New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-08-03
REVOLVING CRIME.
A Respectable Widow Violated In Her
Own House, and i'm the Presence OF IRer
Own Chiidren-IIcr Daughter the In.
tended INSTRUMENTATION of tho
Debnuchcd vyomnn-Thc Rufians Arr
rested ard Discharged.
rested ard u


In this age Of crime, the public have come to re-
gard the narration Of different and accommodating horror
with tacit disgust mute Indignation. The murderer
stalks in our midst the garroer and burglar are n
yeritable as the shadows Of the night they haunt;
almost every hour from certain localities be henr'
"thc veil Of the ramped wife" the moan Of the beaeI
child. and crime in every conceivable shape holds higl
carnival in the black heart Of our beautiful city.
But there is ono crime worse than murder-one crime
in comparison with which the garroter IS minister
good and the ex.bounty jumper sucking dove
1t is true that of late We have become familiar
with even this horrible phase of deviltryi but now
and then it become the sad. unwilling duty
the newspaper 10 record case OF peculiarly reyolhe
features, such the We have now to present u
our readers.
TIE CASE.
Mrs. Sarah Ketchum, is a poor widow residing =,
No - West Tortieth.st. Her husband MIR. Archibald
Ketchum has been dead FOR about two years. lie was
prominent Republican politician or the twenty
second Ward. and during his lifetime his family were
in very good circumstances; but his deocasc cit tne
entirely destitute of any means q. livelihood, othef
than his widow could win for her children by aIduo1s
manual toll TO which she had never been accustomed
On Monday morning Mrs. Ketchum made com
plalnt at the Jefferson Market Police Court that
kccper of a porter.house in the negborhood had with
the assistance OF another forcby violated her per.
SON The case came up before Judge Ledwith; but
Mrs. kctchum could not De lnduceu 10 say any 'hi"b
about the affair though urged to do so by tie Judge
and the men consequently discharged MIS-.
Kotchum row. says that she WAS ntimldated INTO ST.
lence by threats made against her life. The following
the substance Of her story as she related 10 our
Reporter:
TIE INTENDED VICTIM
was FANNY the eldest daughter Of Mrs. Ketchum She
Is Girl OF rare beauty and together with her mother
has eouently been VI beet TO insult tie street. In
the nechhorooa Of her home. Indeed 20 such an e1'
this carried that Mrs. Keiehum desired to re.
move To another locality. but prevented by her
poverty The rooms occupied by the family are sitn.
atcd on tie first floor o. tho tenement house No. ~
West Forieth.st, SiNth-aye.. IN the iear OF d
piekle.store.
Il Is alleged, was perpetrated at about o'clock on
Monday morning. AT about that time. Mrs kotchum
saws she was awakened by knocks the door Of the
room occupied by her daughter herself and three other
little boy, lad OF about u. sleeping IN
an adjoining apartment
Upon induiriug who az the door. she was told " a
friend' Thinking 1t might be a messenger from sieA
negAbor 10 whom Lad been rendering some assist
ance she unfastcncd the door nnd opened II wide
enough perceive two men in the entry Upon asking
them wha, they waited one Of them repied that they
wanted to find the pickle dealer.
She replied that she knew nothing 81 him. that she
believed he opened his store at o'clock. They told
her that they on their way 20 picnic, and must
have pickles TO take with them, and would wait IN
her roorn till the store opened.
She told them tho room her sleeping apartment
and that they go away. This they refused To do
as well as She could, and there was
sTRuGGLE AT TIE DOOR
Of moments duration; but the ruiiians at length
pushed the door open. and entered the room one 81
them whom Mrs Ketchum dentihcsl then said 10 hers
"Briug that Ciyl here" meaning Fanny, who was
then IN bed on the hoor with her head covered up.
"What do you want with her = asked the widow.
That's all night" continued the man, taking roll
Of bills from his pocket and pT0hering II 20 the widow.
you inst leave her alone with US foF while. aid this
will pay you well.'
The poor Woman protested that her rooms were
respectable that her daughter was q yiIiuCus gin.
and that the men must depart.
won't 900 make 1t all right with the grir per-
sisted the hbertine.
BIT the men insisted in fulfilling their helsh designs
talked Violently. and would not leave the room. Al
length Mrs X. terrified at their conduct aud trembling
for daughters honor, adopted the russo of pretended
compliance. She told them TO remain where they were,
ard sho would speak 10 her daughter.
TIE VILLAINS BAFFLED.
Bending oycy the covering form Of her daughter the
wretchcd woman wbspere1'
"Fannr Tor Gods sake rln It's your only
chanceW
there was no one between them and the door Act.
ing uader the fearful impulse Of the moment the
trembling beauty, with no other garment thar
her nightdress. bounded from tho bed single
leap and she had gained the hall; dozen
more and the outer door was reached; aud
then. ont into tho fresh morning. and up
the deserted street, she sped like ghost until she
gained the shelter Of u neighbours roof. unthinking of
ihe horrible fate 10 which che had abandoned her
mother; for now lhe baed villains, unable to seize the
youthful form Of their intended prey turned upon the
widow.
THE VIOLATION.
She nvers that, while one stood at the door the other
suddenly casuel her waist, and threw her the bed
She struggled violently. but be choked her down che
f bears the marks Of his hngers on her tbroat and
blow her brains out II she uttered cry
Mrs X thinks that he displayed butt OF pistol in the
breast pocket Of his coat, but she IS not certain on this
p9igl s9c haa 9at little bought but Of the horrors OF
In spite Of threats However she uttered several cries
for help But with hand the ruillan stiled her
srcks with the other he bound her wrists behind her
IN a v,oe.ikc grasp. and then accomplished bis dia
tolicai purpose, in the presence OF several OF the
woman's children one of whom is mere baby. Hay.
ing done this, he called out 10 bis comrade.
But. By this time the little boy who slept in the adj
Joining apartment had come into the room and seeing
the state OF the had rushed out TO give the alarm
So after threats 10 shoot club the widow IL she should
give any iniimgt!Cn 10 what Lad occurred, the men
departed.
TIE CASE N COURT.
They were promptly arrested ut the instance Of Mrs.
Ketchun aud appeared in the Jefferson Market Police
Court in the morning. The charges being rather con
fused and informal the case was set FOR o'clock in the
afternoon.
In tie interim according 70 Mrs. X. she waited
upon BY q reighbOr. who, she says had for
some time pretended 10 be friend Of the family repre-
sentng himself a single man. and seeking to win the
affections of Fanny. who 30 largely possesses the fatal
git Of beauty"
lie now told her n very wild story. He said II
she did not lei drop she would probably never
the Hight OF another days further Informing her that
he wife OF one ~ the m Italian woman, very
fierce and revcngefu who would cut her 10 pieces the
irst jnimaton OF boY husbands iudeity; that lie him
,elf ass had wife who perfect Tartar, and Who
4 his name should become mixed up with the aif.ir
y ould also seek speedy revenge.
AT last be worked so strongly upon the shattered
nerves OF the poor woman. that, upon appearing in
'our she feared 10 state her case The judge pressed
yer speak, but bis advice was oyerDowered BY the
hrcats sti fresh IN bcr memory, and she remained 81
ont ~ COURSE the men we're discharged
During her interview with her pretended friend. the