The New York herald., 1878-03-05
A MYSTERY SOLVED.

HOW PETER WOODS WAS woUSDED-A BURGLAR
DYING FROM A WOUND INFLICTED BY HIM
| SELF.
Coroner wotman was telegraphed for at an carly
hour yesterday morning TO call at Bellevue Hospital
to take the antemortem deposition OF Peter Woods,
tho burglar aud ex-convc,. who was found the
night previous in tho hallway OF No 553 First avenue
bleeding from q wound in the back The Coroner
promptly answered the summons, and on his arrival
tho institution nurriedy taken to the surgical
ward. wherein Woods occupied OF the cots All
the patients sleeping soundly. Woods suffer
ing intensely. The physicians who rad attended him
believe his injury was fatal. Woods evidently did not
realize his situation.
Before the Coroner arrived Captain Murphy. OF the
Twenty first precinct had called to see hun
tain how he came by his wound. The burglar told
the Captain that It was OF his business, and he
tercsicd in the case when 1t dd not occur in his
precinct Coroner WoltmAu informed The
statement WOODS al first declined TO say anything
about the affair, but after ward he changed his mind
and told story which was alterward iound 10 have
been false
THE PATIENTS STORY
He said: :--"l do not wish 10 make statement be-
cause do not wish TO say anyihing about IL. I
lett my house about eight O'Clock and to
Thomas Higgins place OF business At The cor
Renamed there about ten minutes; cumo
out and walked down First avenue and
when near Twenty sixth street, ran up against two
men; one oil hem STABBED mo; was intoxicated at
the lime; can not say who INC party or person was
that staoDed and would not tell II l could; had
whlskcrs and s,de whsSers; believe he belongs
~ Twenty-third street: have never seen him
agan; do wish to state any particulars; l
have reasons for not wishing 10 state further
lars II would do no good tor me TO tell VINO the party
that stabbed me, and refuse "a Y any morc''
THE BURGLARY on SECOND AVENUE.
The way In which WOODS told The story to tho
was an unrutn, and thereupon determined
To- If possible, solve the mystery. The officers
leaving tho East fhrty-l IN street station
house at six O'Clock yesterday morniug were
directed TO make inquiries while post If pos
sibie trace Woods from yesterday morning up to tho
hour Onlccr Gilmore uoticed him rushing through
East rwenty.eighth street without his hat
toward first avenue Roundsman Delaney, while
making his rounds hfough Second avenue and whom
between fwentysevcn,h and Twenty eighth streets,
he was told that aa attempt had been mado by burg
lars on Sunday night to rob the tenement house
No. 400 Sccond avenue. The roundsman recollectcd
his instructions, ana immediately began an invessa-
lion. He learned that about haf.past nine O'Clock on
Sunday night tho occupants OF the tenement
No. 4o0 Second avenue heard suspicious noises
sehma 1 ns ns sns kScwn oosuped wa sSssn
The tenants raped at he door and
the same moment they heard the front wiodow
thrown violently open. Several men who stand
ing at the front door OF the house were startled by
seeing TWO men Jump out Of the secoud story win
dow to the sidewalk Before the mon who
Witnessed the strange performances recovered
from their amaZemont tho men had
disappeared down East Twenty eighth The door
bore the marks OF where jimmy had been used and
in tho room quantity OF clothing packed ready
for removal Mr.. Schmidt discovered IN MS
apartment strange hat, which had evidently
been lett by. the burglar in his hasty flight.
short distance from the corner Of Second
avenue, In IweDty-eighth street, the roundsman
found the gutter old flo which had been trans
formed into small jimmy, like those monty used
by house sneak thieves On a minute al ION
bong made OF the rude burglars implement IL
iound that the point OF 1t was besmeared with blood
this discovery tho mystery of the stabbDg OF
Peter Woods was explained. When ho sprang from
tho window he had the jimmy which he forced to
10 opan the shutters IN his hand, and when he
tell the point OF II entered his side and inflicted
the wound which Will probably cause his DEATH
Tho hat found in the apartment was identified
that worn by Woods Sunday evening. VINO his
companion was in the attempted burglary has not yet
pred but the police confident that they will
have him under arrest before many hours have
parsed.
Woods Is said to have been expert and desperate
sneak thief and burglar In 1872 he caught IN
the act Of robbing clothing store IN the Eighteenth
ward and was Tor that offence
fenced To 1vo years Imprisonment Sing
Sing. Ho discharged alter serving his
full time about eight months ago. Since his return to
this city he has been arrested on suspicion several
iImes anu later than last week he behind tho
bars IN the Twenty.nrst precinct station house ON
suspicion OF having committed a burglary on Third