The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-07
AN EPIDEMIC OF CRIME.
vB1r ENTRiORDINARY CASES HAVE
RECENTLY PUZZLED THE POLICE
,.,.. ra,ciency, However. Not strikiaRiy
n,.,,,,ed- Drunken Wretch thssioE "a
Youua Lady Through the Open Streets
Un,o, In Hand-Ancther Car Robbery.

wang Indy Through the Open streets,
KNIFE In Hand-Ancthsr Car Robbery.
The number and peculiar character of the
,,,mes reported from New York and immediate
,ieinity during a week past have attracted gen
anal attention The murder 81 Policeman
Smith in Jersey City and the mystery attending
II the successful assault OF three highwaymen
upon Cashier stone In Ninth avenue at midday
and with hundreds Of passers by within call. the
robbery Of $50 900 from the Kings in Nesey street
Mrs. Walkers loss OF $4,000 in Railway. the
attempted murder Of barkeeper Gleason in Jer-
sey City-thesc are few OF the criminal acts
with unusual circumstances surroundingth them
reports Of which have lately filled the newspa-
pers. 1t is not so long since the Harlem street
car robbery in which a collector was assauitedpy
another band Of highwaymen In crowded car
beaten with q revolver until insensiolc' "nhe
his fellow passengers looked on anu MS money
,.ken from him. As in the parallel Ninth ave-
nue. case. the bold rascsls escaped unchallenged'
and the police have hardly pretended that they
have even So much rs clue to their identity In
Troy. about the same time az the Harlem car
robbery there was an almost exactly similar
piece Of brgandage. but the thieves were
traced and apprehended within fortnight
Not the least singular OF these crimes OF re-
cent occurrence was reported yesterday. In
this case u half drunken wretch pursued in
broad daylight with open knife in hand.
through popuous street, and with only
feeble old man to interpose between him and
his victim respectable young lady who was
an entire stranger to him. No policeman ap-
pearod to check him In his murdcrous frenzy.
and when his wifo. whom he had threatened re-
peatedly with death. appealed to Police
Justice for protection. 1t was denied
her upon some technical but nlmsy plea.
Mrs. McKccvcr keeps boarding house.
on a very limited scale, over barroom at
Thirty.sixth street and Eighth avenue. She is
hard working and an Intelligent young
woman. Her husband. Thomas McKccver. who
Is a brickl,yer and about thirty-iive years Of
age. earned fair wages but spent his money for
drink Mr. MrKccver says that five years ago
they werc oarding in Brooklyn. with their two
little children. one ot whom was only three days
old. when her husband attacked her. and. she
says, nearly killed her and her baby. He then
deserted her aud went to- Europe. leaving her.
without any means. to support herself and her
Two children rs best she could.
As soon a. she was sufficiently recovered 20
move Mrs NJ Keever came to New York. and
after long struggle opened n boarding house.
Her children died and her sister. Katie went
to live with her. Through all the years Of her
hardship she had hoped never to see her hus-
band again hut about five weeks ago she heard
ing for her She tried TO keep herself hidden
from him but on Wednesday last he met her In
the street and ,auntingy told her ma, he kn ns
10 her He desired to know what she had don,
with his children and. learning that they were
taated 10y asking him II he had come hack t(
pay for their ipners Expenses; and "So,sse
NH he lonely
apparently dying 1--WE years before.
After mutual recr minatinns he went away
when he said that lie knew where she lived. ioI
he went there that evening. AMI during INC
saun,ered up and down the street. 9ccnsionallS
stopping at the door to INQUIRE u she were N
He was not admitted and hls sister, MAY a a. a.
Saturday he waited near the house. his wife r.
daring to 20 out. In the evening he saw nj
some back yetf' He was told that his wife ha'
not returned. and he went across IN" street an
sat down Soon aory9hrd r Uni Ny Jaw ,w
ladies' turning from Eighth avenn. into ,Thrty
sixth street. One of them was Mis- Helm \
visit some friends in Thirty-ith street. Wit
whom sho Is now living. Hrr ilggrH perh,vp
Keever. Tor the halt-drunkcn m,gn across III
street mistook her for his wife, ~ started M
and going toward her scGwied IN n'r ia,e :
and drew her friends attention To III
man. The other young lady saw, d
S ondo odl hs MIS- wFS nSri 10 run " WY 81
ran up the street. intending u pos -ihlr 70 So
refuge in the house OF Miss DAM" whom sh
was abou, To- visit. But the infnriatri man wa
in hot pursuit, and rs she glanced over ne
shoulder she saw him draw long clasp knli
we're in the street. but none Of them tut"riere'
Miss Stafford ran toward wagon and lmpor"
the driver 10 assist her, but he took 10 h.ure e
her. Her pursuer WAS close behind. lut Tor
second she succeeded in eyading him by twist
ing around 4 amppost as he stIucs al hrr WI
he knife Then N pari2Xysn 81 ga r,@rb sn
striking violently hs she fell.
MoKeevcr WAS inside the railing and close I
shouted raising his knife; is no use tryin,sl
I'll have your life this time But lust as l.
was about 10 stab her he enconnlrred ms .r mr.
haired ant lnArm, who grasped his up-raise
hand. and lmpl9red him in German H. o' !? mnI
who lives 1t 279 he WIS able 10 hold n
woud-be murderer for only z second. but
iOHy enoqSG iTT 1 Sand 6a ee%
Miss StaifOrd's face, and hscerlained that IN
was not his wife. With an oath he put up h
clasp knife strobe away. and has not been see
Miss stafford. was completely Frustrated ;
whore for some time her condition was regnr,
ell As extremely critical She was somrwhi
better yesterday but could not be seen BY III
Mrs N K,eyer says that she applied Tor
warrant = ID" arrest Of her husband. but III
Justice r.! 90 - grant one until Miss Sihnor
appeared iu nourt. I'm be- killed before TN
lime,' uo poor woman said Yesterday.
care u9t - 10 - the house, tor he'd murd'
me " b" N"t ~" in the street Nearly all M
Dohrdct- lave l"i' me, and don't know viii
justice lhrrs is IN America"
Among ". passengers on car l6 OF tho Az
nue. u llu", Monday evening. N II PASSED dow
maiden named Emma Ma,key Of s2I In,
Fourth street. she sat near a corner Of the ca
and carried In her lap a valise contuining art
cles Of clothing valued At tl2. A-thr ear pause
In Twenty-ilTst street u rough look ING fellON
In work .ngman's ghrh stepped up by III
open window, thrust his arm through an
snatched tho bag from Miss Markey's ham
She raised an alarm, AMI several OF the pusseI
Rors joined In giving chase.
Officer John Dunn OF tho Twenty scc0n
street police was hailed. and. accompanied /
him. the throng made n thorough seurch +,
tie thief They followed him down Twcntie
street 10 tho vicinity Of the river, where he Ill
Appeared Miss Mackey returned 10 the static
aud gave description OF her loss. and also
the rubber From the latter the police We
able to identify the thief as Thomas Lyon
alias Bum Lyons. OF 3l5 East Tw' MT"
street. He wAa arrested ut O'Clock yrhtrrd
morning by Olflcer william MrKcnnA OF q
same preoinrt In the Fity-srycnth Street j
lice Court he was held In 81 900 hnil.
The locality u the rObberY Is inhabited BY
rough clan- Of persons and WIS the scene on
4 low days ago OF II tholt even more hudarlou
"A Samuel Hale conductor and driver OF
green car ON tho same line WIZ passing fro