Compton, who had kept company with Davis for about two months but a few days ago they had a quarrel. On Sunday evening Miss Compton had other company and Davis ordered her friends from the grounds. After his quarrel Davis went to Lafayette and visited several saloons. He became intoxicated and returned to the soldiers home on the last car. Davis went to the room occupied by Miss Compton and she fled down the hall screaming. Mr. Bilderbeck was aroused by Miss Compton’s screams and opened the door. He saw Davis following her with a knife and struggled with him to get it away. Davis wielded the weapon with telling effect and plunged it into Mr. Bilderbeck. Miss Bertha Bilderbeck went to her brother’s assistance and grabbed Davis by the hair. The infuriated man then plunged the knife into her left arm. She and her brother continued the struggle until they were exhausted. __

Miss Compton fled to her room and locked herself in. Davis followed and kicked a panel out "of the door. He then started to slash at her, at the same time telling her he would kill himself. He would first plunge the knife into her and then into himself. In some manner Miss Compton managed to a scape and ran upstairs. Davis followed and finally caught her, slashing and choking her. Three men empolycs of the home finally arrived on the scene after having been informed what was happening. Knowing the assaults that Daj’is had made, the men took no chances and two of them fired simultaneously at Davis. One of the bullets struck him in the right hip and he fell to the floor and he was soon disarmed. Miss Compton’s home is in Brookston, Ind., and had been at the home only a little over two months. Her wounds were attended to and it is is thought she will recover.