The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-12-01
PROBABLE HOMICIDE WITH A HATcHET.

PROBABLE HOMICIDE WITH A HATCHET-
| DREADFUL ASSAULT UPON A WOMAN BY A
BLIND MAE.-Considerab excitement was
created about O'Clock yesterday evening on
Josephine street near Pine by mali named
rankin Battee assaulting and horribly
cutting q woman named Fanny Bruford,
alias Randall, alias Cole, with hatchet.
Battee had been in the habit OF frcquentiug
| the house, and had gotten angry with the
proprietress, who is generally called Fanny
Cole, in reference to some representations
! she had made to him about an inmate Of the
house on previous occasion. Yesterday
morning Battee went to the house, ms he
had often done before, and remained all
day, eating his breakfast, dinner, and sup
per.
Alter finishing his supper, and While the
women of the house were yet ut the table,
Battee went out into the yard, and procur-
ing Il Ratchet, he felt bis way TO the chair
occupied by Fanny Cole, and Selling her
around the neck, he commenced murder
Gus assault upon her, cutting her five times
In the back OF the head, once on her breast,
once on her neck, aud once on her right
wrist, nearly severinS the hand from the
arm. The girls ran Mortified from the
house, and two Of them went Immediately
to the western staton-house and acquainted
Captain Zimmerman OF the occurrence.
The Captain at once dispatched Sergeant
Cadwallader and policeman a. Gibson to
The house, but they scarcely had LETT the
station. house before meeting the blind man,
who then had the Ratchet in his hand.
When the officers approached him he re-
sisted their efforts to take him Into custody,
be, as he said, not knowing that they We're
officers but when informed that they were
officers, be became pac'tied, and said he was
on bis way to the station. house for the pur-
pose Of giving himself up. After being con-
fined in cell he raised his bands and
shouted that he had killed the ID b-h.
Captain Zimmerman and Lieutenant Lep-
son next proceeded to the hou:e where the
murderous assault had taken place, and
there found the unfortunate woman lying
in the basement weltering in her blood,
the room presenting sickcning appear
ance.
A large pool of clothed blood had gathered
around the Woman's head. She was re-
moved to bed.chamber. and Drs. Brewer,
Brown, Jay, and S. T. Knight summoned
to attend her. They found the wounds
upon the head very severe, the brain pro-
trudIng from the wounds. The physicians
bound up the wounds, but stated that
death was inevitable, and that nothing
could be done to relieve her. 1he woman
remained In an unconscious state most OF
the time.
The news of the horrible assault rapidly
spread through the rect, which is noto'
rious locality, as we'll "a throughout the
western section OF the city, and large mum.
bers of persons. many Of whom were
women, assembled at the house, but the
officers In charge admitted but few. except
those whose presence was requ red. at
late hour last night the woman was still
alive, but no hopes were entertained by
the attending physicians of her recovery.
The man who committed the assault is only
about twenty-one years of age. He stated
to Lieutenant Lepson that he had been
turned out of one of the hospitals, where
he had gone for treatment for some disease,
and his only remedy was to go 10 the aims
house. and sooner than do that he would
rather be hlng.-Bdltim0re Sun.