Sophomore Suffers Injury In 'Accident' at Claverly

Charles W. Bender '57 was resting comfortably at Massachusetts General Hospital last night after he suffered a deep chest wound Saturday night in what University officials reported as an accident.

University police said the injury evidently occurred when Bender "fell on an instrument" in his Claverly 2 room. Cambridge police, however, who also made investigations, reported that they could not find in the room any instrument which would be capable of inflicting a deep, oval cut a half inch wide.

Massachusetts General Hospital, which reported Bender will be released in one or two days, said that the wound was apparently caused by a knife.

The so-called accident occurred at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, when Bender came staggering out of his room, calling "I'm hurt, get me a doctor," to the night staggering out of his room calling, "I'm hurt, get me a doctor," to the night superintendent and two girls waiting in the Claverly lobby.

Moved to Hospital

He was then taken to Stillman Infirmary and was later moved to Massachusetts General Hospital when it was feared his injury was serious. Carroll F. Miles, senior tutor of Dunster House, with which Bender is affiliated, visited him late Saturday night, and affirmed the accident story.

Meanwhile, one of Bender's roommates, Shawan Chawanidchaya '57, was away until after midnight, and the whereabouts of the other roommate, William P. Hilliker, Jr. '57, were unaccounted for after about 7:30 p.m. According to one resident of the dormitory Saturday night, Hilliker was clearly intoxicated earlier in the evening.

Police Close Room

Cambridge police, who had been searching for him, reported last night that "the other fellow" is in Stillman Infirmary, recovering from the after effects of too much liquor.

When it seemed possible Saturday that Bender's injury was serious, University and Cambridge police closed the room for most of the night.

"Violin" Causes Confusion

Earlier, a good deal of confusion arose when University police at Claverly interpreted the term "instrument" as meaning a musical instrument, and announced that the only instrument in the room was a violin.

After he was moved to Mass. General, however, it was determined that the cut was not as serious as previously believed. Chawanidchaya, who had been forced to move across the hall for the night, was then allowed to return to his room.

At almost the same time that Bender staggered into the Claverly lobby, a fire started in room 41. A student and the night superintendent managed to get into the room, pull out a burning sofa, and extinguish the fire.

The room was unoccupied at the time, and evidently hot ashes on the sofa started the blaze unnoticed. Aside from the sofa itself and a good deal of smoke, there was little damage.