New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-07
STABBED BEFORE THE ALTAR.

A BRUTAL HUSBAND, MIsTAKING ANOTHER WOMAN
FOR HIS WIFE, TRIES To MURDER HER Ar EARLY
MASS.
tragic scene was witnessed yesterday
morning in the St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic
Church, West Sxteenthst, where the disastrous panic
occurred in which number OF persons lost their ives
about year ago The early mass was In
progress In the basement OF the main build
ing, where early services are held The room
was with worsbippers. mostly women servants
who attend church before their days work begins.
sud ienly wild scream was heard outside the door.
A moment later a woman rushed across the stone
court yard up the central aisle toward the altar closely
pursued by a man who fourished large butcher
knife. Before anyone could interfere, the man
plunged the knife into the wOmans right side
and then fed from the building. The wo-
man fell to the floor with o cry OF pain.
In an instant every OF the hundreds OF
women VINO packed the room on her feet aud
screaming For moment the widest panic prevailed.
Fortunately the priests sOop obtained order. The
woman was removed, and the mass went on. AT the
NewYork Hospl al where she was TAKEN she gave her
name ms Mary Lyons, waitress at the Hoffman House
sba dee AIRED she did not know the man who stHbb her.
The man. wac fed toward FIfth-aye., was soon over
taken and given in charge of officer who took him
10 the New-YOrk Hospital. The wOud-De murderer,
when ne saw his victim cried out: 1t was III mis-
take: me ant il for my yne Later, at the Tdiretl
STREET Police Station ne denied that he had been In che
chu,ch M ALI Taken 70 the Jefferson Market Court he
was committed without bail penaing the result OF his
vic ~ injuries Tue mans name is John Carpenter,
and he lives at Grand and Clntonsts.
Inury there revealed sad story OF domestic unhap-
brought about by the diss0ute habits OF this
man When drunk and ugly he abused his yeung wife,
threatening to take her life. Finally the woman was
compc ed to seek safety in nght for herself aud her
mile child Leaving her home she took service with
family i'm -thlrdst giving the child to her sister.
nut her husband found her out aud sue Lad to
seek another place. In Mr.. Liddy's family az
No. East sixteenth-st, she was then engaged
rs housekeeper. Last Friday the woman received
a letter from her husband, threatening her life.
Driven to desperation. the wife left TINS famli on Sat
ray and went nobody knew whitner enjoinUg secrecy
mon the other Twice she had Deen compeled
To- have her husband arrested, TO protect herself Yes
ierday orn n.y. appears ne waited for her III from OF
ST. Francis Xaviers Church, evidently aware OF the
ct that she mad attended service there on the previous
sunday He seems TO have mistaken Mary Lyons Tor
hrs vie wnen he stabbed her. The knife, trrlblo
weanon with blade than foot long and sharp as
razor was recovered by the police Carpenter, wDeD
arrested had a whskey bottle In his pocket, but was
perfectly sober.
The condition OF the woman Is not pronounced dam
gerons by the ply scans, found too long wounds IN
the side sevrring the abdomen wall. Fortunately the
knife had not penetrated far enough into the cavity TO
do much damage.