The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-08-16
4 Pennsylvania Burglary-An Entire
Household OF Hen and Women
Gagged and Bound.

head, and a masked rubber standing before
him quietly remarked: keep quiet,
John, and won't hurt you, but make the
slightest noise and I'll scatter your brains
all over this rOOm." Hoover looked
around him in q half dazed manner, and
upon either side of the bed he met the
glaring rays of bull's-eye lantern flash
ing into his face. CHANGING up he thought
he would see who the intruders were, but
he found they were prepared for that.
The face of the tallest, who had red hair
and siGe whiskers, was covered over from
the nose down with red handkerchief,
while the other and next tallest had his
lower face shielded with white hand
kerchicf with red border. The two
smaller ones, who were going through the
process of tying Hoover, were simply dis
guised with white handkcrchiefs and made
no further attempt to remain unrecOg-
nized. Before going further we should
state that the male members of the house
slept in the same room, while the females
were in the room adjoining. After tying
Hoover, one of the robbers pointed pis.
toll at him, and now and then admonishing
him to keep quiet if he wanted to live.
The other robbers then went to the bedside
of Mr.. Lefevre, and at once proceeded to
bind his feet together. The old man
awOke and at once made desperate re-
slstancc, bat the odds of three to one were
too much, and in a few moments he was
securely bound. As if not altogether
trusting the old man, they bucked and
gagged him, so as to prevent him giving
an Outcry or alarm. They then proceeded
to the room where Eveline" and :" Sa-
die" were sleeping. The girl was first
bound, but when the rascals were tying
the old woman she awOkc and at once
began tn scream like C0manche Indian.
The smallest of the robbers warned her to
keep quiet, but she still persisted, and he
then took other and more severe means.
He pulled out a large butcher knife and
told the old woman that If she would not
he had killed men for making less noise
and in q moment of desperation the das-
tard struck her several severe blows upon
the mouth, which knocked out her teeth
and bruised her face in a terrible manner.
Indeed, her injuries are so severe that her
life Is despaired of. Then putting
guard over these two, the robbers went
toward the mems room, where they were
greeted by the shout, "Take care, Jim,
the old mans got loose and run down
stairs" One of the thieves, who had
4" bull's-eye" then darted down stairs, and
Just as the old man was about opening
the front door he was felled to the floor
by q murderOus blow on the back of the
head by "billy" or +" black jack" in the
hands of his assailant. The rascal then
called for his associates, and they at once
went down to him, only one remaining
upstairs to keep watch over those who
were still there. They then rebound and
regagged the old man, drawing his knees
almost up to his chin, and then jumped
upon and beat him in q brutal manner.
Carrying him upstairs they threw him on
the bed, and in few moments they found
the means by which he had previously re-
leased himself from the rope. The gag
that was first put in his mouth was made
of Irvine, and he managed to chew it, and
then went through the same operation in
regard to the rope ON his hands. One
would think that the robber who was
watching at his bedside would have pre-
vented this, but he appeared to be anxious
about the screaming Of the woman
in the next room, and kept near
the door, thus keeping his back turned
to the old man. When all had been Sc
curely bound, the robbers all congregated
in the mems room, and one of them went
first to Hoover. He said, John, we came
here for money, and we are going to have
it. You know where it is and we want
you to tell us. Hoover replied that the
old man (meaning Mr.. Lefevre) had de-
posted his money in the bank on Satur-
day last. They then approached the bed
side Of the old man and asked him where
his money was, but he would not tell
them, and the two smaller men then pro-
ceeded to ransack the house. In the same
room was q large desk, and every drawer
and pigeon-hole was peered into, their re-
ward being five new ten.dollar bills, which
had been paid to Mr.. Lefevre few days
before, for q COW. This money was in a
pocket book and was in secret drawer Of
the desk. The old man thought it would
be secure, but the robbers appeared to be
as we'll acquainted with its mechanical ar.
rangements as he was. A further search
brought to light sixteen dollars in halves
and quarters, and then the old man con-
tossed that amount to be all he had in the
house. A large number of pantal00ns
were hanging upon the wall, and these
were all "gOne through" by the thieves,
but NO money was found. Then the re-
mainder of the house was visited, and the
smallest and most Notwithstanding
box did not escape their notice. About
twenty minutes after two O'Clock meet.
ing was held in the mems room by the
robbers, and the "situation" discussed.
At length they decided to close up the
lob" and leave the premises. As the
men were talking, Mr.. Lefevrc commenced
to groan, and managed to mutter out,
Oh, my head" and then one of the
robbers approached him, and, raising up
his wounded head, kindly and gently In.
serted pillow under it, smoothing out all
the wrinkles IS tenderly as q mother
would pay the last caresses to sleeping
child. Mr.. Lefevre then made the robber
understand that he was thirsty, and what
did the fellow do but 50 downstairs and
Loosening the gag. he held Mr.. Lefcvrc's
he could drink from 1t.
After this performance they determined
to leave. They went to the bed where the
youngest boys were and carried them over
TO H1Over's bed and laid them In 1t. They
then cut the cord from the empty bed and
bound the three boys together in Hoovcr's
bed. One of the men, the tallest. whom
Hoover characterizes ~ an Irishman,
lIUm u0V1uk uC01u HIN tnlAs A1esuO III AlA1.
promptu address to the suffering prison
.,ers. He told them that they were now
about to 60, and said That they did not
want to hear any alarm sounded or they
would return and burn the old man from
head TO foot; they would burn the skin
from off his bodyr' If any cry was
raised, and they would remain outside OF
the house and In the immediate vicinity
for an hour. An affectionate ''tal tap
was then given, and tie robbers departed.
They went to the stable and taking bay
mare. they rode to the foot Of the lane
leading from the house, where 1t appears
they must have had some kind of vehi-
Gle, Is the marks from the wheels of the
same were very distinctly seen in the soft
earth. Evidently thinking that four were
too many for the capacity of the vehicle,
and fearing they could not get away fast
enough, the fourth rode upon the mare.
After remaining quiet awhile after the
departure of the robbers, one Of the bound
l,oua snCceeGed In 9eftina hia banda ln0aa