Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1905 — An Outrageous Attack. [ARTICLE]

An Outrageous Attack.

Prof. Sanders Knocked Down By An Unknown Party. f About ten o’elook Friday night, Prof. W. H. Sanders, for many years the Bb'e superintendent of the Rensselaer schools, was the victim of an unprovked attack by some person whose identity and purpose were unknown. The professor was on his wav home from attending the school oonoert at the M. E. churoh given for the sohool piano fund. He had officiated as door keeper, and taken in the entrance money at the concert, and was among the very last to leave the ohnrch, so that as he walked towards his home at the south eud of Onllen street, he wes alone, and very few persons were on the street. Just after orossing Harrison street and while direotly opposite

the residence part of the county jail, he was met by a man whom he believes mast have been waiting behind one of the cottonwood or maple trees, in front of the former Ellis Walton property, and without warning, was etruok aoross the face by some weapon, which was thought at first, to have been a sand-bag. The blow extended diagonally from the forehead, across the ncse and to the ohin. As he reoeived the blow Mr, Sanders gave a loud outory, and fell to the ground. He wbs a good deal dazed by the blow and unconscious for a short time, but before he beoame so, he heard his assailant running away, and knows tbathe ran east on Harrison street, in the direction of the Democratic Sentinel offioe. Sheriff O’Conner was undres3. ing for bad when he heard the outory, and being in poor health, himself, he did not go out, but proceeded to oall his son, John. Before any of them oould get dressed to go out Mr. Sanders himself appeared at the door, and asked for help. From the time his call was heard until he appeared at the door must have been

from five to seven minutes, so that he must have been unconscious or greatly dazed for some minutes. He was assisted to bis home by Offioer Vick and proved to be not seriously hurt. A slight abrasion on the nose and another on the chin are all the visible marks of the blow. Had the blow been by a olnb or any hard substanoe his face would have been ~ badly out and bruised. He h&d his spectacles on at the time, and they were not even knocked off. The professor’s theory was that some party saw or learned that he was taking in the entranoe money at the oonoert and sandbagged him for purposes of robbery. If

that was the case the assailant was frightened by the professor’s outcry, and fled without attempting to secure any money or other property; and had he done so, he would have got but little, «for Mr. Sanders had handed all the conoert money to A. F. Long, to put in his safe. An )ther theory is that some person had conoeived a spite against Mr. Sanders, for some fancied grievance, and waylaid him for revenge. This theory Mr. Sanders himself was little inclined to accept. Whoever it was evidently is not a stranger but someone who knew where Mr. Sanders lives, and about tbe time he oould be expected to pass that plaoe. Unless, of couree it was some desperado who was waiting to knook down and rob the first person who oame that way.

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