Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-12-18

Il ltclGciict Vi ouu8c al DfuuL VI Tue View
York Court of Common Pleas. The house
i5 not occupied during the winter. Ad-
joining it is the residence of Holmes Van
Brunt, brother Of the Judge, and the two
houses are connected by burglar-alarm.
On Sunday night, Mr.. Van Brunt and bis
son William were at home. At about
o'clock yesterday morning Mr.. Van Brunt
was aroused from slumber by the sound of
the burglar-alarm. He Immediately called
for his son, and the young man, upon being
Informed Of what had taken place, rushed
out Of the house, armed with a pistol, and
ran over to the Judges residence. Upon
approaching the house he saw lights NOV
ing about from room to room. Without
stopping to make further investigations,
he ran back to his fathers house and in
formed him that burglars were at workin the
Judges residence. Mr.. Van Brunt, al
though suffering severely from an at
tack Of rheumatism, sprang from his bed,
dressed hastily, and seized a double-bar-
relied shotgun. In the meantime his son
called at the house of two OF his fathers
employees, William Scott and Herman
Frank, and acquainted them with the fact
that Judge Van Bruut's house was being
robbed. In very few moments Holmes
Van Brunt, his son, and the hired men
were on their way to the Judges house.
They proceeded carefully, and upon arriving
at the mansion stationed themselves where
they could shoot the burglars the moment
they left the house. For nearly an hour
they stood there watching the burglars as
they moved from room to room. Finally
Mr.. Van Brunt requested his son to go
around and open the back door. The son
obeyed; the moment he opened it the
burglars blew out their lights. They knew
for the first time that they were in danger.
Presently footsteps on the stairs were heard,
and then the two men emerged from the
cellar. "Stop and surrender or I'll shoot"
shouted Mr.. Van Brunt. His answer was
two pistol shots. Taking quick aim at the
nearest man, Mr.. Van Brunt fired. The
fellow shrieked from pain and ran of. His
companion was by his side, and had pro-
ceeded only short distance before he re-
ceived a shot from Mr.. Van Brunt's son.
The man who received the first shot con-
tinued his flight through the yard until he
came within range Of Herman Franks
fowling-piece. As he did so he was shot in
the back, and fell. The other fellow,
driven to desperation, turned upon young
Van Brunt, pistol in hand, and aiming at
his heart fired. He missed his aim.
ISLAND or I'll kill YOU" shouted the young
man, but the burglar leveled his pistol
again. Mr.. Van Brunt grasped his gun by
the stock, and struck the burglar terrible
blow upon the arm. The stock flew off
and the plucly young fellow drew a re-
volyer and fired twice at the thief, while
the rufian was aiming at his head. The
man fell with the words "I'm through
upon his lips. In few moments he was
dead.
His companion fell about fifsen yards
from the house, and was writhing in agony
when Mr.. Van BTunt stepped to his side.
This was Joseph Douglass; his dead COM
paniOn was William Mosier. Douglass
was in excruciating agony when Mr.. Van
Brunt asked him if he bad anything to say.
From his abdomen the entrails protruded,
and his right side presented a hideous ap-
pearsnce. Bis first cry was for liquor. |
'.For the love of God,r he moaned, s1give |
me a drink Of whisky, quick, quick, quick" !
The liquor was brought him, but as soon |
as he touched it with his lips he pushed it |
away and cried for water. he rolled upon |
the wet ground and placed his hands upon |
his CHASTITY wounds as if to stop the flow of |
blood which gathered in pools around him. |
He lay there slowly dying, but elinging to |
life until the end. 1t was two hours and |
half before he died.
While Douglass was dying crowd of |
rustics gathered around him and |
coarsely speculated upon the approach of |
death. A servant girl, rough and uneouth, |
stepped to his side while the miserable |
wretch was gasping for breath, and said: |
at serves you right. It's just good enough |
ior you" Douglass turned an appealing
glance upon her, and with an effort replied:
'Oh, Madame, I've been a very wicked |
elbow, know" The girl curled her lip |
and made no reply. For over two hours,
without priest or physician, the miserable |
elbow was left to die upon the cold, wet
ground. Mr.. Van Brunt asked him if he
lad anything to say, and told him that he
must die. Douglass replied that he was a
Jingle man, and that MOsier, his dead COM
lanIOn, was married and had five children.
lie stated to Theodore Bergen that
he had helped to steal Charley Ross,
md that he was in the buggy
With Mosier when the boy was
AIKEN away. "Mosier knows all about it,"
he said, sand SO does Inspector Walling.
The boy will turn up all right" His last
md he knows where the boy is. You'll
ind $40 in my pocket. All L ask of you is
o give me a decent burial. I've got q
'rother and sister living, but 1 haven't seen
hem in over ten years. Give me decent
'urial. That's all ask"
The bodies were taken under the back
orch of the house and a coroner was sent
or.
The foIlo-ip1 d;Spofot, rr-os mott eo,t - |
oliee headquarters in this city by Judge
;hurch:
1.-TWO burglars, VIM. Mosier and Joseph
douglass, were killed last night. Do you
now them? Douglass declared when
ying that NOsier knew about Charley
loss" -
Superintendent Walling replied:
Douglass told the truth. have been
Doking for them ever since the boy was
5olen. Will send an officer who knows
lem.r
THE dead burglars were subsequently
Identified. The police argue that the child
ill soon be discovered. If the abductors
# it in charge of innocent parties, they
ill probably see the account Of this affair
l the papers, and give it up for the re-
ard if nothing else. On the other hand,
the boy is in the hands of aecomplices,
ley will become alarmed, now that the
Oliee are on the right trail, and will de-
yer him, throwing all blame on the dead
len, which would be plausible story as
lie Philadelphia boy Waller testiies that
E saw ''two men talking with Charlie"
lortly before his disappearance.-ED. U.
A.
DOMESTIC broils make unsatisfactory
eals