Two Stabbed at Hell-Hole Bar

GREAT MILLS --- A Lexington Park man and his sister were  stabbed at the Brass Rail bar in Great Mills early on Sunday.  St. Mary's Sheriff's Sgt. Dan Alioto told ST. MARY'S TODAY that at 1:57 am Ryan Batson, 24, was stabbed and upon arrival of rescue workers he was flown from the scene to a shock trauma center.  Also stabbed was Kristin Batson, 25, of St. Leonard.  More fights broke out when police arrived according to early reports from the scene.  Two arrests were made. Details on who sliced and diced the victims at the area's worst bar coming soon.  A man was murdered as a St. Mary's Deputy attempted to protect him from a gang at another incident at the Brass Rail last November.  Violence and police calls at the bar are almost weekly events yet nothing is done by the Alcoholic Beverages Board to pull the license of the bar.   Bar owner Dickie Gatton has hosted many politicial events at the bar and was a strong supporter of former Sheriff Richard Voorhaar.  Both Republican and Democratic candidates have held fundraisers at the bar. 
State Police officials joined Sheriff David Zylak and other elected officials gatthered at the hell-hole bar in a kickoff for the annual public relations effort to reduce drugged and drunk driving last December. The officials were sitting around having finger food just steps away from where a man was murdered while a Deputy was shooting back at his killers in what was described as a scene from the OK Corral. 
The deputy had attempted to stop a gang from beating up the man and tried to protect him from the gang when the killer began firing at the victim and the deputy.
Some officials were asked by ST. MARY'S TODAY if they felt silly attending the function where a murder took place just the month before. St. Mary's Sheriff David Zylak said he didn't set the place for the event while State Police officials defended having the 3D Kickoff at the bar.  A county highway traffic safety coordinator said that the bar was a good place to highlight the drunk driving problem as the Brass Rail was the worst bar in the county.